diff --git a/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c b/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c
index 80099aa66a2e..9c3b98ade7c8 100644
--- a/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c
+++ b/sys/i386/i386/machdep.c
@@ -2098,6 +2098,7 @@ init386(first)
 		printf("WARNING: loader(8) metadata is missing!\n");
 
 #ifdef DEV_ISA
+	elcr_probe();
 	atpic_startup();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/sys/i386/include/intr_machdep.h b/sys/i386/include/intr_machdep.h
index a9880636a302..ff193467788b 100644
--- a/sys/i386/include/intr_machdep.h
+++ b/sys/i386/include/intr_machdep.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ struct intsrc {
 struct intrframe;
 
 extern struct mtx icu_lock;
+extern int elcr_found;
 
 /* XXX: The elcr_* prototypes probably belong somewhere else. */
 int	elcr_probe(void);
diff --git a/sys/i386/isa/atpic.c b/sys/i386/isa/atpic.c
index 8f456ac44f6a..d326c683b48f 100644
--- a/sys/i386/isa/atpic.c
+++ b/sys/i386/isa/atpic.c
@@ -112,9 +112,6 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 static void	atpic_init(void *dummy);
 
 unsigned int imen;	/* XXX */
-#ifndef PC98
-static int using_elcr;
-#endif
 
 inthand_t
 	IDTVEC(atpic_intr0), IDTVEC(atpic_intr1), IDTVEC(atpic_intr2),
@@ -313,7 +310,7 @@ atpic_resume(struct intsrc *isrc)
 	if (ai->at_irq == 0) {
 		i8259_init(ap, ap == &atpics[SLAVE]);
 #ifndef PC98
-		if (ap == &atpics[SLAVE] && using_elcr)
+		if (ap == &atpics[SLAVE] && elcr_found)
 			elcr_resume();
 #endif
 	}
@@ -369,7 +366,7 @@ atpic_config_intr(struct intsrc *isrc, enum intr_trigger trig,
 			    vector);
 		return (EINVAL);
 	}
-	if (!using_elcr) {
+	if (!elcr_found) {
 		if (bootverbose)
 			printf("atpic: No ELCR to configure IRQ%u as %s\n",
 			    vector, trig == INTR_TRIGGER_EDGE ? "edge/high" :
@@ -492,8 +489,7 @@ atpic_startup(void)
 	 * assume level trigger for any interrupt that we aren't sure is
 	 * edge triggered.
 	 */
-	if (elcr_probe() == 0) {
-		using_elcr = 1;
+	if (elcr_found) {
 		for (i = 0, ai = atintrs; i < NUM_ISA_IRQS; i++, ai++)
 			ai->at_trigger = elcr_read_trigger(i);
 	} else {
diff --git a/sys/i386/isa/elcr.c b/sys/i386/isa/elcr.c
index 2cfcfa46d0b0..266d78396db9 100644
--- a/sys/i386/isa/elcr.c
+++ b/sys/i386/isa/elcr.c
@@ -57,9 +57,7 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 #define	ELCR_MASK(irq)	(1 << (irq))
 
 static int elcr_status;
-#ifdef INVARIANTS
-static int elcr_found;
-#endif
+int elcr_found;
 
 /*
  * Check to see if we have what looks like a valid ELCR.  We do this by
@@ -88,9 +86,7 @@ elcr_probe(void)
 	}
 	if (resource_disabled("elcr", 0))
 		return (ENXIO);
-#ifdef INVARIANTS
 	elcr_found = 1;
-#endif
 	return (0);
 }