if (alm->time.tm_wday != -1)
                buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_WDAY] = bin2bcd(alm->time.tm_wday) | 0x80;
+       else
+               buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_WDAY] = 0;
 
        buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] = s35390a_hr2reg(s35390a,
                        alm->time.tm_hour) | 0x80;
        if (err < 0)
                return err;
 
-       if (bitrev8(sts) != S35390A_INT2_MODE_ALARM)
-               return -EINVAL;
+       if ((bitrev8(sts) & S35390A_INT2_MODE_MASK) != S35390A_INT2_MODE_ALARM) {
+               /*
+                * When the alarm isn't enabled, the register to configure
+                * the alarm time isn't accessible.
+                */
+               alm->enabled = 0;
+               return 0;
+       } else {
+               alm->enabled = 1;
+       }
 
        err = s35390a_get_reg(s35390a, S35390A_CMD_INT2_REG1, buf, sizeof(buf));
        if (err < 0)
                return err;
 
        /* This chip returns the bits of each byte in reverse order */
-       for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+       for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
                buf[i] = bitrev8(buf[i]);
-               buf[i] &= ~0x80;
-       }
 
-       alm->time.tm_wday = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_WDAY]);
-       alm->time.tm_hour = s35390a_reg2hr(s35390a,
-                                               buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS]);
-       alm->time.tm_min = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_MINS]);
+       /*
+        * B0 of the three matching registers is an enable flag. Iff it is set
+        * the configured value is used for matching.
+        */
+       if (buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_WDAY] & 0x80)
+               alm->time.tm_wday =
+                       bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_WDAY] & ~0x80);
+
+       if (buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] & 0x80)
+               alm->time.tm_hour =
+                       s35390a_reg2hr(s35390a,
+                                      buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_HOURS] & ~0x80);
+
+       if (buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_MINS] & 0x80)
+               alm->time.tm_min = bcd2bin(buf[S35390A_ALRM_BYTE_MINS] & ~0x80);
+
+       /* alarm triggers always at s=0 */
+       alm->time.tm_sec = 0;
 
        dev_dbg(&client->dev, "%s: alm is mins=%d, hours=%d, wday=%d\n",
                        __func__, alm->time.tm_min, alm->time.tm_hour,