diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-msm/timer.c b/arch/arm/mach-msm/timer.c
index 2969027f02fa..f9fd77e8f1f5 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-msm/timer.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-msm/timer.c
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ static int msm_timer_set_next_event(unsigned long cycles,
 {
 	u32 ctrl = readl_relaxed(event_base + TIMER_ENABLE);
 
-	writel_relaxed(0, event_base + TIMER_CLEAR);
+	ctrl &= ~TIMER_ENABLE_EN;
+	writel_relaxed(ctrl, event_base + TIMER_ENABLE);
+
+	writel_relaxed(ctrl, event_base + TIMER_CLEAR);
 	writel_relaxed(cycles, event_base + TIMER_MATCH_VAL);
 	writel_relaxed(ctrl | TIMER_ENABLE_EN, event_base + TIMER_ENABLE);
 	return 0;