diff --git a/drivers/iio/magnetometer/ak8974.c b/drivers/iio/magnetometer/ak8974.c
index 041c9007bfbe..91c39352fba2 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/magnetometer/ak8974.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/magnetometer/ak8974.c
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@ struct ak8974 {
 	bool drdy_irq;
 	struct completion drdy_complete;
 	bool drdy_active_low;
+	/* Ensure timestamp is naturally aligned */
+	struct {
+		__le16 channels[3];
+		s64 ts __aligned(8);
+	} scan;
 };
 
 static const char ak8974_reg_avdd[] = "avdd";
@@ -657,7 +662,6 @@ static void ak8974_fill_buffer(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
 {
 	struct ak8974 *ak8974 = iio_priv(indio_dev);
 	int ret;
-	__le16 hw_values[8]; /* Three axes + 64bit padding */
 
 	pm_runtime_get_sync(&ak8974->i2c->dev);
 	mutex_lock(&ak8974->lock);
@@ -667,13 +671,13 @@ static void ak8974_fill_buffer(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
 		dev_err(&ak8974->i2c->dev, "error triggering measure\n");
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
-	ret = ak8974_getresult(ak8974, hw_values);
+	ret = ak8974_getresult(ak8974, ak8974->scan.channels);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev_err(&ak8974->i2c->dev, "error getting measures\n");
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
 
-	iio_push_to_buffers_with_timestamp(indio_dev, hw_values,
+	iio_push_to_buffers_with_timestamp(indio_dev, &ak8974->scan,
 					   iio_get_time_ns(indio_dev));
 
  out_unlock: