diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
index 95fc283f6af7..4938fc4eff00 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
@@ -593,24 +593,51 @@ static struct bus_type rpmsg_bus = {
 	.remove		= rpmsg_dev_remove,
 };
 
-int rpmsg_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev)
+/*
+ * A helper for registering rpmsg device with driver override and name.
+ * Drivers should not be using it, but instead rpmsg_register_device().
+ */
+int rpmsg_register_device_override(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev,
+				   const char *driver_override)
 {
 	struct device *dev = &rpdev->dev;
 	int ret;
 
+	if (driver_override)
+		strcpy(rpdev->id.name, driver_override);
+
 	dev_set_name(&rpdev->dev, "%s.%s.%d.%d", dev_name(dev->parent),
 		     rpdev->id.name, rpdev->src, rpdev->dst);
 
 	rpdev->dev.bus = &rpmsg_bus;
 
-	ret = device_register(&rpdev->dev);
+	device_initialize(dev);
+	if (driver_override) {
+		ret = driver_set_override(dev, &rpdev->driver_override,
+					  driver_override,
+					  strlen(driver_override));
+		if (ret) {
+			dev_err(dev, "device_set_override failed: %d\n", ret);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	}
+
+	ret = device_add(dev);
 	if (ret) {
-		dev_err(dev, "device_register failed: %d\n", ret);
+		dev_err(dev, "device_add failed: %d\n", ret);
+		kfree(rpdev->driver_override);
+		rpdev->driver_override = NULL;
 		put_device(&rpdev->dev);
 	}
 
 	return ret;
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpmsg_register_device_override);
+
+int rpmsg_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev)
+{
+	return rpmsg_register_device_override(rpdev, NULL);
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpmsg_register_device);
 
 /*
diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
index 3e81642238d2..a22cd4abe7d1 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
@@ -94,19 +94,7 @@ int rpmsg_release_channel(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev,
  */
 static inline int rpmsg_ctrldev_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	strcpy(rpdev->id.name, "rpmsg_ctrl");
-	ret = driver_set_override(&rpdev->dev, &rpdev->driver_override,
-				  rpdev->id.name, strlen(rpdev->id.name));
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
-	ret = rpmsg_register_device(rpdev);
-	if (ret)
-		kfree(rpdev->driver_override);
-
-	return ret;
+	return rpmsg_register_device_override(rpdev, "rpmsg_ctrl");
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_ns.c b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_ns.c
index 8eb8f328237e..c70ad03ff2e9 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_ns.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_ns.c
@@ -20,22 +20,10 @@
  */
 int rpmsg_ns_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	strcpy(rpdev->id.name, "rpmsg_ns");
-	ret = driver_set_override(&rpdev->dev, &rpdev->driver_override,
-				  rpdev->id.name, strlen(rpdev->id.name));
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
 	rpdev->src = RPMSG_NS_ADDR;
 	rpdev->dst = RPMSG_NS_ADDR;
 
-	ret = rpmsg_register_device(rpdev);
-	if (ret)
-		kfree(rpdev->driver_override);
-
-	return ret;
+	return rpmsg_register_device_override(rpdev, "rpmsg_ns");
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpmsg_ns_register_device);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/rpmsg.h b/include/linux/rpmsg.h
index 20c8cd1cde21..523c98b96cb4 100644
--- a/include/linux/rpmsg.h
+++ b/include/linux/rpmsg.h
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ static inline __rpmsg64 cpu_to_rpmsg64(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev, u64 val)
 
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_RPMSG)
 
+int rpmsg_register_device_override(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev,
+				   const char *driver_override);
 int rpmsg_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev);
 int rpmsg_unregister_device(struct device *parent,
 			    struct rpmsg_channel_info *chinfo);
@@ -192,6 +194,12 @@ ssize_t rpmsg_get_mtu(struct rpmsg_endpoint *ept);
 
 #else
 
+static inline int rpmsg_register_device_override(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev,
+						 const char *driver_override)
+{
+	return -ENXIO;
+}
+
 static inline int rpmsg_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev)
 {
 	return -ENXIO;