diff --git a/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c b/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c
index 45fcdff611f9..d25e384fa8c9 100644
--- a/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c
+++ b/sound/isa/sb/emu8000.c
@@ -378,13 +378,12 @@ init_arrays(struct snd_emu8000 *emu)
 static void
 size_dram(struct snd_emu8000 *emu)
 {
-	int i, size, detected_size;
+	int i, size;
 
 	if (emu->dram_checked)
 		return;
 
 	size = 0;
-	detected_size = 0;
 
 	/* write out a magic number */
 	snd_emu8000_dma_chan(emu, 0, EMU8000_RAM_WRITE);
@@ -392,10 +391,19 @@ size_dram(struct snd_emu8000 *emu)
 	EMU8000_SMALW_WRITE(emu, EMU8000_DRAM_OFFSET);
 	EMU8000_SMLD_WRITE(emu, UNIQUE_ID1);
 	snd_emu8000_init_fm(emu); /* This must really be here and not 2 lines back even */
+	snd_emu8000_write_wait(emu);
 
-	while (size < EMU8000_MAX_DRAM) {
+	/*
+	 * Detect first 512 KiB.  If a write succeeds at the beginning of a
+	 * 512 KiB page we assume that the whole page is there.
+	 */
+	EMU8000_SMALR_WRITE(emu, EMU8000_DRAM_OFFSET);
+	EMU8000_SMLD_READ(emu); /* discard stale data  */
+	if (EMU8000_SMLD_READ(emu) != UNIQUE_ID1)
+		goto skip_detect;   /* No RAM */
+	snd_emu8000_read_wait(emu);
 
-		size += 512 * 1024;  /* increment 512kbytes */
+	for (size = 512 * 1024; size < EMU8000_MAX_DRAM; size += 512 * 1024) {
 
 		/* Write a unique data on the test address.
 		 * if the address is out of range, the data is written on
@@ -431,18 +439,9 @@ size_dram(struct snd_emu8000 *emu)
 		snd_emu8000_read_wait(emu);
 
 		/* Otherwise, it's valid memory. */
-		detected_size = size + 512 * 1024;
-	}
-
-	/* Distinguish 512 KiB from 0. */
-	if (detected_size == 0) {
-		snd_emu8000_read_wait(emu);
-		EMU8000_SMALR_WRITE(emu, EMU8000_DRAM_OFFSET);
-		EMU8000_SMLD_READ(emu); /* discard stale data  */
-		if (EMU8000_SMLD_READ(emu) == UNIQUE_ID1)
-			detected_size = 512 * 1024;
 	}
 
+skip_detect:
 	/* wait until FULL bit in SMAxW register is false */
 	for (i = 0; i < 10000; i++) {
 		if ((EMU8000_SMALW_READ(emu) & 0x80000000) == 0)
@@ -455,9 +454,9 @@ size_dram(struct snd_emu8000 *emu)
 	snd_emu8000_dma_chan(emu, 1, EMU8000_RAM_CLOSE);
 
 	snd_printdd("EMU8000 [0x%lx]: %d Kb on-board memory detected\n",
-		    emu->port1, detected_size/1024);
+		    emu->port1, size/1024);
 
-	emu->mem_size = detected_size;
+	emu->mem_size = size;
 	emu->dram_checked = 1;
 }