diff --git a/drivers/ata/ahci.c b/drivers/ata/ahci.c
index 0de6432ee0266a49e02342bd2c38587c815a7e27..739ba3f222e851407cd97dcc2ed52ac509e32edc 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/ahci.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/ahci.c
@@ -1273,12 +1273,6 @@ static int ahci_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *class,
 
 	DPRINTK("ENTER\n");
 
-	if (ata_link_offline(link)) {
-		DPRINTK("PHY reports no device\n");
-		*class = ATA_DEV_NONE;
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	/* prepare for SRST (AHCI-1.1 10.4.1) */
 	rc = ahci_kick_engine(ap, 1);
 	if (rc && rc != -EOPNOTSUPP)
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
index 3401248180c9d2bea36a2fa67cab7f5ec4667684..f60988f5e01b823c3bc4c5fd2f1767967b50c42f 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
@@ -3541,6 +3541,10 @@ int ata_std_prereset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned long deadline)
 					"link for reset (errno=%d)\n", rc);
 	}
 
+	/* no point in trying softreset on offline link */
+	if (ata_link_offline(link))
+		ehc->i.action &= ~ATA_EH_SOFTRESET;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c b/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
index 88cdc4938beaca421d66929ce76f03202f399f1c..ecbb8e90cb8d1afb76f7314956d1bdd5566d764c 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
@@ -2065,7 +2065,7 @@ static int ata_eh_followup_srst_needed(struct ata_link *link,
 				       int rc, int classify,
 				       const unsigned int *classes)
 {
-	if (link->flags & ATA_LFLAG_NO_SRST)
+	if ((link->flags & ATA_LFLAG_NO_SRST) || ata_link_offline(link))
 		return 0;
 	if (rc == -EAGAIN) {
 		if (classify)
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c b/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c
index 8e6c78ac70f86af21c0e0790e977cfb86ee6499b..15499522e6427392fe80f5fe47f35573d9479d81 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c
@@ -1889,11 +1889,6 @@ int ata_sff_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *classes,
 
 	DPRINTK("ENTER\n");
 
-	if (ata_link_offline(link)) {
-		classes[0] = ATA_DEV_NONE;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	/* determine if device 0/1 are present */
 	if (ata_devchk(ap, 0))
 		devmask |= (1 << 0);
@@ -1919,7 +1914,6 @@ int ata_sff_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *classes,
 		classes[1] = ata_sff_dev_classify(&link->device[1],
 						  devmask & (1 << 1), &err);
 
- out:
 	DPRINTK("EXIT, classes[0]=%u [1]=%u\n", classes[0], classes[1]);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/ata/pata_bf54x.c b/drivers/ata/pata_bf54x.c
index d98bd7455e6b58dc4cd64e6d5c29a09cdc80e982..0a5ad98635b1c0005bd3847055b241ff30d80409 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/pata_bf54x.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/pata_bf54x.c
@@ -1103,11 +1103,6 @@ static int bfin_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *classes,
 	unsigned int devmask = 0, err_mask;
 	u8 err;
 
-	if (ata_link_offline(link)) {
-		classes[0] = ATA_DEV_NONE;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	/* determine if device 0/1 are present */
 	if (bfin_devchk(ap, 0))
 		devmask |= (1 << 0);
@@ -1132,7 +1127,6 @@ static int bfin_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *classes,
 		classes[1] = ata_sff_dev_classify(&ap->link.device[1],
 					devmask & (1 << 1), &err);
 
- out:
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/ata/pata_scc.c b/drivers/ata/pata_scc.c
index 7bdea8a4ca7e6c06dc8df2a01a9be5634b53902f..e965b251ca24dd923b421d628f264046bde76462 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/pata_scc.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/pata_scc.c
@@ -615,11 +615,6 @@ static int scc_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *classes,
 
 	DPRINTK("ENTER\n");
 
-	if (ata_link_offline(link)) {
-		classes[0] = ATA_DEV_NONE;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	/* determine if device 0/1 are present */
 	if (scc_devchk(ap, 0))
 		devmask |= (1 << 0);
@@ -645,7 +640,6 @@ static int scc_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *classes,
 		classes[1] = ata_sff_dev_classify(&ap->link.device[1],
 						  devmask & (1 << 1), &err);
 
- out:
 	DPRINTK("EXIT, classes[0]=%u [1]=%u\n", classes[0], classes[1]);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/ata/sata_fsl.c b/drivers/ata/sata_fsl.c
index 9c4e6a6698c2e833ba0017db6955473455455955..fddd346b1d5728c289d1a9a44ae5ab8c2de37412 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/sata_fsl.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/sata_fsl.c
@@ -678,6 +678,15 @@ static unsigned int sata_fsl_dev_classify(struct ata_port *ap)
 	return ata_dev_classify(&tf);
 }
 
+static int sata_fsl_prereset(struct ata_linke *link, unsigned long deadline)
+{
+	/* FIXME: Never skip softreset, sata_fsl_softreset() is
+	 * combination of soft and hard resets.  sata_fsl_softreset()
+	 * needs to be splitted into soft and hard resets.
+	 */
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int sata_fsl_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *class,
 			      unsigned long deadline)
 {
@@ -1157,6 +1166,7 @@ static const struct ata_port_operations sata_fsl_ops = {
 
 	.freeze = sata_fsl_freeze,
 	.thaw = sata_fsl_thaw,
+	.prereset = sata_fsl_prereset,
 	.softreset = sata_fsl_softreset,
 	.post_internal_cmd = sata_fsl_post_internal_cmd,
 
diff --git a/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c b/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c
index 20757fa6115d871521aba78ed57bdef74f1daf3b..27a110110077847b65e630cd11896b2e6195f75b 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/sata_sil24.c
@@ -663,12 +663,6 @@ static int sil24_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *class,
 
 	DPRINTK("ENTER\n");
 
-	if (ata_link_offline(link)) {
-		DPRINTK("PHY reports no device\n");
-		*class = ATA_DEV_NONE;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	/* put the port into known state */
 	if (sil24_init_port(ap)) {
 		reason = "port not ready";
@@ -693,7 +687,6 @@ static int sil24_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *class,
 	sil24_read_tf(ap, 0, &tf);
 	*class = ata_dev_classify(&tf);
 
- out:
 	DPRINTK("EXIT, class=%u\n", *class);
 	return 0;