diff --git a/drivers/gpio/max7301.c b/drivers/gpio/max7301.c
index 39c795ad8312..1b5ad97b9e5b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/max7301.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/max7301.c
@@ -325,13 +325,15 @@ static int __init max7301_init(void)
 {
 	return spi_register_driver(&max7301_driver);
 }
+/* register after spi postcore initcall and before
+ * subsys initcalls that may rely on these GPIOs
+ */
+subsys_initcall(max7301_init);
 
 static void __exit max7301_exit(void)
 {
 	spi_unregister_driver(&max7301_driver);
 }
-
-module_init(max7301_init);
 module_exit(max7301_exit);
 
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Juergen Beisert");
diff --git a/drivers/gpio/mcp23s08.c b/drivers/gpio/mcp23s08.c
index 8a1b405fefda..89c1d222e9d1 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/mcp23s08.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/mcp23s08.c
@@ -419,7 +419,10 @@ static int __init mcp23s08_init(void)
 {
 	return spi_register_driver(&mcp23s08_driver);
 }
-module_init(mcp23s08_init);
+/* register after spi postcore initcall and before
+ * subsys initcalls that may rely on these GPIOs
+ */
+subsys_initcall(mcp23s08_init);
 
 static void __exit mcp23s08_exit(void)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi.c b/drivers/spi/spi.c
index 2de6b0e72f3f..3734dc9708e1 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi.c
@@ -738,5 +738,5 @@ static int __init spi_init(void)
  * driver registration) _could_ be dynamically linked (modular) ... costs
  * include needing to have boardinfo data structures be much more public.
  */
-subsys_initcall(spi_init);
+postcore_initcall(spi_init);