diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/hpet.c b/arch/x86/kernel/hpet.c
index ee4fa1bfcb33..3d422da92100 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/hpet.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/hpet.c
@@ -399,9 +399,15 @@ static int hpet_next_event(unsigned long delta,
 	 * then we might have a real hardware problem. We can not do
 	 * much about it here, but at least alert the user/admin with
 	 * a prominent warning.
+	 * An erratum on some chipsets (ICH9,..), results in comparator read
+	 * immediately following a write returning old value. Workaround
+	 * for this is to read this value second time, when first
+	 * read returns old value.
 	 */
-	WARN_ONCE(hpet_readl(HPET_Tn_CMP(timer)) != cnt,
+	if (unlikely((u32)hpet_readl(HPET_Tn_CMP(timer)) != cnt)) {
+		WARN_ONCE(hpet_readl(HPET_Tn_CMP(timer)) != cnt,
 		  KERN_WARNING "hpet: compare register read back failed.\n");
+	}
 
 	return (s32)(hpet_readl(HPET_COUNTER) - cnt) >= 0 ? -ETIME : 0;
 }