if (ret)
                goto err_free;
 
+       spin_lock_bh(&moxa_lock);
        brd->ready = 1;
-
        if (!timer_pending(&moxaTimer))
                mod_timer(&moxaTimer, jiffies + HZ / 50);
+       spin_unlock_bh(&moxa_lock);
 
        return 0;
 err_free:
 {
        int i;
 
-       del_timer_sync(&moxaTimer);
-
-       if (tty_unregister_driver(moxaDriver))
-               printk(KERN_ERR "Couldn't unregister MOXA Intellio family "
-                               "serial driver\n");
-       put_tty_driver(moxaDriver);
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_PCI
        pci_unregister_driver(&moxa_pci_driver);
 #endif
        for (i = 0; i < MAX_BOARDS; i++) /* ISA boards */
                if (moxa_boards[i].ready)
                        moxa_board_deinit(&moxa_boards[i]);
+
+       del_timer_sync(&moxaTimer);
+
+       if (tty_unregister_driver(moxaDriver))
+               printk(KERN_ERR "Couldn't unregister MOXA Intellio family "
+                               "serial driver\n");
+       put_tty_driver(moxaDriver);
 }
 
 module_init(moxa_init);
 {
        struct moxa_board_conf *brd;
        u16 __iomem *ip;
-       unsigned int card, port;
+       unsigned int card, port, served = 0;
 
        spin_lock(&moxa_lock);
        for (card = 0; card < MAX_BOARDS; card++) {
                if (!brd->ready)
                        continue;
 
+               served++;
+
                ip = NULL;
                if (readb(brd->intPend) == 0xff)
                        ip = brd->intTable + readb(brd->intNdx);
                }
        }
        moxaLowWaterChk = 0;
-       spin_unlock(&moxa_lock);
 
-       mod_timer(&moxaTimer, jiffies + HZ / 50);
+       if (served)
+               mod_timer(&moxaTimer, jiffies + HZ / 50);
+       spin_unlock(&moxa_lock);
 }
 
 /******************************************************************************/