diff --git a/drivers/net/can/sja1000/sja1000.c b/drivers/net/can/sja1000/sja1000.c
index 04a3f1b756a8ad78f24c887959e6a51b1cb4d778..192b0d118df46d4136c5bd5bab872f35d51bcbc7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/sja1000/sja1000.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/sja1000/sja1000.c
@@ -95,11 +95,16 @@ static void sja1000_write_cmdreg(struct sja1000_priv *priv, u8 val)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->cmdreg_lock, flags);
 }
 
+static int sja1000_is_absent(struct sja1000_priv *priv)
+{
+	return (priv->read_reg(priv, REG_MOD) == 0xFF);
+}
+
 static int sja1000_probe_chip(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct sja1000_priv *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
 
-	if (priv->reg_base && (priv->read_reg(priv, 0) == 0xFF)) {
+	if (priv->reg_base && sja1000_is_absent(priv)) {
 		printk(KERN_INFO "%s: probing @0x%lX failed\n",
 		       DRV_NAME, dev->base_addr);
 		return 0;
@@ -493,6 +498,9 @@ irqreturn_t sja1000_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_id)
 	while ((isrc = priv->read_reg(priv, REG_IR)) && (n < SJA1000_MAX_IRQ)) {
 		n++;
 		status = priv->read_reg(priv, REG_SR);
+		/* check for absent controller due to hw unplug */
+		if (status == 0xFF && sja1000_is_absent(priv))
+			return IRQ_NONE;
 
 		if (isrc & IRQ_WUI)
 			dev_warn(dev->dev.parent, "wakeup interrupt\n");
@@ -509,6 +517,9 @@ irqreturn_t sja1000_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_id)
 			while (status & SR_RBS) {
 				sja1000_rx(dev);
 				status = priv->read_reg(priv, REG_SR);
+				/* check for absent controller */
+				if (status == 0xFF && sja1000_is_absent(priv))
+					return IRQ_NONE;
 			}
 		}
 		if (isrc & (IRQ_DOI | IRQ_EI | IRQ_BEI | IRQ_EPI | IRQ_ALI)) {