diff --git a/include/sound/wss.h b/include/sound/wss.h
index 6d65f322f1d5..fd01f22825cd 100644
--- a/include/sound/wss.h
+++ b/include/sound/wss.h
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ int snd_wss_create(struct snd_card *card,
 		      unsigned short hardware,
 		      unsigned short hwshare,
 		      struct snd_wss **rchip);
-int snd_wss_free(struct snd_wss *chip);
 int snd_wss_pcm(struct snd_wss *chip, int device, struct snd_pcm **rpcm);
 int snd_wss_timer(struct snd_wss *chip, int device, struct snd_timer **rtimer);
 int snd_wss_mixer(struct snd_wss *chip);
diff --git a/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236.c b/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236.c
index a076a6ce8071..93fa6720d197 100644
--- a/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236.c
+++ b/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236.c
@@ -394,21 +394,15 @@ static int __devinit snd_cs423x_probe(struct snd_card *card, int dev)
 			return -EBUSY;
 		}
 
-	err = snd_wss_create(card, port[dev], cport[dev],
+	err = snd_cs4236_create(card, port[dev], cport[dev],
 			     irq[dev],
 			     dma1[dev], dma2[dev],
 			     WSS_HW_DETECT3, 0, &chip);
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
+
+	acard->chip = chip;
 	if (chip->hardware & WSS_HW_CS4236B_MASK) {
-		snd_wss_free(chip);
-		err = snd_cs4236_create(card,
-					port[dev], cport[dev],
-					irq[dev], dma1[dev], dma2[dev],
-					WSS_HW_DETECT, 0, &chip);
-		if (err < 0)
-			return err;
-		acard->chip = chip;
 
 		err = snd_cs4236_pcm(chip, 0, &pcm);
 		if (err < 0)
@@ -418,7 +412,6 @@ static int __devinit snd_cs423x_probe(struct snd_card *card, int dev)
 		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
 	} else {
-		acard->chip = chip;
 		err = snd_wss_pcm(chip, 0, &pcm);
 		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
diff --git a/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236_lib.c b/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236_lib.c
index 38835f31298b..1b1ad1cad328 100644
--- a/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236_lib.c
+++ b/sound/isa/cs423x/cs4236_lib.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
 #include <sound/core.h>
 #include <sound/wss.h>
 #include <sound/asoundef.h>
+#include <sound/initval.h>
 
