diff --git a/arch/mips/alchemy/common/time.c b/arch/mips/alchemy/common/time.c
index 6fd441d16af5..f58d4ffb8945 100644
--- a/arch/mips/alchemy/common/time.c
+++ b/arch/mips/alchemy/common/time.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void __init plat_time_init(void)
 	 * setup counter 1 (RTC) to tick at full speed
 	 */
 	t = 0xffffff;
-	while ((au_readl(SYS_COUNTER_CNTRL) & SYS_CNTRL_T1S) && t--)
+	while ((au_readl(SYS_COUNTER_CNTRL) & SYS_CNTRL_T1S) && --t)
 		asm volatile ("nop");
 	if (!t)
 		goto cntr_err;
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ void __init plat_time_init(void)
 	au_sync();
 
 	t = 0xffffff;
-	while ((au_readl(SYS_COUNTER_CNTRL) & SYS_CNTRL_C1S) && t--)
+	while ((au_readl(SYS_COUNTER_CNTRL) & SYS_CNTRL_C1S) && --t)
 		asm volatile ("nop");
 	if (!t)
 		goto cntr_err;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void __init plat_time_init(void)
 	au_sync();
 
 	t = 0xffffff;
-	while ((au_readl(SYS_COUNTER_CNTRL) & SYS_CNTRL_C1S) && t--)
+	while ((au_readl(SYS_COUNTER_CNTRL) & SYS_CNTRL_C1S) && --t)
 		asm volatile ("nop");
 	if (!t)
 		goto cntr_err;