diff --git a/drivers/media/rc/img-ir/img-ir-hw.c b/drivers/media/rc/img-ir/img-ir-hw.c
index ec49f94425fc757ddc107578adeaa257a1ebd77a..9db065344b41f086323c58c0af2840bc26076cfb 100644
--- a/drivers/media/rc/img-ir/img-ir-hw.c
+++ b/drivers/media/rc/img-ir/img-ir-hw.c
@@ -541,10 +541,12 @@ static void img_ir_set_decoder(struct img_ir_priv *priv,
 	if (ir_status & (IMG_IR_RXDVAL | IMG_IR_RXDVALD2)) {
 		ir_status &= ~(IMG_IR_RXDVAL | IMG_IR_RXDVALD2);
 		img_ir_write(priv, IMG_IR_STATUS, ir_status);
-		img_ir_read(priv, IMG_IR_DATA_LW);
-		img_ir_read(priv, IMG_IR_DATA_UP);
 	}
 
+	/* always read data to clear buffer if IR wakes the device */
+	img_ir_read(priv, IMG_IR_DATA_LW);
+	img_ir_read(priv, IMG_IR_DATA_UP);
+
 	/* stop the end timer and switch back to normal mode */
 	del_timer_sync(&hw->end_timer);
 	hw->mode = IMG_IR_M_NORMAL;