diff --git a/arch/mips/ath79/clock.c b/arch/mips/ath79/clock.c
index 984b3cdebd22..6262253622b3 100644
--- a/arch/mips/ath79/clock.c
+++ b/arch/mips/ath79/clock.c
@@ -80,6 +80,18 @@ static struct clk * __init ath79_set_ff_clk(int type, const char *parent,
 	return clk;
 }
 
+static unsigned long __init ath79_setup_ref_clk(unsigned long rate)
+{
+	struct clk *clk = clks[ATH79_CLK_REF];
+
+	if (clk)
+		rate = clk_get_rate(clk);
+	else
+		clk = ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, rate);
+
+	return rate;
+}
+
 static void __init ar71xx_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 {
 	unsigned long ref_rate;
@@ -90,7 +102,7 @@ static void __init ar71xx_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	u32 freq;
 	u32 div;
 
-	ref_rate = AR71XX_BASE_FREQ;
+	ref_rate = ath79_setup_ref_clk(AR71XX_BASE_FREQ);
 
 	pll = __raw_readl(pll_base + AR71XX_PLL_REG_CPU_CONFIG);
 
@@ -106,16 +118,17 @@ static void __init ar71xx_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	div = (((pll >> AR71XX_AHB_DIV_SHIFT) & AR71XX_AHB_DIV_MASK) + 1) * 2;
 	ahb_rate = cpu_rate / div;
 
-	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, ref_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_CPU, cpu_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_DDR, ddr_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_AHB, ahb_rate);
 }
 
-static void __init ar724x_clk_init(struct clk *ref_clk, void __iomem *pll_base)
+static void __init ar724x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 {
-	u32 pll;
 	u32 mult, div, ddr_div, ahb_div;
+	u32 pll;
+
+	ath79_setup_ref_clk(AR71XX_BASE_FREQ);
 
 	pll = __raw_readl(pll_base + AR724X_PLL_REG_CPU_CONFIG);
 
@@ -130,17 +143,9 @@ static void __init ar724x_clk_init(struct clk *ref_clk, void __iomem *pll_base)
 	ath79_set_ff_clk(ATH79_CLK_AHB, "ref", mult, div * ahb_div);
 }
 
-static void __init ar724x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
-{
-	struct clk *ref_clk;
-
-	ref_clk = ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, AR724X_BASE_FREQ);
-
-	ar724x_clk_init(ref_clk, pll_base);
-}
-
-static void __init ar9330_clk_init(struct clk *ref_clk, void __iomem *pll_base)
+static void __init ar933x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 {
+	unsigned long ref_rate;
 	u32 clock_ctrl;
 	u32 ref_div;
 	u32 ninit_mul;
@@ -149,6 +154,15 @@ static void __init ar9330_clk_init(struct clk *ref_clk, void __iomem *pll_base)
 	u32 cpu_div;
 	u32 ddr_div;
 	u32 ahb_div;
+	u32 t;
+
+	t = ath79_reset_rr(AR933X_RESET_REG_BOOTSTRAP);
+	if (t & AR933X_BOOTSTRAP_REF_CLK_40)
+		ref_rate = (40 * 1000 * 1000);
+	else
+		ref_rate = (25 * 1000 * 1000);
+
+	ath79_setup_ref_clk(ref_rate);
 
 	clock_ctrl = __raw_readl(pll_base + AR933X_PLL_CLOCK_CTRL_REG);
 	if (clock_ctrl & AR933X_PLL_CLOCK_CTRL_BYPASS) {
@@ -197,23 +211,6 @@ static void __init ar9330_clk_init(struct clk *ref_clk, void __iomem *pll_base)
 			 ref_div * out_div * ahb_div);
 }
 
-static void __init ar933x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
-{
-	struct clk *ref_clk;
-	unsigned long ref_rate;
-	u32 t;
-
-	t = ath79_reset_rr(AR933X_RESET_REG_BOOTSTRAP);
-	if (t & AR933X_BOOTSTRAP_REF_CLK_40)
-		ref_rate = (40 * 1000 * 1000);
-	else
-		ref_rate = (25 * 1000 * 1000);
-
-	ref_clk = ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, ref_rate);
-
-	ar9330_clk_init(ref_clk, ath79_pll_base);
-}
-
 static u32 __init ar934x_get_pll_freq(u32 ref, u32 ref_div, u32 nint, u32 nfrac,
 				      u32 frac, u32 out_div)
 {
@@ -253,6 +250,8 @@ static void __init ar934x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ref_rate = 25 * 1000 * 1000;
 
