diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/cio.c b/drivers/s390/cio/cio.c
index 4b8f29f83421..de744ca158fd 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/cio.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/cio.c
@@ -526,64 +526,6 @@ int cio_disable_subchannel(struct subchannel *sch)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(cio_disable_subchannel);
 
-/**
- * cio_validate_subchannel - basic validation of subchannel
- * @schid: subchannel id
- * @schib: subchannel information block to be filled out
- *
- * Check if subchannel is valid and should be used.
- * Return codes:
- *   0 on success
- *   -ENXIO for non-defined subchannels
- *   -ENODEV for invalid subchannels or blacklisted devices
- *   -EIO for subchannels in an invalid subchannel set
- */
-int cio_validate_subchannel(struct subchannel_id schid, struct schib *schib)
-{
-	char dbf_txt[15];
-	int ccode;
-	int err;
-
-	sprintf(dbf_txt, "valsch%x", schid.sch_no);
-	CIO_TRACE_EVENT(4, dbf_txt);
-
-	/*
-	 * The first subchannel that is not-operational (ccode==3)
-	 * indicates that there aren't any more devices available.
-	 * If stsch gets an exception, it means the current subchannel set
-	 * is not valid.
-	 */
-	ccode = stsch(schid, schib);
-	if (ccode) {
-		err = (ccode == 3) ? -ENXIO : ccode;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	switch (schib->pmcw.st) {
-	case SUBCHANNEL_TYPE_IO:
-	case SUBCHANNEL_TYPE_MSG:
-		if (!css_sch_is_valid(schib))
-			err = -ENODEV;
-		else if (is_blacklisted(schid.ssid, schib->pmcw.dev)) {
-			CIO_MSG_EVENT(6, "Blacklisted device detected "
-				      "at devno %04X, subchannel set %x\n",
-				      schib->pmcw.dev, schid.ssid);
-			err = -ENODEV;
-		} else
-			err = 0;
-		break;
-	default:
-		err = 0;
-	}
-	if (err)
-		goto out;
-
-	CIO_MSG_EVENT(4, "Subchannel 0.%x.%04x reports subchannel type %04X\n",
-		      schid.ssid, schid.sch_no, schib->pmcw.st);
-out:
-	return err;
-}
-
 /*
  * do_cio_interrupt() handles all normal I/O device IRQ's
  */
@@ -707,6 +649,7 @@ struct subchannel *cio_probe_console(void)
 {
 	struct subchannel_id schid;
 	struct subchannel *sch;
+	struct schib schib;
 	int sch_no, ret;
 
 	sch_no = cio_get_console_sch_no();
@@ -716,7 +659,11 @@ struct subchannel *cio_probe_console(void)
 	}
 	init_subchannel_id(&schid);
 	schid.sch_no = sch_no;
-	sch = css_alloc_subchannel(schid);
+	ret = stsch(schid, &schib);
+	if (ret)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+
+	sch = css_alloc_subchannel(schid, &schib);
 	if (IS_ERR(sch))
 		return sch;
 
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/cio.h b/drivers/s390/cio/cio.h
index 234aa068dd8f..9811fd8a0c73 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/cio.h
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/cio.h
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ DECLARE_PER_CPU(struct irb, cio_irb);
 
 #define to_subchannel(n) container_of(n, struct subchannel, dev)
 
-extern int cio_validate_subchannel(struct subchannel_id, struct schib *);
 extern int cio_enable_subchannel(struct subchannel *, u32);
 extern int cio_disable_subchannel (struct subchannel *);
 extern int cio_cancel (struct subchannel *);
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/css.c b/drivers/s390/cio/css.c
index e4d6537cdd87..aea502922646 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/css.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/css.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "css.h"
 #include "cio.h"
+#include "blacklist.h"
 #include "cio_debug.h"
 #include "ioasm.h"
 #include "chsc.h"
@@ -168,13 +169,43 @@ static void css_subchannel_release(struct device *dev)
 	kfree(sch);
 }
 
