diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-cards.c b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-cards.c
index 2918a6e38fe8e5fa9039a0e088c59024443e7f71..658ee90db5a4723f0390768dce0d160fbf5a4d03 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-cards.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-cards.c
@@ -3498,6 +3498,7 @@ struct cx88_core *cx88_core_create(struct pci_dev *pci, int nr)
 	}
 
 	cx88_card_setup(core);
+	cx88_i2c_init_ir(core);
 	cx88_ir_init(core, pci);
 
 	return core;
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-i2c.c b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-i2c.c
index fb39f11845583a86dcb463745d66d498bc873efe..375ad53f796124637ed4053040166b739f74d99e 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-i2c.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-i2c.c
@@ -181,6 +181,11 @@ int cx88_i2c_init(struct cx88_core *core, struct pci_dev *pci)
 	} else
 		printk("%s: i2c register FAILED\n", core->name);
 
+	return core->i2c_rc;
+}
+
+void cx88_i2c_init_ir(struct cx88_core *core)
+{
 	/* Instantiate the IR receiver device, if present */
 	if (0 == core->i2c_rc) {
 		struct i2c_board_info info;
@@ -207,7 +212,6 @@ int cx88_i2c_init(struct cx88_core *core, struct pci_dev *pci)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return core->i2c_rc;
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h
index bdb03d33653610efbe4f69a5b613c4629620e2b1..33d161a1172544f38988f1aab0f7c02d173344c5 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88.h
@@ -636,6 +636,7 @@ extern struct videobuf_queue_ops cx8800_vbi_qops;
 /* cx88-i2c.c                                                  */
 
 extern int cx88_i2c_init(struct cx88_core *core, struct pci_dev *pci);
+extern void cx88_i2c_init_ir(struct cx88_core *core);
 
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------- */