diff --git a/drivers/regulator/core.c b/drivers/regulator/core.c
index ca8e1642538b73864c47f3617c84ed4570b57e24..75a26f7809184127eec35ea86979fdd6ff7cff44 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/core.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/core.c
@@ -1466,9 +1466,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(regulator_force_disable);
 
 static int _regulator_is_enabled(struct regulator_dev *rdev)
 {
-	/* sanity check */
+	/* If we don't know then assume that the regulator is always on */
 	if (!rdev->desc->ops->is_enabled)
-		return -EINVAL;
+		return 1;
 
 	return rdev->desc->ops->is_enabled(rdev);
 }