-struct subchannel *css_alloc_subchannel(struct subchannel_id schid)
+static int css_validate_subchannel(struct subchannel_id schid,
+				   struct schib *schib)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	switch (schib->pmcw.st) {
+	case SUBCHANNEL_TYPE_IO:
+	case SUBCHANNEL_TYPE_MSG:
+		if (!css_sch_is_valid(schib))
+			err = -ENODEV;
+		else if (is_blacklisted(schid.ssid, schib->pmcw.dev)) {
+			CIO_MSG_EVENT(6, "Blacklisted device detected "
+				      "at devno %04X, subchannel set %x\n",
+				      schib->pmcw.dev, schid.ssid);
+			err = -ENODEV;
+		} else
+			err = 0;
+		break;
+	default:
+		err = 0;
+	}
+	if (err)
+		goto out;
+
+	CIO_MSG_EVENT(4, "Subchannel 0.%x.%04x reports subchannel type %04X\n",
+		      schid.ssid, schid.sch_no, schib->pmcw.st);
+out:
+	return err;
+}
+
+struct subchannel *css_alloc_subchannel(struct subchannel_id schid,
+					struct schib *schib)
 {
 	struct subchannel *sch;
-	struct schib schib;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = cio_validate_subchannel(schid, &schib);
+	ret = css_validate_subchannel(schid, schib);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ERR_PTR(ret);
 
@@ -183,8 +214,8 @@ struct subchannel *css_alloc_subchannel(struct subchannel_id schid)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	sch->schid = schid;
-	sch->schib = schib;
-	sch->st = schib.pmcw.st;
+	sch->schib = *schib;
+	sch->st = schib->pmcw.st;
 
 	ret = css_sch_create_locks(sch);
 	if (ret)
@@ -386,12 +417,12 @@ int css_register_subchannel(struct subchannel *sch)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int css_probe_device(struct subchannel_id schid)
+static int css_probe_device(struct subchannel_id schid, struct schib *schib)
 {
 	struct subchannel *sch;
 	int ret;
 
-	sch = css_alloc_subchannel(schid);
+	sch = css_alloc_subchannel(schid, schib);
 	if (IS_ERR(sch))
 		return PTR_ERR(sch);
 
@@ -440,23 +471,23 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(css_sch_is_valid);
 static int css_evaluate_new_subchannel(struct subchannel_id schid, int slow)
 {
 	struct schib schib;
+	int ccode;
 
 	if (!slow) {
 		/* Will be done on the slow path. */
 		return -EAGAIN;
 	}
-	if (stsch(schid, &schib)) {
-		/* Subchannel is not provided. */
-		return -ENXIO;
-	}
-	if (!css_sch_is_valid(&schib)) {
-		/* Unusable - ignore. */
-		return 0;
-	}
-	CIO_MSG_EVENT(4, "event: sch 0.%x.%04x, new\n", schid.ssid,
-		      schid.sch_no);
+	/*
+	 * The first subchannel that is not-operational (ccode==3)
+	 * indicates that there aren't any more devices available.
+	 * If stsch gets an exception, it means the current subchannel set
+	 * is not valid.
+	 */
+	ccode = stsch(schid, &schib);
+	if (ccode)
+		return (ccode == 3) ? -ENXIO : ccode;
 
-	return css_probe_device(schid);
+	return css_probe_device(schid, &schib);
 }
 
 static int css_evaluate_known_subchannel(struct subchannel *sch, int slow)
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/css.h b/drivers/s390/cio/css.h
index 30357cbf350a..8d832900a63d 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/css.h
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/css.h
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ extern void css_driver_unregister(struct css_driver *);
 
 extern void css_sch_device_unregister(struct subchannel *);
 extern int css_register_subchannel(struct subchannel *);
-extern struct subchannel *css_alloc_subchannel(struct subchannel_id);
+extern struct subchannel *css_alloc_subchannel(struct subchannel_id,
+					       struct schib *schib);
 extern struct subchannel *get_subchannel_by_schid(struct subchannel_id);
 extern int css_init_done;
 extern int max_ssid;