diff --git a/arch/x86/oprofile/init.c b/arch/x86/oprofile/init.c
index cdfe4c54deca..f148cf652678 100644
--- a/arch/x86/oprofile/init.c
+++ b/arch/x86/oprofile/init.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ extern int op_nmi_timer_init(struct oprofile_operations *ops);
 extern void op_nmi_exit(void);
 extern void x86_backtrace(struct pt_regs * const regs, unsigned int depth);
 
+static int nmi_timer;
 
 int __init oprofile_arch_init(struct oprofile_operations *ops)
 {
@@ -31,8 +32,9 @@ int __init oprofile_arch_init(struct oprofile_operations *ops)
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC
 	ret = op_nmi_init(ops);
 #endif
+	nmi_timer = (ret != 0);
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_IO_APIC
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (nmi_timer)
 		ret = op_nmi_timer_init(ops);
 #endif
 	ops->backtrace = x86_backtrace;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ int __init oprofile_arch_init(struct oprofile_operations *ops)
 void oprofile_arch_exit(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC
-	op_nmi_exit();
+	if (!nmi_timer)
+		op_nmi_exit();
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/drivers/oprofile/oprof.c b/drivers/oprofile/oprof.c
index dccd8636095c..f8c752e408a6 100644
--- a/drivers/oprofile/oprof.c
+++ b/drivers/oprofile/oprof.c
@@ -239,26 +239,45 @@ int oprofile_set_ulong(unsigned long *addr, unsigned long val)
 	return err;
 }
 
+static int timer_mode;
+
 static int __init oprofile_init(void)
 {
 	int err;
 
+	/* always init architecture to setup backtrace support */
 	err = oprofile_arch_init(&oprofile_ops);
-	if (err < 0 || timer) {
-		printk(KERN_INFO "oprofile: using timer interrupt.\n");
+
+	timer_mode = err || timer;	/* fall back to timer mode on errors */
+	if (timer_mode) {
+		if (!err)
+			oprofile_arch_exit();
 		err = oprofile_timer_init(&oprofile_ops);
 		if (err)
 			return err;
 	}
-	return oprofilefs_register();
+
+	err = oprofilefs_register();
+	if (!err)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* failed */
+	if (timer_mode)
+		oprofile_timer_exit();
+	else
+		oprofile_arch_exit();
+
+	return err;
 }
 
 
 static void __exit oprofile_exit(void)
 {
-	oprofile_timer_exit();
 	oprofilefs_unregister();
-	oprofile_arch_exit();
+	if (timer_mode)
+		oprofile_timer_exit();
+	else
+		oprofile_arch_exit();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/drivers/oprofile/timer_int.c b/drivers/oprofile/timer_int.c
index 3ef44624f510..878fba126582 100644
--- a/drivers/oprofile/timer_int.c
+++ b/drivers/oprofile/timer_int.c
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ int oprofile_timer_init(struct oprofile_operations *ops)
 	ops->start = oprofile_hrtimer_start;
 	ops->stop = oprofile_hrtimer_stop;
 	ops->cpu_type = "timer";
+	printk(KERN_INFO "oprofile: using timer interrupt.\n");
 	return 0;
 }