diff --git a/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c b/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c
index 16018e377e1e..d6a04e1f6e57 100644
--- a/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c
+++ b/drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c
@@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ static ssize_t governor_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
 	struct devfreq *df = to_devfreq(dev);
 	int ret;
 	char str_governor[DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN + 1];
-	struct devfreq_governor *governor;
+	const struct devfreq_governor *governor, *prev_gov;
 
 	ret = sscanf(buf, "%" __stringify(DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN) "s", str_governor);
 	if (ret != 1)
@@ -1082,12 +1082,21 @@ static ssize_t governor_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
 			goto gov_stop_out;
 		}
 	}
+	prev_gov = df->governor;
 	df->governor = governor;
 	strncpy(df->governor_name, governor->name, DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN);
 	ret = df->governor->event_handler(df, DEVFREQ_GOV_START, NULL);
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
 		dev_warn(dev, "%s: Governor %s not started(%d)\n",
 			 __func__, df->governor->name, ret);
+		if (prev_gov) {
+			df->governor = prev_gov;
+			strlcpy(df->governor_name, prev_gov->name,
+				DEVFREQ_NAME_LEN);
+			df->governor->event_handler(df, DEVFREQ_GOV_START,
+						    NULL);
+		}
+	}
 
 gov_stop_out:
 	mutex_unlock(&df->event_lock);