static int zl10353_set_parameters(struct dvb_frontend *fe,
                                  struct dvb_frontend_parameters *param)
 {
+       struct zl10353_state *state = fe->demodulator_priv;
+
        u8 pllbuf[6] = { 0x67 };
 
        /* These settings set "auto-everything" and start the FSM. */
        zl10353_single_write(fe, 0x66, 0xE9);
        zl10353_single_write(fe, 0x62, 0x0A);
 
+       // if there is no attached secondary tuner, we call set_params to program
+       // a potential tuner attached somewhere else
+       if (state->config.no_tuner) {
+               if (fe->ops->tuner_ops.set_params) {
+                       fe->ops->tuner_ops.set_params(fe, param);
+                       if (fe->ops->i2c_gate_ctrl) fe->ops->i2c_gate_ctrl(fe, 0);
+               }
+       }
+
+       // if pllbuf is defined, retrieve the settings
        if (fe->ops->tuner_ops.pllbuf) {
                fe->ops->tuner_ops.pllbuf(fe, param, pllbuf+1, 5);
                pllbuf[1] <<= 1;
-               zl10353_write(fe, pllbuf, sizeof(pllbuf));
+       } else {
+               // fake pllbuf settings
+               pllbuf[1] = 0x61 << 1;
+               pllbuf[2] = 0;
+               pllbuf[3] = 0;
+               pllbuf[3] = 0;
+               pllbuf[4] = 0;
        }
 
+       // there is no call to _just_ start decoding, so we send the pllbuf anyway
+       // even if there isn't a PLL attached to the secondary bus
+       zl10353_write(fe, pllbuf, sizeof(pllbuf));
+
        zl10353_single_write(fe, 0x70, 0x01);
        udelay(250);
        zl10353_single_write(fe, 0xE4, 0x00);