diff --git a/include/sound/timer.h b/include/sound/timer.h
index 1898511a0f389d53a61023d68d7ad2c2f0b8df9c..b55f38ae56e13ed3428f189a09a39a8ff4566cf0 100644
--- a/include/sound/timer.h
+++ b/include/sound/timer.h
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ struct _snd_timer_hardware {
 struct _snd_timer {
 	snd_timer_class_t tmr_class;
 	snd_card_t *card;
+	struct module *module;
 	int tmr_device;
 	int tmr_subdevice;
 	char id[64];
diff --git a/sound/core/rtctimer.c b/sound/core/rtctimer.c
index 8762ff8938c22b0a5ea142b6dc3a250f99c063d7..c3c18568207e4f1a70bfd7bba7318dd69bb98660 100644
--- a/sound/core/rtctimer.c
+++ b/sound/core/rtctimer.c
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ static int __init rtctimer_init(void)
 
 	if (rtctimer_freq < 2 || rtctimer_freq > 8192 ||
 	    (rtctimer_freq & (rtctimer_freq - 1)) != 0) {
-		snd_printk(KERN_ERR "rtctimer: invalid frequency %d\n", rtctimer_freq);
+		snd_printk(KERN_ERR "rtctimer: invalid frequency %d\n",
+			   rtctimer_freq);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@ static int __init rtctimer_init(void)
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
+	timer->module = THIS_MODULE;
 	strcpy(timer->name, "RTC timer");
 	timer->hw = rtc_hw;
 	timer->hw.resolution = NANO_SEC / rtctimer_freq;
diff --git a/sound/core/timer.c b/sound/core/timer.c
index b02681eaea75668883ee6fb7050d3ce9fcd7487b..c8496c7b8df8d58fdc41d5f211eb5427f400c94c 100644
--- a/sound/core/timer.c
+++ b/sound/core/timer.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static snd_timer_instance_t *snd_timer_instance_new(char *owner, snd_timer_t *ti
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&timeri->slave_active_head);
 
 	timeri->timer = timer;
-	if (timer && timer->card && !try_module_get(timer->card->module)) {
+	if (timer && !try_module_get(timer->module)) {
 		kfree(timeri->owner);
 		kfree(timeri);
 		return NULL;
@@ -363,8 +363,8 @@ int snd_timer_close(snd_timer_instance_t * timeri)
 		timeri->private_free(timeri);
 	kfree(timeri->owner);
 	kfree(timeri);
-	if (timer && timer->card)
-		module_put(timer->card->module);
+	if (timer)
+		module_put(timer->module);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -787,6 +787,7 @@ int snd_timer_new(snd_card_t *card, char *id, snd_timer_id_t *tid, snd_timer_t *
 	spin_lock_init(&timer->lock);
 	tasklet_init(&timer->task_queue, snd_timer_tasklet, (unsigned long)timer);
 	if (card != NULL) {
+		timer->module = card->module;
 		if ((err = snd_device_new(card, SNDRV_DEV_TIMER, timer, &ops)) < 0) {
 			snd_timer_free(timer);
 			return err;