| BIN2BCD(tm.tm_mday) << 24
                | AT91_RTC_DATEEN | AT91_RTC_MTHEN);
 
-       if (alrm->enabled)
+       if (alrm->enabled) {
+               at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_SCCR, AT91_RTC_ALARM);
                at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_IER, AT91_RTC_ALARM);
+       }
 
        pr_debug("%s(): %4d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d\n", __func__,
                at91_alarm_year, tm.tm_mon, tm.tm_mday, tm.tm_hour,
 
        pr_debug("%s(): cmd=%08x, arg=%08lx.\n", __func__, cmd, arg);
 
+       /* important:  scrub old status before enabling IRQs */
        switch (cmd) {
        case RTC_AIE_OFF:       /* alarm off */
                at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_IDR, AT91_RTC_ALARM);
                break;
        case RTC_AIE_ON:        /* alarm on */
+               at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_SCCR, AT91_RTC_ALARM);
                at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_IER, AT91_RTC_ALARM);
                break;
        case RTC_UIE_OFF:       /* update off */
-       case RTC_PIE_OFF:       /* periodic off */
                at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_IDR, AT91_RTC_SECEV);
                break;
        case RTC_UIE_ON:        /* update on */
-       case RTC_PIE_ON:        /* periodic on */
+               at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_SCCR, AT91_RTC_SECEV);
                at91_sys_write(AT91_RTC_IER, AT91_RTC_SECEV);
                break;
-       case RTC_IRQP_READ:     /* read periodic alarm frequency */
-               ret = put_user(AT91_RTC_FREQ, (unsigned long *) arg);
-               break;
-       case RTC_IRQP_SET:      /* set periodic alarm frequency */
-               if (arg != AT91_RTC_FREQ)
-                       ret = -EINVAL;
-               break;
        default:
                ret = -ENOIOCTLCMD;
                break;