diff --git a/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients b/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients
index 3219ee0dbfef..5ebf5af1d716 100644
--- a/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients
+++ b/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ structure at all.  You should use this to keep device-specific data.
 	/* retrieve the value */
 	void *i2c_get_clientdata(const struct i2c_client *client);
 
+Note that starting with kernel 2.6.34, you don't have to set the `data' field
+to NULL in remove() or if probe() failed anymore. The i2c-core does this
+automatically on these occasions. Those are also the only times the core will
+touch this field.
+
 
 Accessing the client
 ====================
diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
index 3202a86f420e..b9306b1a6baa 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
@@ -117,8 +117,10 @@ static int i2c_device_probe(struct device *dev)
 	dev_dbg(dev, "probe\n");
 
 	status = driver->probe(client, i2c_match_id(driver->id_table, client));
-	if (status)
+	if (status) {
 		client->driver = NULL;
+		i2c_set_clientdata(client, NULL);
+	}
 	return status;
 }
 
@@ -139,8 +141,10 @@ static int i2c_device_remove(struct device *dev)
 		dev->driver = NULL;
 		status = 0;
 	}
-	if (status == 0)
+	if (status == 0) {
 		client->driver = NULL;
+		i2c_set_clientdata(client, NULL);
+	}
 	return status;
 }