const struct ide_tp_ops *tp_ops = hwif->tp_ops;
        u16 *id;
        unsigned long flags;
-       int rc;
-       u8 uninitialized_var(s);
+       int use_altstatus = 0, rc;
+       u8 a, uninitialized_var(s);
 
        id = kmalloc(SECTOR_SIZE, GFP_ATOMIC);
        if (id == NULL)
        SELECT_MASK(drive, 1);
        tp_ops->set_irq(hwif, 0);
        msleep(50);
+
+       if (hwif->io_ports.ctl_addr &&
+           (hwif->host_flags & IDE_HFLAG_BROKEN_ALTSTATUS) == 0) {
+               a = tp_ops->read_altstatus(hwif);
+               s = tp_ops->read_status(hwif);
+               if ((a ^ s) & ~ATA_IDX)
+                       /* ancient Seagate drives, broken interfaces */
+                       printk(KERN_INFO "%s: probing with STATUS(0x%02x) "
+                                        "instead of ALTSTATUS(0x%02x)\n",
+                                        drive->name, s, a);
+               else
+                       /* use non-intrusive polling */
+                       use_altstatus = 1;
+       }
+
        tp_ops->exec_command(hwif, ATA_CMD_ID_ATA);
 
-       if (ide_busy_sleep(hwif, WAIT_WORSTCASE, 1)) {
+       if (ide_busy_sleep(hwif, WAIT_WORSTCASE, use_altstatus)) {
                rc = 1;
                goto out_err;
        }