diff --git a/drivers/staging/mei/init.c b/drivers/staging/mei/init.c
index 0fa8216fd0eb..69a57e77a09d 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/mei/init.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/mei/init.c
@@ -521,7 +521,13 @@ void mei_host_client_properties(struct mei_device *dev)
 	bitmap_set(dev->host_clients_map, 0, 3);
 	dev->mei_state = MEI_ENABLED;
 
-	mei_wd_host_init(dev);
+	/* if wd initialization fails, initialization the AMTHI client,
+	 * otherwise the AMTHI client will be initialized after the WD client connect response
+	 * will be received
+	 */
+	if (mei_wd_host_init(dev))
+		mei_host_init_iamthif(dev);
+
 	return;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/mei/interface.h b/drivers/staging/mei/interface.h
index d0bf5cf4f3ec..7bcf0966030a 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/mei/interface.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/mei/interface.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ int mei_flow_ctrl_creds(struct mei_device *dev, struct mei_cl *cl);
 
 int mei_wd_send(struct mei_device *dev);
 int mei_wd_stop(struct mei_device *dev, bool preserve);
-void mei_wd_host_init(struct mei_device *dev);
+bool mei_wd_host_init(struct mei_device *dev);
 void mei_wd_start_setup(struct mei_device *dev);
 
 int mei_flow_ctrl_reduce(struct mei_device *dev, struct mei_cl *cl);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/mei/wd.c b/drivers/staging/mei/wd.c
index 42f04efc90e4..721487d05ba8 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/mei/wd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/mei/wd.c
@@ -63,8 +63,10 @@ void mei_wd_start_setup(struct mei_device *dev)
  *
  * @dev: the device structure
  */
-void mei_wd_host_init(struct mei_device *dev)
+bool mei_wd_host_init(struct mei_device *dev)
 {
+	bool ret = false;
+
 	mei_cl_init(&dev->wd_cl, dev);
 
 	/* look for WD client and connect to it */
@@ -83,19 +85,25 @@ void mei_wd_host_init(struct mei_device *dev)
 				dev_dbg(&dev->pdev->dev, "Failed to connect to WD client\n");
 				dev->wd_cl.state = MEI_FILE_DISCONNECTED;
 				dev->wd_cl.host_client_id = 0;
-				mei_host_init_iamthif(dev) ;
+				ret = false;
+				goto end;
 			} else {
 				dev->wd_cl.timer_count = CONNECT_TIMEOUT;
 			}
 		} else {
 			dev_dbg(&dev->pdev->dev, "Failed to find WD client\n");
-			mei_host_init_iamthif(dev) ;
+			ret = false;
+			goto end;
 		}
 	} else {
 		dev->wd_bypass = true;
 		dev_dbg(&dev->pdev->dev, "WD requested to be disabled\n");
-		mei_host_init_iamthif(dev) ;
+		ret = false;
+		goto end;
 	}
+
+end:
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /**