diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
index 19c7df92c63e..3d6427b0edc4 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
@@ -525,24 +525,51 @@ 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 0b5085ecb815..ebd53616ef5d 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
@@ -83,19 +83,7 @@ struct device *rpmsg_find_device(struct device *parent,
  */
 static inline int rpmsg_chrdev_register_device(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	strcpy(rpdev->id.name, "rpmsg_chrdev");
-	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/include/linux/rpmsg.h b/include/linux/rpmsg.h
index 6e7690e20dc5..267533fecbdd 100644
--- a/include/linux/rpmsg.h
+++ b/include/linux/rpmsg.h
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ struct rpmsg_driver {
 
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_RPMSG)
 
+int rpmsg_register_device_override(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev,
+				   const char *driver_override);
 int register_rpmsg_device(struct rpmsg_device *dev);
 void unregister_rpmsg_device(struct rpmsg_device *dev);
 int __register_rpmsg_driver(struct rpmsg_driver *drv, struct module *owner);
@@ -139,6 +141,12 @@ __poll_t rpmsg_poll(struct rpmsg_endpoint *ept, struct file *filp,
 
 #else
 
+static inline int rpmsg_register_device_override(struct rpmsg_device *rpdev,
+						 const char *driver_override)
+{
+	return -ENXIO;
+}
+
 static inline int register_rpmsg_device(struct rpmsg_device *dev)
 {
 	return -ENXIO;