diff --git a/sound/core/timer.c b/sound/core/timer.c
index 28b673d4f8124be43d17cf2bcff278d5afdcd497..dae40ac11e04e09c6747c5d9028c00c94edad885 100644
--- a/sound/core/timer.c
+++ b/sound/core/timer.c
@@ -1951,6 +1951,8 @@ static void snd_timer_free_all(void)
 		snd_timer_free(timer);
 }
 
+static struct device timer_dev;
+
 /*
  *  ENTRY functions
  */
@@ -1959,6 +1961,9 @@ static int __init alsa_timer_init(void)
 {
 	int err;
 
+	snd_device_initialize(&timer_dev, NULL);
+	dev_set_name(&timer_dev, "timer");
+
 #ifdef SNDRV_OSS_INFO_DEV_TIMERS
 	snd_oss_info_register(SNDRV_OSS_INFO_DEV_TIMERS, SNDRV_CARDS - 1,
 			      "system timer");
@@ -1967,14 +1972,17 @@ static int __init alsa_timer_init(void)
 	err = snd_timer_register_system();
 	if (err < 0) {
 		pr_err("ALSA: unable to register system timer (%i)\n", err);
+		put_device(&timer_dev);
 		return err;
 	}
 
-	err = snd_register_device(SNDRV_DEVICE_TYPE_TIMER, NULL, 0,
-				  &snd_timer_f_ops, NULL, "timer");
+	err = snd_register_device_for_dev(SNDRV_DEVICE_TYPE_TIMER, NULL, 0,
+					  &snd_timer_f_ops, NULL,
+					  &timer_dev, NULL, NULL);
 	if (err < 0) {
 		pr_err("ALSA: unable to register timer device (%i)\n", err);
 		snd_timer_free_all();
+		put_device(&timer_dev);
 		return err;
 	}
 
@@ -1986,6 +1994,7 @@ static void __exit alsa_timer_exit(void)
 {
 	snd_unregister_device(SNDRV_DEVICE_TYPE_TIMER, NULL, 0);
 	snd_timer_free_all();
+	put_device(&timer_dev);
 	snd_timer_proc_done();
 #ifdef SNDRV_OSS_INFO_DEV_TIMERS
 	snd_oss_info_unregister(SNDRV_OSS_INFO_DEV_TIMERS, SNDRV_CARDS - 1);