diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_core.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_core.c
index c777a612d932..d4c5a736fdcb 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_core.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_core.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ static int watchdog_reboot_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb,
 
 	wdd = container_of(nb, struct watchdog_device, reboot_nb);
 	if (code == SYS_DOWN || code == SYS_HALT) {
-		if (watchdog_active(wdd) || watchdog_hw_running(wdd)) {
+		if (watchdog_hw_running(wdd)) {
 			int ret;
 
 			ret = wdd->ops->stop(wdd);
diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
index 0122e8796879..7102dc96573e 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ static int watchdog_ping(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
 	struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data = wdd->wd_data;
 
-	if (!watchdog_active(wdd) && !watchdog_hw_running(wdd))
+	if (!watchdog_hw_running(wdd))
 		return 0;
 
 	set_bit(_WDOG_KEEPALIVE, &wd_data->status);
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ static int watchdog_start(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 		trace_watchdog_start(wdd, err);
 		if (err == 0) {
 			set_bit(WDOG_ACTIVE, &wdd->status);
+			set_bit(WDOG_HW_RUNNING, &wdd->status);
 			wd_data->last_keepalive = started_at;
 			wd_data->last_hw_keepalive = started_at;
 			watchdog_update_worker(wdd);