Index: sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c
+++ sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c
@@ -756,17 +756,22 @@
 	}
 	device_printf(dev, "Number of channels %d\n", i);
 
-	/* probe for watchdog */
-	IPMI_INIT_DRIVER_REQUEST(req, IPMI_ADDR(IPMI_APP_REQUEST, 0),
-	    IPMI_GET_WDOG, 0, 0);
+	/*
+	 * Probe for watchdog, but only for backends which support
+	 * polled driver requests.
+	 */
+	if (sc->ipmi_driver_requests_polled) {
+		IPMI_INIT_DRIVER_REQUEST(req, IPMI_ADDR(IPMI_APP_REQUEST, 0),
+		    IPMI_GET_WDOG, 0, 0);
 
-	ipmi_submit_driver_request(sc, req, 0);
+		ipmi_submit_driver_request(sc, req, 0);
 
-	if (req->ir_compcode == 0x00) {
-		device_printf(dev, "Attached watchdog\n");
-		/* register the watchdog event handler */
-		sc->ipmi_watchdog_tag = EVENTHANDLER_REGISTER(watchdog_list,
-		    ipmi_wd_event, sc, 0);
+		if (req->ir_compcode == 0x00) {
+			device_printf(dev, "Attached watchdog\n");
+			/* register the watchdog event handler */
+			sc->ipmi_watchdog_tag = EVENTHANDLER_REGISTER(
+			    watchdog_list, ipmi_wd_event, sc, 0);
+		}
 	}
 
 	sc->ipmi_cdev = make_dev(&ipmi_cdevsw, device_get_unit(dev),
Index: sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c
+++ sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@
 	sc->ipmi_startup = kcs_startup;
 	sc->ipmi_enqueue_request = ipmi_polled_enqueue_request;
 	sc->ipmi_driver_request = kcs_driver_request;
+	sc->ipmi_driver_requests_polled = 1;
 
 	/* See if we can talk to the controller. */
 	status = INB(sc, KCS_CTL_STS);
Index: sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_smic.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_smic.c
+++ sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_smic.c
@@ -415,6 +415,7 @@
 	sc->ipmi_startup = smic_startup;
 	sc->ipmi_enqueue_request = ipmi_polled_enqueue_request;
 	sc->ipmi_driver_request = smic_driver_request;
+	sc->ipmi_driver_requests_polled = 1;
 
 	/* See if we can talk to the controller. */
 	flags = INB(sc, SMIC_FLAGS);
Index: sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h
+++ sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
 	int			ipmi_opened;
 	struct cdev		*ipmi_cdev;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(,ipmi_request) ipmi_pending_requests;
+	int			ipmi_driver_requests_polled;
 	eventhandler_tag	ipmi_watchdog_tag;
 	int			ipmi_watchdog_active;
 	struct intr_config_hook	ipmi_ich;