diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c
index 52e2743b04ecf77bb6a975d6c8609fa042025dea..079e9ed907e06caa6d5a453c56c31e413f0cf6c5 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c
@@ -432,9 +432,15 @@ static int rtc_dev_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
 	struct rtc_device *rtc = file->private_data;
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_RTC_INTF_DEV_UIE_EMUL
-	clear_uie(rtc);
-#endif
+	/* We shut down the repeating IRQs that userspace enabled,
+	 * since nothing is listening to them.
+	 *  - Update (UIE) ... currently only managed through ioctls
+	 *  - Periodic (PIE) ... also used through rtc_*() interface calls
+	 *
+	 * Leave the alarm alone; it may be set to trigger a system wakeup
+	 * later, or be used by kernel code, and is a one-shot event anyway.
+	 */
+	rtc_dev_ioctl(file, RTC_UIE_OFF, 0);
 	rtc_irq_set_state(rtc, NULL, 0);
 
 	if (rtc->ops->release)
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1511.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1511.c
index 0f0d27d1c4ca366916b7958798ac44570681f679..86981d34fbb6717a66d47a11db1287b4e3a4c7f5 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1511.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1511.c
@@ -379,18 +379,6 @@ ds1511_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_id)
 	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
- static void
-ds1511_rtc_release(struct device *dev)
-{
-	struct platform_device *pdev = to_platform_device(dev);
-	struct rtc_plat_data *pdata = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
-
-	if (pdata->irq >= 0) {
-		pdata->irqen = 0;
-		ds1511_rtc_update_alarm(pdata);
-	}
-}
-
  static int
 ds1511_rtc_ioctl(struct device *dev, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 {
@@ -428,7 +416,6 @@ static const struct rtc_class_ops ds1511_rtc_ops = {
 	.set_time	= ds1511_rtc_set_time,
 	.read_alarm	= ds1511_rtc_read_alarm,
 	.set_alarm	= ds1511_rtc_set_alarm,
-	.release	= ds1511_rtc_release,
 	.ioctl		= ds1511_rtc_ioctl,
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c
index a19f1141554083058d5be71ac4064e81c97ac281..4ef59285b489ec28d05b9c038ae35d28e49a0b40 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c
@@ -207,17 +207,6 @@ static irqreturn_t ds1553_rtc_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_id)
 	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
-static void ds1553_rtc_release(struct device *dev)
-{
-	struct platform_device *pdev = to_platform_device(dev);
-	struct rtc_plat_data *pdata = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
-
-	if (pdata->irq >= 0) {
-		pdata->irqen = 0;
-		ds1553_rtc_update_alarm(pdata);
-	}
-}
-
 static int ds1553_rtc_ioctl(struct device *dev, unsigned int cmd,
 			    unsigned long arg)
 {
@@ -254,7 +243,6 @@ static const struct rtc_class_ops ds1553_rtc_ops = {
 	.set_time	= ds1553_rtc_set_time,
 	.read_alarm	= ds1553_rtc_read_alarm,
 	.set_alarm	= ds1553_rtc_set_alarm,
-	.release	= ds1553_rtc_release,
 	.ioctl		= ds1553_rtc_ioctl,
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-sh.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-sh.c
index 1f88e9e914ec97d41c139519ab6e2e34c77ea4e2..fcead4c4cd1f339b59b84de1c2d34ea95f38f9f1 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-sh.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-sh.c
@@ -257,12 +257,6 @@ static inline void sh_rtc_setaie(struct device *dev, unsigned int enable)
 	spin_unlock_irq(&rtc->lock);
 }
 
-static void sh_rtc_release(struct device *dev)
-{
-	sh_rtc_setpie(dev, 0);
-	sh_rtc_setaie(dev, 0);
-}
-
 static int sh_rtc_proc(struct device *dev, struct seq_file *seq)
 {
 	struct sh_rtc *rtc = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
@@ -559,7 +553,6 @@ static int sh_rtc_irq_set_freq(struct device *dev, int freq)
 }
 
 static struct rtc_class_ops sh_rtc_ops = {
-	.release	= sh_rtc_release,
 	.ioctl		= sh_rtc_ioctl,
 	.read_time	= sh_rtc_read_time,
 	.set_time	= sh_rtc_set_time,
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-stk17ta8.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-stk17ta8.c
index 31d3c8c28588b9f272104aadd83df86512da2200..9a7e920315fa76c6af27d307c913df0b184dadad 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-stk17ta8.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-stk17ta8.c
@@ -215,17 +215,6 @@ static irqreturn_t stk17ta8_rtc_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_id)
 	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
-static void stk17ta8_rtc_release(struct device *dev)
-{
-	struct platform_device *pdev = to_platform_device(dev);
-	struct rtc_plat_data *pdata = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
-
-	if (pdata->irq >= 0) {
-		pdata->irqen = 0;
-		stk17ta8_rtc_update_alarm(pdata);
-	}
-}
-
 static int stk17ta8_rtc_ioctl(struct device *dev, unsigned int cmd,
 			    unsigned long arg)
 {
@@ -254,7 +243,6 @@ static const struct rtc_class_ops stk17ta8_rtc_ops = {
 	.set_time	= stk17ta8_rtc_set_time,
 	.read_alarm	= stk17ta8_rtc_read_alarm,
 	.set_alarm	= stk17ta8_rtc_set_alarm,
-	.release	= stk17ta8_rtc_release,
 	.ioctl		= stk17ta8_rtc_ioctl,
 };