 /*
  *
@@ -264,7 +265,10 @@ static void snd_cs4236_resume(struct snd_wss *chip)
 }
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_PM */
-
+/*
+ * This function does no fail if the chip is not CS4236B or compatible.
+ * It just an equivalent to the snd_wss_create() then.
+ */
 int snd_cs4236_create(struct snd_card *card,
 		      unsigned long port,
 		      unsigned long cport,
@@ -281,21 +285,17 @@ int snd_cs4236_create(struct snd_card *card,
 	*rchip = NULL;
 	if (hardware == WSS_HW_DETECT)
 		hardware = WSS_HW_DETECT3;
-	if (cport < 0x100) {
-		snd_printk(KERN_ERR "please, specify control port "
-			   "for CS4236+ chips\n");
-		return -ENODEV;
-	}
+
 	err = snd_wss_create(card, port, cport,
 			     irq, dma1, dma2, hardware, hwshare, &chip);
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
-	if (!(chip->hardware & WSS_HW_CS4236B_MASK)) {
-		snd_printk(KERN_ERR "CS4236+: MODE3 and extended registers "
-			   "not available, hardware=0x%x\n", chip->hardware);
-		snd_device_free(card, chip);
-		return -ENODEV;
+	if ((chip->hardware & WSS_HW_CS4236B_MASK) == 0) {
+		snd_printd("chip is not CS4236+, hardware=0x%x\n",
+			   chip->hardware);
+		*rchip = chip;
+		return 0;
 	}
 #if 0
 	{
@@ -308,9 +308,16 @@ int snd_cs4236_create(struct snd_card *card,
 				   idx, snd_cs4236_ctrl_in(chip, idx));
 	}
 #endif
+	if (cport < 0x100 || cport == SNDRV_AUTO_PORT) {
+		snd_printk(KERN_ERR "please, specify control port "
+			   "for CS4236+ chips\n");
+		snd_device_free(card, chip);
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
 	ver1 = snd_cs4236_ctrl_in(chip, 1);
 	ver2 = snd_cs4236_ext_in(chip, CS4236_VERSION);
-	snd_printdd("CS4236: [0x%lx] C1 (version) = 0x%x, ext = 0x%x\n", cport, ver1, ver2);
+	snd_printdd("CS4236: [0x%lx] C1 (version) = 0x%x, ext = 0x%x\n",
+			cport, ver1, ver2);
 	if (ver1 != ver2) {
 		snd_printk(KERN_ERR "CS4236+ chip detected, but "
 			   "control port 0x%lx is not valid\n", cport);
@@ -321,13 +328,17 @@ int snd_cs4236_create(struct snd_card *card,
 	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 2, 0xff);
 	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 3, 0x00);
 	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 4, 0x80);
-	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 5, ((IEC958_AES1_CON_PCM_CODER & 3) << 6) | IEC958_AES0_CON_EMPHASIS_NONE);
+	reg = ((IEC958_AES1_CON_PCM_CODER & 3) << 6) |
+	      IEC958_AES0_CON_EMPHASIS_NONE;
+	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 5, reg);
 	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 6, IEC958_AES1_CON_PCM_CODER >> 2);
 	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 7, 0x00);
-	/* 0x8c for C8 is valid for Turtle Beach Malibu - the IEC-958 output */
-	/* is working with this setup, other hardware should have */
-	/* different signal paths and this value should be selectable */
-	/* in the future */
+	/*
+	 * 0x8c for C8 is valid for Turtle Beach Malibu - the IEC-958
+	 * output is working with this setup, other hardware should
+	 * have different signal paths and this value should be
+	 * selectable in the future
+	 */
 	snd_cs4236_ctrl_out(chip, 8, 0x8c);
 	chip->rate_constraint = snd_cs4236_xrate;
 	chip->set_playback_format = snd_cs4236_playback_format;
@@ -339,9 +350,10 @@ int snd_cs4236_create(struct snd_card *card,
 
 	/* initialize extended registers */
 	for (reg = 0; reg < sizeof(snd_cs4236_ext_map); reg++)
-		snd_cs4236_ext_out(chip, CS4236_I23VAL(reg), snd_cs4236_ext_map[reg]);
+		snd_cs4236_ext_out(chip, CS4236_I23VAL(reg),
+				   snd_cs4236_ext_map[reg]);
 
-        /* initialize compatible but more featured registers */
+	/* initialize compatible but more featured registers */
 	snd_wss_out(chip, CS4231_LEFT_INPUT, 0x40);
 	snd_wss_out(chip, CS4231_RIGHT_INPUT, 0x40);
 	snd_wss_out(chip, CS4231_AUX1_LEFT_INPUT, 0xff);
diff --git a/sound/isa/wss/wss_lib.c b/sound/isa/wss/wss_lib.c
index 2ba18978b419..705db0924375 100644
--- a/sound/isa/wss/wss_lib.c
+++ b/sound/isa/wss/wss_lib.c
@@ -1682,7 +1682,7 @@ static void snd_wss_resume(struct snd_wss *chip)
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_PM */
 
-int snd_wss_free(struct snd_wss *chip)
+static int snd_wss_free(struct snd_wss *chip)
 {
 	release_and_free_resource(chip->res_port);
 	release_and_free_resource(chip->res_cport);
@@ -1705,7 +1705,6 @@ int snd_wss_free(struct snd_wss *chip)
 	kfree(chip);
 	return 0;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(snd_wss_free);
 
 static int snd_wss_dev_free(struct snd_device *device)
 {