diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/random.c b/arch/um/drivers/random.c
index 32b3341fe970..da985e0dc69a 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/random.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/random.c
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ static int __init rng_init (void)
 	sigio_broken(random_fd);
 	hwrng.name = RNG_MODULE_NAME;
 	hwrng.read = rng_dev_read;
-	hwrng.quality = 1024;
 
 	err = hwrng_register(&hwrng);
 	if (err) {
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/cavium-rng-vf.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/cavium-rng-vf.c
index 7c55f4cf4a8b..c99c54cd99c6 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/cavium-rng-vf.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/cavium-rng-vf.c
@@ -225,7 +225,6 @@ static int cavium_rng_probe_vf(struct	pci_dev		*pdev,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	rng->ops.read    = cavium_rng_read;
-	rng->ops.quality = 1000;
 
 	pci_set_drvdata(pdev, rng);
 
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/cn10k-rng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/cn10k-rng.c
index a01e9307737c..c1193f85982c 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/cn10k-rng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/cn10k-rng.c
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ static int cn10k_rng_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *id)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	rng->ops.read    = cn10k_rng_read;
-	rng->ops.quality = 1000;
 	rng->ops.priv = (unsigned long)rng;
 
 	reset_rng_health_state(rng);
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/core.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/core.c
index cc002b0c2f0c..afde685f5e0a 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/core.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/core.c
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ static DEFINE_MUTEX(reading_mutex);
 static int data_avail;
 static u8 *rng_buffer, *rng_fillbuf;
 static unsigned short current_quality;
-static unsigned short default_quality; /* = 0; default to "off" */
+static unsigned short default_quality = 1024; /* default to maximum */
 
 module_param(current_quality, ushort, 0644);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(current_quality,
 		 "current hwrng entropy estimation per 1024 bits of input -- obsolete, use rng_quality instead");
 module_param(default_quality, ushort, 0644);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(default_quality,
-		 "default entropy content of hwrng per 1024 bits of input");
+		 "default maximum entropy content of hwrng per 1024 bits of input");
 
 static void drop_current_rng(void);
 static int hwrng_init(struct hwrng *rng);
@@ -170,10 +170,7 @@ static int hwrng_init(struct hwrng *rng)
 	reinit_completion(&rng->cleanup_done);
 
 skip_init:
-	if (!rng->quality)
-		rng->quality = default_quality;
-	if (rng->quality > 1024)
-		rng->quality = 1024;
+	rng->quality = min_t(u16, min_t(u16, default_quality, 1024), rng->quality ?: 1024);
 	current_quality = rng->quality; /* obsolete */
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/mpfs-rng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/mpfs-rng.c
index 5813da617a48..c6972734ae62 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/mpfs-rng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/mpfs-rng.c
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ static int mpfs_rng_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 
 	rng_priv->rng.read = mpfs_rng_read;
 	rng_priv->rng.name = pdev->name;
-	rng_priv->rng.quality = 1024;
 
 	platform_set_drvdata(pdev, rng_priv);
 
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/npcm-rng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/npcm-rng.c
index 5bf7f370f985..9903d0357e06 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/npcm-rng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/npcm-rng.c
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ static int npcm_rng_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	priv->rng.name = pdev->name;
 	priv->rng.read = npcm_rng_read;
 	priv->rng.priv = (unsigned long)&pdev->dev;
-	priv->rng.quality = 1000;
 	priv->clkp = (u32)(uintptr_t)of_device_get_match_data(&pdev->dev);
 
 	writel(NPCM_RNG_M1ROSEL, priv->base + NPCM_RNGMODE_REG);
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/s390-trng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/s390-trng.c
index 795853dfc46b..cffa326ddc8d 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/s390-trng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/s390-trng.c
@@ -191,7 +191,6 @@ static struct hwrng trng_hwrng_dev = {
 	.name		= "s390-trng",
 	.data_read	= trng_hwrng_data_read,
 	.read		= trng_hwrng_read,
-	.quality	= 1024,
 };
 
 
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/timeriomem-rng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/timeriomem-rng.c
index 8ea1fc831eb7..26f322d19a88 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/timeriomem-rng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/timeriomem-rng.c
@@ -145,8 +145,6 @@ static int timeriomem_rng_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		if (!of_property_read_u32(pdev->dev.of_node,
 						"quality", &i))
 			priv->rng_ops.quality = i;
-		else
-			priv->rng_ops.quality = 0;
 	} else {
 		period = pdata->period;
 		priv->rng_ops.quality = pdata->quality;
diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c
index a6f3a8a2aca6..f7690e0f92ed 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ static int probe_common(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 		.cleanup = virtio_cleanup,
 		.priv = (unsigned long)vi,
 		.name = vi->name,
-		.quality = 1000,
 	};
 	vdev->priv = vi;
 
