static irqreturn_t sir_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_id);
 static void send_space(unsigned long len);
 static void send_pulse(unsigned long len);
-static void init_hardware(void);
+static int init_hardware(void);
 static void drop_hardware(void);
 /* Initialisation */
 
        }
 }
 
-static void init_hardware(void)
+static int init_hardware(void)
 {
+       u8 scratch, scratch2, scratch3;
        unsigned long flags;
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(&hardware_lock, flags);
+
+       /*
+        * This is a simple port existence test, borrowed from the autoconfig
+        * function in drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c
+        */
+       scratch = sinp(UART_IER);
+       soutp(UART_IER, 0);
+#ifdef __i386__
+       outb(0xff, 0x080);
+#endif
+       scratch2 = sinp(UART_IER) & 0x0f;
+       soutp(UART_IER, 0x0f);
+#ifdef __i386__
+       outb(0x00, 0x080);
+#endif
+       scratch3 = sinp(UART_IER) & 0x0f;
+       soutp(UART_IER, scratch);
+       if (scratch2 != 0 || scratch3 != 0x0f) {
+               /* we fail, there's nothing here */
+               spin_unlock_irqrestore(&hardware_lock, flags);
+               pr_err("port existence test failed, cannot continue\n");
+               return -ENODEV;
+       }
+
        /* reset UART */
        outb(0, io + UART_MCR);
        outb(0, io + UART_IER);
        /* turn on UART */
        outb(UART_MCR_DTR | UART_MCR_RTS | UART_MCR_OUT2, io + UART_MCR);
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&hardware_lock, flags);
+
+       return 0;
 }
 
 static void drop_hardware(void)
                pr_err("IRQ %d already in use.\n", irq);
                return retval;
        }
+
+       retval = init_hardware();
+       if (retval) {
+               del_timer_sync(&timerlist);
+               return retval;
+       }
+
        pr_info("I/O port 0x%.4x, IRQ %d.\n", io, irq);
 
        retval = devm_rc_register_device(&sir_ir_dev->dev, rcdev);
        if (retval < 0)
                return retval;
 
-       init_hardware();
-
        return 0;
 }