diff --git a/drivers/thermal/cpu_cooling.c b/drivers/thermal/cpu_cooling.c
index ad09e51ffae4..f98a763af2f5 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/cpu_cooling.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/cpu_cooling.c
@@ -443,6 +443,11 @@ __cpufreq_cooling_register(struct device_node *np,
 	int ret = 0, i;
 	struct cpufreq_policy policy;
 
+	if (!cpufreq_frequency_get_table(cpumask_first(clip_cpus))) {
+		pr_debug("%s: CPUFreq table not found\n", __func__);
+		return ERR_PTR(-EPROBE_DEFER);
+	}
+
 	/* Verify that all the clip cpus have same freq_min, freq_max limit */
 	for_each_cpu(i, clip_cpus) {
 		/* continue if cpufreq policy not found and not return error */
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/db8500_cpufreq_cooling.c b/drivers/thermal/db8500_cpufreq_cooling.c
index 786d19263ab0..1ac7ec651c3f 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/db8500_cpufreq_cooling.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/db8500_cpufreq_cooling.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 #include <linux/cpu_cooling.h>
-#include <linux/cpufreq.h>
 #include <linux/err.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/of.h>
@@ -30,10 +29,6 @@ static int db8500_cpufreq_cooling_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev;
 	struct cpumask mask_val;
 
-	/* make sure cpufreq driver has been initialized */
-	if (!cpufreq_frequency_get_table(0))
-		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
-
 	cpumask_set_cpu(0, &mask_val);
 	cdev = cpufreq_cooling_register(&mask_val);
 
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/imx_thermal.c b/drivers/thermal/imx_thermal.c
index 5a1f1070b702..16405b4848f1 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/imx_thermal.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/imx_thermal.c
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 #include <linux/clk.h>
 #include <linux/cpu_cooling.h>
-#include <linux/cpufreq.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
 #include <linux/device.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
@@ -459,10 +458,6 @@ static int imx_thermal_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	int measure_freq;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (!cpufreq_get_current_driver()) {
-		dev_dbg(&pdev->dev, "no cpufreq driver!");
-		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
-	}
 	data = devm_kzalloc(&pdev->dev, sizeof(*data), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!data)
 		return -ENOMEM;
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_thermal_common.c b/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_thermal_common.c
index b6be572704a4..50a1f17c6221 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_thermal_common.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_thermal_common.c
@@ -371,9 +371,11 @@ int exynos_register_thermal(struct thermal_sensor_conf *sensor_conf)
 		th_zone->cool_dev[th_zone->cool_dev_size] =
 					cpufreq_cooling_register(&mask_val);
 		if (IS_ERR(th_zone->cool_dev[th_zone->cool_dev_size])) {
-			dev_err(sensor_conf->dev,
-				"Failed to register cpufreq cooling device\n");
-			ret = -EINVAL;
+			ret = PTR_ERR(th_zone->cool_dev[th_zone->cool_dev_size]);
+			if (ret != -EPROBE_DEFER)
+				dev_err(sensor_conf->dev,
+					"Failed to register cpufreq cooling device: %d\n",
+					ret);
 			goto err_unregister;
 		}
 		th_zone->cool_dev_size++;
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_tmu.c b/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_tmu.c
index 49c09243fd38..2afca9bf40d5 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_tmu.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/samsung/exynos_tmu.c
@@ -683,7 +683,10 @@ static int exynos_tmu_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	/* Register the sensor with thermal management interface */
 	ret = exynos_register_thermal(sensor_conf);
 	if (ret) {
-		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "Failed to register thermal interface\n");
+		if (ret != -EPROBE_DEFER)
+			dev_err(&pdev->dev,
+				"Failed to register thermal interface: %d\n",
+				ret);
 		goto err_clk;
 	}
 	data->reg_conf = sensor_conf;
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/ti-soc-thermal/ti-thermal-common.c b/drivers/thermal/ti-soc-thermal/ti-thermal-common.c
index 9eec26dc0448..5f07d7e3a198 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/ti-soc-thermal/ti-thermal-common.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/ti-soc-thermal/ti-thermal-common.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/workqueue.h>
 #include <linux/thermal.h>
-#include <linux/cpufreq.h>
 #include <linux/cpumask.h>
 #include <linux/cpu_cooling.h>
 #include <linux/of.h>
@@ -403,11 +402,6 @@ int ti_thermal_register_cpu_cooling(struct ti_bandgap *bgp, int id)
 	if (!data)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (!cpufreq_get_current_driver()) {
-		dev_dbg(bgp->dev, "no cpufreq driver yet\n");
-		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
-	}
-
 	/* Register cooling device */
 	data->cool_dev = cpufreq_cooling_register(cpu_present_mask);
 	if (IS_ERR(data->cool_dev)) {