diff --git a/drivers/tty/sysrq.c b/drivers/tty/sysrq.c
index 95b330a9ea98..5381a728d23e 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/sysrq.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/sysrq.c
@@ -1003,6 +1003,10 @@ static const struct kernel_param_ops param_ops_sysrq_reset_seq = {
 #define param_check_sysrq_reset_seq(name, p)	\
 	__param_check(name, p, unsigned short)
 
+/*
+ * not really modular, but the easiest way to keep compat with existing
+ * bootargs behaviour is to continue using module_param here.
+ */
 module_param_array_named(reset_seq, sysrq_reset_seq, sysrq_reset_seq,
 			 &sysrq_reset_seq_len, 0644);
 
@@ -1119,4 +1123,4 @@ static int __init sysrq_init(void)
 
 	return 0;
 }
-module_init(sysrq_init);
+device_initcall(sysrq_init);