diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/mfgpt_32.c b/arch/x86/kernel/mfgpt_32.c
index 0ab680f..3960ab7 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/mfgpt_32.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/mfgpt_32.c
@@ -278,12 +278,12 @@
 
 static irqreturn_t mfgpt_tick(int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
+	/* Turn off the clock (and clear the event) */
+	mfgpt_disable_timer(mfgpt_event_clock);
+
 	if (mfgpt_tick_mode == CLOCK_EVT_MODE_SHUTDOWN)
 		return IRQ_HANDLED;
 
-	/* Turn off the clock */
-	mfgpt_disable_timer(mfgpt_event_clock);
-
 	/* Clear the counter */
 	geode_mfgpt_write(mfgpt_event_clock, MFGPT_REG_COUNTER, 0);
 
@@ -319,10 +319,6 @@
 	}
 
 	mfgpt_event_clock = timer;
-	/* Set the clock scale and enable the event mode for CMP2 */
-	val = MFGPT_SCALE | (3 << 8);
-
-	geode_mfgpt_write(mfgpt_event_clock, MFGPT_REG_SETUP, val);
 
 	/* Set up the IRQ on the MFGPT side */
 	if (geode_mfgpt_setup_irq(mfgpt_event_clock, MFGPT_CMP2, irq)) {
@@ -339,6 +335,11 @@
 		goto err;
 	}
 
+	/* Set the clock scale and enable the event mode for CMP2 */
+	val = MFGPT_SCALE | (3 << 8);
+
+	geode_mfgpt_write(mfgpt_event_clock, MFGPT_REG_SETUP, val);
+
 	/* Set up the clock event */
 	mfgpt_clockevent.mult = div_sc(MFGPT_HZ, NSEC_PER_SEC, 32);
 	mfgpt_clockevent.min_delta_ns = clockevent_delta2ns(0xF,