diff --git a/drivers/staging/et131x/README b/drivers/staging/et131x/README
index 42c388d2098dd30ffb9d0bc10b8665683b23bcbf..a0ebaa0de53fd05c84bf47ad2993c1f3df9bbfa4 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/et131x/README
+++ b/drivers/staging/et131x/README
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ Note, the powermanagement options were removed from the vendor provided
 driver as they did not build properly at the time.
 
 TODO:
-	- add_timer call in et131x_netdev.c is correct?
 	- Implement a few more kernel Parameter (set mac )
 
 Please send patches to:
diff --git a/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x.h b/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x.h
index 15486d11f959d29c220808f3d8446fc6c079e239..c8f5ab14b6f946f6c8358a4fb0024e51aad31a10 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 int et131x_init_eeprom(struct et131x_adapter *adapter);
 
 /* et131x_initpci.c */
+void et131x_error_timer_handler(unsigned long data);
 void et131x_configure_global_regs(struct et131x_adapter *adapter);
 void et131x_enable_interrupts(struct et131x_adapter *adapter);
 void et131x_disable_interrupts(struct et131x_adapter *adapter);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_initpci.c b/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_initpci.c
index e166fde8997a5c0a55c93561f466586766d818dc..8bff4a08fa7fb0187255288fcf284052f3fbd839 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_initpci.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_initpci.c
@@ -750,10 +750,6 @@ static int __devinit et131x_pci_setup(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	/* Copy address into the net_device struct */
 	memcpy(netdev->dev_addr, adapter->addr, ETH_ALEN);
 
-	adapter->error_timer.expires = jiffies + TX_ERROR_PERIOD * HZ / 1000;
-	adapter->error_timer.function = et131x_error_timer_handler;
-	adapter->error_timer.data = (unsigned long)adapter;
-
 	/* Init variable for counting how long we do not have link status */
 	adapter->boot_coma = 0;
 	et1310_disable_phy_coma(adapter);
@@ -795,9 +791,6 @@ static int __devinit et131x_pci_setup(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	/* Setup et1310 as per the documentation */
 	et131x_adapter_setup(adapter);
 
-	/* Create a timer to count errors received by the NIC */
-	init_timer(&adapter->error_timer);
-
 	/* We can enable interrupts now
 	 *
 	 *  NOTE - Because registration of interrupt handler is done in the
diff --git a/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_netdev.c b/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_netdev.c
index 6ec4a0f2919cecd41121a71b26235a8214a5f82f..21846827e6ca03a6fb274629b69fd2e01659a5eb 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/et131x/et131x_netdev.c
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ int et131x_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct et131x_adapter *adapter = netdev_priv(netdev);
 
 	/* Start the timer to track NIC errors */
+	init_timer(&adapter->error_timer);
+	adapter->error_timer.expires = jiffies + TX_ERROR_PERIOD * HZ / 1000;
+	adapter->error_timer.function = et131x_error_timer_handler;
+	adapter->error_timer.data = (unsigned long)adapter;
 	add_timer(&adapter->error_timer);
 
 	/* Register our IRQ */