diff --git a/drivers/mtd/nand/raw/pasemi_nand.c b/drivers/mtd/nand/raw/pasemi_nand.c
index 68c08772d7c26f5e6561828763f8cca002b28897..b0ba1fdbf5f2a338c9fc5a2478ca10df9d3d48cd 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/nand/raw/pasemi_nand.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/nand/raw/pasemi_nand.c
@@ -76,9 +76,8 @@ static int pasemi_device_ready(struct nand_chip *chip)
 
 static int pasemi_attach_chip(struct nand_chip *chip)
 {
-	chip->ecc.engine_type = NAND_ECC_ENGINE_TYPE_SOFT;
-
-	if (chip->ecc.algo == NAND_ECC_ALGO_UNKNOWN)
+	if (chip->ecc.engine_type == NAND_ECC_ENGINE_TYPE_SOFT &&
+	    chip->ecc.algo == NAND_ECC_ALGO_UNKNOWN)
 		chip->ecc.algo = NAND_ECC_ALGO_HAMMING;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -155,6 +154,13 @@ static int pasemi_nand_probe(struct platform_device *ofdev)
 	/* Enable the following for a flash based bad block table */
 	chip->bbt_options = NAND_BBT_USE_FLASH;
 
+	/*
+	 * This driver assumes that the default ECC engine should be TYPE_SOFT.
+	 * Set ->engine_type before registering the NAND devices in order to
+	 * provide a driver specific default value.
+	 */
+	chip->ecc.engine_type = NAND_ECC_ENGINE_TYPE_SOFT;
+
 	/* Scan to find existence of the device */
 	err = nand_scan(chip, 1);
 	if (err)