if (ata_ncq_enabled(dev))
                                        ehc->saved_ncq_enabled |= 1 << devno;
                        }
-
-                       /* set last reset timestamp to some time in the past */
-                       ehc->last_reset = jiffies - 60 * HZ;
                }
 
                ap->pflags |= ATA_PFLAG_EH_IN_PROGRESS;
        if (link->flags & ATA_LFLAG_NO_SRST)
                softreset = NULL;
 
-       now = jiffies;
-       deadline = ata_deadline(ehc->last_reset, ATA_EH_RESET_COOL_DOWN);
-       if (time_before(now, deadline))
-               schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(deadline - now);
+       /* make sure each reset attemp is at least COOL_DOWN apart */
+       if (ehc->i.flags & ATA_EHI_DID_RESET) {
+               now = jiffies;
+               WARN_ON(time_after(ehc->last_reset, now));
+               deadline = ata_deadline(ehc->last_reset,
+                                       ATA_EH_RESET_COOL_DOWN);
+               if (time_before(now, deadline))
+                       schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(deadline - now);
+       }
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(ap->lock, flags);
        ap->pflags |= ATA_PFLAG_RESETTING;
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(ap->lock, flags);
 
        ata_eh_about_to_do(link, NULL, ATA_EH_RESET);
-       ehc->last_reset = jiffies;
 
        ata_link_for_each_dev(dev, link) {
                /* If we issue an SRST then an ATA drive (not ATAPI)
        /*
         * Perform reset
         */
-       ehc->last_reset = jiffies;
        if (ata_is_host_link(link))
                ata_eh_freeze_port(ap);
 
                                        reset == softreset ? "soft" : "hard");
 
                /* mark that this EH session started with reset */
+               ehc->last_reset = jiffies;
                if (reset == hardreset)
                        ehc->i.flags |= ATA_EHI_DID_HARDRESET;
                else
        ata_eh_done(link, NULL, ATA_EH_RESET);
        if (slave)
                ata_eh_done(slave, NULL, ATA_EH_RESET);
-       ehc->last_reset = jiffies;
+       ehc->last_reset = jiffies;      /* update to completion time */
        ehc->i.action |= ATA_EH_REVALIDATE;
 
        rc = 0;