+	ref_rate = ath79_setup_ref_clk(ref_rate);
+
 	pll = __raw_readl(dpll_base + AR934X_SRIF_CPU_DPLL2_REG);
 	if (pll & AR934X_SRIF_DPLL2_LOCAL_PLL) {
 		out_div = (pll >> AR934X_SRIF_DPLL2_OUTDIV_SHIFT) &
@@ -339,7 +338,6 @@ static void __init ar934x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ahb_rate = cpu_pll / (postdiv + 1);
 
-	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, ref_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_CPU, cpu_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_DDR, ddr_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_AHB, ahb_rate);
@@ -363,6 +361,8 @@ static void __init qca953x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ref_rate = 25 * 1000 * 1000;
 
+	ref_rate = ath79_setup_ref_clk(ref_rate);
+
 	pll = __raw_readl(pll_base + QCA953X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_REG);
 	out_div = (pll >> QCA953X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_OUTDIV_SHIFT) &
 		  QCA953X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_OUTDIV_MASK;
@@ -423,7 +423,6 @@ static void __init qca953x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ahb_rate = cpu_pll / (postdiv + 1);
 
-	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, ref_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_CPU, cpu_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_DDR, ddr_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_AHB, ahb_rate);
@@ -445,6 +444,8 @@ static void __init qca955x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ref_rate = 25 * 1000 * 1000;
 
+	ref_rate = ath79_setup_ref_clk(ref_rate);
+
 	pll = __raw_readl(pll_base + QCA955X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_REG);
 	out_div = (pll >> QCA955X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_OUTDIV_SHIFT) &
 		  QCA955X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_OUTDIV_MASK;
@@ -505,7 +506,6 @@ static void __init qca955x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ahb_rate = cpu_pll / (postdiv + 1);
 
-	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, ref_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_CPU, cpu_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_DDR, ddr_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_AHB, ahb_rate);
@@ -537,6 +537,8 @@ static void __init qca956x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ref_rate = 25 * 1000 * 1000;
 
+	ref_rate = ath79_setup_ref_clk(ref_rate);
+
 	pll = __raw_readl(pll_base + QCA956X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_REG);
 	out_div = (pll >> QCA956X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_OUTDIV_SHIFT) &
 		  QCA956X_PLL_CPU_CONFIG_OUTDIV_MASK;
@@ -606,7 +608,6 @@ static void __init qca956x_clocks_init(void __iomem *pll_base)
 	else
 		ahb_rate = cpu_pll / (postdiv + 1);
 
-	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_REF, ref_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_CPU, cpu_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_DDR, ddr_rate);
 	ath79_set_clk(ATH79_CLK_AHB, ahb_rate);
@@ -682,10 +683,8 @@ static void __init ath79_clocks_init_dt_ng(struct device_node *np)
 	void __iomem *pll_base;
 
 	ref_clk = of_clk_get(np, 0);
-	if (IS_ERR(ref_clk)) {
-		pr_err("%pOF: of_clk_get failed\n", np);
-		goto err;
-	}
+	if (!IS_ERR(ref_clk))
+		clks[ATH79_CLK_REF] = ref_clk;
 
 	pll_base = of_iomap(np, 0);
 	if (!pll_base) {
@@ -694,9 +693,9 @@ static void __init ath79_clocks_init_dt_ng(struct device_node *np)
 	}
 
 	if (of_device_is_compatible(np, "qca,ar9130-pll"))
-		ar724x_clk_init(ref_clk, pll_base);
+		ar724x_clocks_init(pll_base);
 	else if (of_device_is_compatible(np, "qca,ar9330-pll"))
-		ar9330_clk_init(ref_clk, pll_base);
+		ar933x_clocks_init(pll_base);
 	else {
 		pr_err("%pOF: could not find any appropriate clk_init()\n", np);
 		goto err_iounmap;
@@ -714,9 +713,6 @@ static void __init ath79_clocks_init_dt_ng(struct device_node *np)
 
 err_clk:
 	clk_put(ref_clk);
-
-err:
-	return;
 }
 CLK_OF_DECLARE(ar9130_clk, "qca,ar9130-pll", ath79_clocks_init_dt_ng);
 CLK_OF_DECLARE(ar9330_clk, "qca,ar9330-pll", ath79_clocks_init_dt_ng);