diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-at91/sysirq_mask.c b/arch/arm/mach-at91/sysirq_mask.c
index 2ba694f9626b69f348b96d71db3450656a859361..f8bc3511a8c8b49c82084a21593e74ffbfa6ccd6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-at91/sysirq_mask.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-at91/sysirq_mask.c
@@ -25,24 +25,28 @@
 
 #include "generic.h"
 
-#define AT91_RTC_IDR	0x24	/* Interrupt Disable Register */
-#define AT91_RTC_IMR	0x28	/* Interrupt Mask Register */
+#define AT91_RTC_IDR		0x24	/* Interrupt Disable Register */
+#define AT91_RTC_IMR		0x28	/* Interrupt Mask Register */
+#define AT91_RTC_IRQ_MASK	0x1f	/* Available IRQs mask */
 
 void __init at91_sysirq_mask_rtc(u32 rtc_base)
 {
 	void __iomem *base;
-	u32 mask;
 
 	base = ioremap(rtc_base, 64);
 	if (!base)
 		return;
 
-	mask = readl_relaxed(base + AT91_RTC_IMR);
-	if (mask) {
-		pr_info("AT91: Disabling rtc irq\n");
-		writel_relaxed(mask, base + AT91_RTC_IDR);
-		(void)readl_relaxed(base + AT91_RTC_IMR);	/* flush */
-	}
+	/*
+	 * sam9x5 SoCs have the following errata:
+	 * "RTC: Interrupt Mask Register cannot be used
+	 *  Interrupt Mask Register read always returns 0."
+	 *
+	 * Hence we're not relying on IMR values to disable
+	 * interrupts.
+	 */
+	writel_relaxed(AT91_RTC_IRQ_MASK, base + AT91_RTC_IDR);
+	(void)readl_relaxed(base + AT91_RTC_IMR);	/* flush */
 
 	iounmap(base);
 }