diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9n12ek/init.c b/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9n12ek/init.c
index a206d6b..818a598 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9n12ek/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9n12ek/init.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 	.det_pin	= -EINVAL,
 	.rdy_pin	= AT91_PIN_PD5,
 	.enable_pin	= AT91_PIN_PD4,
+	.has_pmecc	= 1,
 	.ecc_mode	= NAND_ECC_HW,
 	.pmecc_sector_size = 512,
 	.pmecc_corr_cap = 2,
diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9x5ek/init.c b/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9x5ek/init.c
index 62e5652..183ddc7 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9x5ek/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/at91sam9x5ek/init.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 	.det_pin	= -EINVAL,
 	.rdy_pin	= AT91_PIN_PD5,
 	.enable_pin	= AT91_PIN_PD4,
+	.has_pmecc	= 1,
 	.ecc_mode	= NAND_ECC_HW,
 	.pmecc_sector_size = 512,
 	.pmecc_corr_cap = 2,
diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3_xplained/init.c b/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3_xplained/init.c
index ae84209..7dfebe8 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3_xplained/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3_xplained/init.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 	.rdy_pin	= -EINVAL,
 	.enable_pin	= -EINVAL,
 	.ecc_mode	= NAND_ECC_HW,
+	.has_pmecc	= 1,
 	.pmecc_sector_size = 512,
 	.pmecc_corr_cap = 4,
 #if defined(CONFIG_MTD_NAND_ATMEL_BUSWIDTH_16)
diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3xek/init.c b/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3xek/init.c
index 743197f..49d2b37 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3xek/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/sama5d3xek/init.c
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 	.rdy_pin	= -EINVAL,
 	.enable_pin	= -EINVAL,
 	.ecc_mode	= NAND_ECC_HW,
+	.has_pmecc	= 1,
 	.pmecc_sector_size = 512,
 	.pmecc_corr_cap = 4,
 #if defined(CONFIG_MTD_NAND_ATMEL_BUSWIDTH_16)
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-at91/include/mach/board.h b/arch/arm/mach-at91/include/mach/board.h
index aa0fdae..e2307ed 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-at91/include/mach/board.h
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-at91/include/mach/board.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 	u8		bus_width_16;	/* buswidth is 16 bit */
 	u8		ecc_mode;	/* NAND_ECC_* */
 	u8		on_flash_bbt;	/* Use flash based bbt */
+	u8		has_pmecc;	/* Use PMECC */
 	u8		bus_on_d0;
 
 	u8		pmecc_corr_cap;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/nand/atmel_nand.c b/drivers/mtd/nand/atmel_nand.c
index 337e225..220ec5c 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/nand/atmel_nand.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/nand/atmel_nand.c
@@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@
 
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NAND_ECC_HW) &&
 	    nand_chip->ecc.mode == NAND_ECC_HW) {
-		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NAND_ATMEL_PMECC))
+		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NAND_ATMEL_PMECC) && pdata->has_pmecc)
 			res = atmel_pmecc_nand_init_params(dev, host);
 		else
 			res = atmel_hw_nand_init_params(dev, host);