diff --git a/drivers/gpio/max732x.c b/drivers/gpio/max732x.c
index b51c8135ca28..55ae9a41897a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/max732x.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/max732x.c
@@ -372,7 +372,10 @@ static int __init max732x_init(void)
 {
 	return i2c_add_driver(&max732x_driver);
 }
-module_init(max732x_init);
+/* register after i2c postcore initcall and before
+ * subsys initcalls that may rely on these GPIOs
+ */
+subsys_initcall(max732x_init);
 
 static void __exit max732x_exit(void)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/gpio/pca953x.c b/drivers/gpio/pca953x.c
index cc8468692ae0..9ceeb89f1325 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/pca953x.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/pca953x.c
@@ -289,7 +289,10 @@ static int __init pca953x_init(void)
 {
 	return i2c_add_driver(&pca953x_driver);
 }
-module_init(pca953x_init);
+/* register after i2c postcore initcall and before
+ * subsys initcalls that may rely on these GPIOs
+ */
+subsys_initcall(pca953x_init);
 
 static void __exit pca953x_exit(void)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/gpio/pcf857x.c b/drivers/gpio/pcf857x.c
index fc9c6ae739ee..4bc2070dd4a1 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/pcf857x.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/pcf857x.c
@@ -351,7 +351,10 @@ static int __init pcf857x_init(void)
 {
 	return i2c_add_driver(&pcf857x_driver);
 }
-module_init(pcf857x_init);
+/* register after i2c postcore initcall and before
+ * subsys initcalls that may rely on these GPIOs
+ */
+subsys_initcall(pcf857x_init);
 
 static void __exit pcf857x_exit(void)
 {