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/allwinner/sun8i-ce/sun8i-ce-trng.c b/drivers/crypto/allwinner/sun8i-ce/sun8i-ce-trng.c
index c4b0a8b58842..e2b9b9104694 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/allwinner/sun8i-ce/sun8i-ce-trng.c
+++ b/drivers/crypto/allwinner/sun8i-ce/sun8i-ce-trng.c
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ int sun8i_ce_hwrng_register(struct sun8i_ce_dev *ce)
 	}
 	ce->trng.name = "sun8i Crypto Engine TRNG";
 	ce->trng.read = sun8i_ce_trng_read;
-	ce->trng.quality = 1000;
 
 	ret = hwrng_register(&ce->trng);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/atmel-sha204a.c b/drivers/crypto/atmel-sha204a.c
index a84b657598c6..c0103e7fc2e7 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/atmel-sha204a.c
+++ b/drivers/crypto/atmel-sha204a.c
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ static int atmel_sha204a_probe(struct i2c_client *client,
 
 	i2c_priv->hwrng.name = dev_name(&client->dev);
 	i2c_priv->hwrng.read = atmel_sha204a_rng_read;
-	i2c_priv->hwrng.quality = 1024;
 
 	ret = devm_hwrng_register(&client->dev, &i2c_priv->hwrng);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/caam/caamrng.c b/drivers/crypto/caam/caamrng.c
index 77d048dfe5d0..1f0e82050976 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/caam/caamrng.c
+++ b/drivers/crypto/caam/caamrng.c
@@ -246,7 +246,6 @@ int caam_rng_init(struct device *ctrldev)
 	ctx->rng.cleanup = caam_cleanup;
 	ctx->rng.read    = caam_read;
 	ctx->rng.priv    = (unsigned long)ctx;
-	ctx->rng.quality = 1024;
 
 	dev_info(ctrldev, "registering rng-caam\n");
 
diff --git a/drivers/firmware/turris-mox-rwtm.c b/drivers/firmware/turris-mox-rwtm.c
index c2d34dc8ba46..6ea5789a89e2 100644
--- a/drivers/firmware/turris-mox-rwtm.c
+++ b/drivers/firmware/turris-mox-rwtm.c
@@ -528,7 +528,6 @@ static int turris_mox_rwtm_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	rwtm->hwrng.name = DRIVER_NAME "_hwrng";
 	rwtm->hwrng.read = mox_hwrng_read;
 	rwtm->hwrng.priv = (unsigned long) rwtm;
-	rwtm->hwrng.quality = 1024;
 
 	ret = devm_hwrng_register(dev, &rwtm->hwrng);
 	if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/drivers/s390/crypto/zcrypt_api.c b/drivers/s390/crypto/zcrypt_api.c
index f94b43ce9a65..4bf36e53fe3e 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/crypto/zcrypt_api.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/crypto/zcrypt_api.c
@@ -53,10 +53,6 @@ MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
 EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL(s390_zcrypt_req);
 EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL(s390_zcrypt_rep);
 
-static int zcrypt_hwrng_seed = 1;
-module_param_named(hwrng_seed, zcrypt_hwrng_seed, int, 0440);
-MODULE_PARM_DESC(hwrng_seed, "Turn on/off hwrng auto seed, default is 1 (on).");
-
 DEFINE_SPINLOCK(zcrypt_list_lock);
 LIST_HEAD(zcrypt_card_list);
 
@@ -2063,8 +2059,6 @@ int zcrypt_rng_device_add(void)
 			goto out;
 		}
 		zcrypt_rng_buffer_index = 0;
-		if (!zcrypt_hwrng_seed)
-			zcrypt_rng_dev.quality = 0;
 		rc = hwrng_register(&zcrypt_rng_dev);
 		if (rc)
 			goto out_free;
diff --git a/drivers/usb/misc/chaoskey.c b/drivers/usb/misc/chaoskey.c
index 87067c3d6109..6fb5140e29b9 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/misc/chaoskey.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/misc/chaoskey.c
@@ -200,7 +200,6 @@ static int chaoskey_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 
 	dev->hwrng.name = dev->name ? dev->name : chaoskey_driver.name;
 	dev->hwrng.read = chaoskey_rng_read;
-	dev->hwrng.quality = 1024;
 
 	dev->hwrng_registered = (hwrng_register(&dev->hwrng) == 0);
 	if (!dev->hwrng_registered)
diff --git a/include/linux/hw_random.h b/include/linux/hw_random.h
index 77c2885c4c13..8a3115516a1b 100644
--- a/include/linux/hw_random.h
+++ b/include/linux/hw_random.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  * @priv:		Private data, for use by the RNG driver.
  * @quality:		Estimation of true entropy in RNG's bitstream
  *			(in bits of entropy per 1024 bits of input;
- *			valid values: 1 to 1024, or 0 for unknown).
+ *			valid values: 1 to 1024, or 0 for maximum).
  */
 struct hwrng {
 	const char *name;