diff --git a/drivers/rtc/class.c b/drivers/rtc/class.c
index 8533936d50d8..413c7d54ea10 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/class.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/class.c
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ struct rtc_device *rtc_device_register(const char *name, struct device *dev,
 	idr_remove(&rtc_idr, id);
 
 exit:
+	dev_err(dev, "rtc core: unable to register %s, err = %d\n",
+			name, err);
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtc_device_register);
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1672.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1672.c
index 56a331367386..9be81fd4737c 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1672.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1672.c
@@ -229,8 +229,6 @@ static int ds1672_probe(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int address, int kind)
 
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(rtc);
-		dev_err(&client->dev,
-			"unable to register the class device\n");
 		goto exit_detach;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ep93xx.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ep93xx.c
index 6d9fe2cca285..e1a1169e4664 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ep93xx.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ep93xx.c
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ static int __devinit ep93xx_rtc_probe(struct platform_device *dev)
 				&dev->dev, &ep93xx_rtc_ops, THIS_MODULE);
 
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
-		dev_err(&dev->dev, "unable to register\n");
 		return PTR_ERR(rtc);
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-m48t86.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-m48t86.c
index 911b27fc8488..f6e7ee04f3dc 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-m48t86.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-m48t86.c
@@ -151,10 +151,8 @@ static int __devinit m48t86_rtc_probe(struct platform_device *dev)
 	struct rtc_device *rtc = rtc_device_register("m48t86",
 				&dev->dev, &m48t86_rtc_ops, THIS_MODULE);
 
-	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
-		dev_err(&dev->dev, "unable to register\n");
+	if (IS_ERR(rtc))
 		return PTR_ERR(rtc);
-	}
 
 	platform_set_drvdata(dev, rtc);
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-pcf8563.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-pcf8563.c
index 0a7fd0b4685a..ba9a583b7b68 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-pcf8563.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-pcf8563.c
@@ -290,8 +290,6 @@ static int pcf8563_probe(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int address, int kind)
 
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(rtc);
-		dev_err(&client->dev,
-			"unable to register the class device\n");
 		goto exit_detach;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-rs5c372.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-rs5c372.c
index 5e5cc10c675e..7553d797603f 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-rs5c372.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-rs5c372.c
@@ -233,8 +233,6 @@ static int rs5c372_probe(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int address, int kind)
 
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(rtc);
-		dev_err(&client->dev,
-			"unable to register the class device\n");
 		goto exit_detach;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-sa1100.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-sa1100.c
index 83b2bb480a16..0bfa6d2076f3 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-sa1100.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-sa1100.c
@@ -341,7 +341,6 @@ static int sa1100_rtc_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 				THIS_MODULE);
 
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
-		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "Unable to register the RTC device\n");
 		return PTR_ERR(rtc);
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c
index 1bfe212b64a7..e1f7e8e86daf 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c
@@ -119,8 +119,6 @@ static int test_probe(struct platform_device *plat_dev)
 						&test_rtc_ops, THIS_MODULE);
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(rtc);
-		dev_err(&plat_dev->dev,
-			"unable to register the class device\n");
 		return err;
 	}
 	device_create_file(&plat_dev->dev, &dev_attr_irq);
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-x1205.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-x1205.c
index f3573ef7c3f5..788b6d1f8f2f 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-x1205.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-x1205.c
@@ -544,8 +544,6 @@ static int x1205_probe(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int address, int kind)
 
 	if (IS_ERR(rtc)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(rtc);
-		dev_err(&client->dev,
-			"unable to register the class device\n");
 		goto exit_detach;
 	}