diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/tda8083.c b/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/tda8083.c
index 5be11fd65e3b..4d81ea111eac 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/tda8083.c
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/tda8083.c
@@ -85,6 +85,19 @@ static inline u8 tda8083_readreg (struct tda8083_state* state, u8 reg)
 	return val;
 }
 
+static inline u8 tda8083_readreg_check (struct tda8083_state* state, u8 reg, int *success)
+{
+	u8 val;
+
+	if(tda8083_readregs (state, reg, &val, 1))
+		*success = 0;
+
+	else
+		*success = 1;
+
+	return val;
+}
+
 static int tda8083_set_inversion(struct tda8083_state *state,
 				 enum fe_spectral_inversion inversion)
 {
@@ -415,17 +428,25 @@ struct dvb_frontend* tda8083_attach(const struct tda8083_config* config,
 				    struct i2c_adapter* i2c)
 {
 	struct tda8083_state* state = NULL;
+	u8 retval;
+	int *success;
 
 	/* allocate memory for the internal state */
 	state = kzalloc(sizeof(struct tda8083_state), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (state == NULL) goto error;
+	memset(state, 0, sizeof(struct tda8083_state));
 
 	/* setup the state */
 	state->config = config;
 	state->i2c = i2c;
 
+	retval = tda8083_readreg_check(state, 0x00, success);
+
+	if(!(*success)) goto error;
+
 	/* check if the demod is there */
-	if ((tda8083_readreg(state, 0x00)) != 0x05) goto error;
+	if ((retval) != 0x05) goto error;
+
 
 	/* create dvb_frontend */
 	memcpy(&state->frontend.ops, &tda8083_ops, sizeof(struct dvb_frontend_ops));