rtc->id = id;
        rtc->ops = ops;
        rtc->owner = owner;
+       rtc->max_user_freq = 64;
        rtc->class_dev.dev = dev;
        rtc->class_dev.class = rtc_class;
        rtc->class_dev.release = rtc_device_release;
 
        struct rtc_wkalrm alarm;
        void __user *uarg = (void __user *) arg;
 
+       /* check that the calles has appropriate permissions
+        * for certain ioctls. doing this check here is useful
+        * to avoid duplicate code in each driver.
+        */
+       switch (cmd) {
+       case RTC_EPOCH_SET:
+       case RTC_SET_TIME:
+               if (!capable(CAP_SYS_TIME))
+                       return -EACCES;
+               break;
+
+       case RTC_IRQP_SET:
+               if (arg > rtc->max_user_freq && !capable(CAP_SYS_RESOURCE))
+                       return -EACCES;
+               break;
+
+       case RTC_PIE_ON:
+               if (!capable(CAP_SYS_RESOURCE))
+                       return -EACCES;
+               break;
+       }
+
        /* avoid conflicting IRQ users */
        if (cmd == RTC_PIE_ON || cmd == RTC_PIE_OFF || cmd == RTC_IRQP_SET) {
                spin_lock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
                break;
 
        case RTC_SET_TIME:
-               if (!capable(CAP_SYS_TIME))
-                       return -EACCES;
-
                if (copy_from_user(&tm, uarg, sizeof(tm)))
                        return -EFAULT;
 
                        err = -EINVAL;
                        break;
                }
-               if (!capable(CAP_SYS_TIME)) {
-                       err = -EACCES;
-                       break;
-               }
                rtc_epoch = arg;
                err = 0;
 #endif
 
                spin_unlock_irq(&sa1100_rtc_lock);
                return 0;
        case RTC_PIE_ON:
-               if ((rtc_freq > 64) && !capable(CAP_SYS_RESOURCE))
-                       return -EACCES;
                spin_lock_irq(&sa1100_rtc_lock);
                OSMR1 = TIMER_FREQ/rtc_freq + OSCR;
                OIER |= OIER_E1;
        case RTC_IRQP_SET:
                if (arg < 1 || arg > TIMER_FREQ)
                        return -EINVAL;
-               if ((arg > 64) && (!capable(CAP_SYS_RESOURCE)))
-                       return -EACCES;
                rtc_freq = arg;
                return 0;
        }
 
 
 #define RTC_FREQUENCY          32768
 #define MAX_PERIODIC_RATE      6553
-#define MAX_USER_PERIODIC_RATE 64
 
 static void __iomem *rtc1_base;
 static void __iomem *rtc2_base;
                if (arg > MAX_PERIODIC_RATE)
                        return -EINVAL;
 
-               if (arg > MAX_USER_PERIODIC_RATE && capable(CAP_SYS_RESOURCE) == 0)
-                       return -EACCES;
-
                periodic_frequency = arg;
 
                count = RTC_FREQUENCY;
                /* Doesn't support before 1900 */
                if (arg < 1900)
                        return -EINVAL;
-
-               if (capable(CAP_SYS_TIME) == 0)
-                       return -EACCES;
-
                epoch = arg;
                break;
        default:
 
        struct rtc_task *irq_task;
        spinlock_t irq_task_lock;
        int irq_freq;
+       int max_user_freq;
 #ifdef CONFIG_RTC_INTF_DEV_UIE_EMUL
        struct work_struct uie_task;
        struct timer_list uie_timer;