diff --git a/drivers/ata/ahci.c b/drivers/ata/ahci.c
index 8cace9aa9c03..97f83fb2ee2e 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/ahci.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/ahci.c
@@ -1267,9 +1267,7 @@ static int ahci_check_ready(struct ata_link *link)
 	void __iomem *port_mmio = ahci_port_base(link->ap);
 	u8 status = readl(port_mmio + PORT_TFDATA) & 0xFF;
 
-	if (!(status & ATA_BUSY))
-		return 1;
-	return 0;
+	return ata_check_ready(status);
 }
 
 static int ahci_softreset(struct ata_link *link, unsigned int *class,
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c b/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c
index 2ec65a8fda79..3c2d2289f85e 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-sff.c
@@ -314,11 +314,7 @@ static int ata_sff_check_ready(struct ata_link *link)
 {
 	u8 status = link->ap->ops->sff_check_status(link->ap);
 
-	if (!(status & ATA_BUSY))
-		return 1;
-	if (status == 0xff)
-		return -ENODEV;
-	return 0;
+	return ata_check_ready(status);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/linux/libata.h b/include/linux/libata.h
index d1dfe872ee30..95e6159b44cf 100644
--- a/include/linux/libata.h
+++ b/include/linux/libata.h
@@ -1381,6 +1381,21 @@ static inline struct ata_port *ata_shost_to_port(struct Scsi_Host *host)
 	return *(struct ata_port **)&host->hostdata[0];
 }
 
+static inline int ata_check_ready(u8 status)
+{
+	/* Some controllers report 0x77 or 0x7f during intermediate
+	 * not-ready stages.
+	 */
+	if (status == 0x77 || status == 0x7f)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* 0xff indicates either no device or device not ready */
+	if (status == 0xff)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	return !(status & ATA_BUSY);
+}
+
 
 /**************************************************************************
  * PMP - drivers/ata/libata-pmp.c