diff --git a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_arm.c b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_arm.c
index 69daeba974f2..5f518e5a9273 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_arm.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_arm.c
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ int vchiq_initialise(struct vchiq_state *state, struct vchiq_instance **instance
 	 * block forever.
 	 */
 	for (i = 0; i < VCHIQ_INIT_RETRIES; i++) {
-		if (state)
+		if (vchiq_remote_initialised(state))
 			break;
 		usleep_range(500, 600);
 	}
@@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ void vchiq_dump_platform_instances(struct vchiq_state *state, struct seq_file *f
 {
 	int i;
 
-	if (!state)
+	if (!vchiq_remote_initialised(state))
 		return;
 
 	/*
diff --git a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_core.h b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_core.h
index 8af209e34fb2..382ec08f6a14 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_core.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_core.h
@@ -413,6 +413,11 @@ struct vchiq_state {
 	struct opaque_platform_state *platform_state;
 };
 
+static inline bool vchiq_remote_initialised(const struct vchiq_state *state)
+{
+	return state->remote && state->remote->initialised;
+}
+
 struct bulk_waiter {
 	struct vchiq_bulk *bulk;
 	struct completion event;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_debugfs.c b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_debugfs.c
index 1f74d0bb33ba..d5f7f61c5626 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_debugfs.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_debugfs.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ void vchiq_debugfs_deinit(void)
 
 #else /* CONFIG_DEBUG_FS */
 
-void vchiq_debugfs_init(void)
+void vchiq_debugfs_init(struct vchiq_state *state)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_dev.c b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_dev.c
index 3c63347d2d08..430f2ed2ccd3 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_dev.c
@@ -1170,6 +1170,11 @@ static int vchiq_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 	dev_dbg(state->dev, "arm: vchiq open\n");
 
+	if (!vchiq_remote_initialised(state)) {
+		dev_dbg(state->dev, "arm: vchiq has no connection to VideoCore\n");
+		return -ENOTCONN;
+	}
+
 	instance = kzalloc(sizeof(*instance), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!instance)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -1200,7 +1205,7 @@ static int vchiq_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 	dev_dbg(state->dev, "arm: instance=%p\n", instance);
 
-	if (!state) {
+	if (!vchiq_remote_initialised(state)) {
 		ret = -EPERM;
 		goto out;
 	}