diff --git a/Documentation/thermal/power_allocator.txt b/Documentation/thermal/power_allocator.txt
index c3797b529991..a1ce2235f121 100644
--- a/Documentation/thermal/power_allocator.txt
+++ b/Documentation/thermal/power_allocator.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Power allocator governor tunables
 Trip points
 -----------
 
-The governor requires the following two passive trip points:
+The governor works optimally with the following two passive trip points:
 
 1.  "switch on" trip point: temperature above which the governor
     control loop starts operating.  This is the first passive trip
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c b/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c
index 51473473f154..ea57759eb095 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 
 #include "thermal_core.h"
 
+#define INVALID_TRIP -1
+
 #define FRAC_BITS 10
 #define int_to_frac(x) ((x) << FRAC_BITS)
 #define frac_to_int(x) ((x) >> FRAC_BITS)
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ static inline s64 div_frac(s64 x, s64 y)
  *		Used to calculate the derivative term.
  * @trip_switch_on:	first passive trip point of the thermal zone.  The
  *			governor switches on when this trip point is crossed.
+ *			If the thermal zone only has one passive trip point,
+ *			@trip_switch_on should be INVALID_TRIP.
  * @trip_max_desired_temperature:	last passive trip point of the thermal
  *					zone.  The temperature we are
  *					controlling for.
@@ -432,43 +436,66 @@ unlock:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int get_governor_trips(struct thermal_zone_device *tz,
-			      struct power_allocator_params *params)
+/**
+ * get_governor_trips() - get the number of the two trip points that are key for this governor
+ * @tz:	thermal zone to operate on
+ * @params:	pointer to private data for this governor
+ *
+ * The power allocator governor works optimally with two trips points:
+ * a "switch on" trip point and a "maximum desired temperature".  These
+ * are defined as the first and last passive trip points.
+ *
+ * If there is only one trip point, then that's considered to be the
+ * "maximum desired temperature" trip point and the governor is always
+ * on.  If there are no passive or active trip points, then the
+ * governor won't do anything.  In fact, its throttle function
+ * won't be called at all.
+ */
+static void get_governor_trips(struct thermal_zone_device *tz,
+			       struct power_allocator_params *params)
 {
-	int i, ret, last_passive;
+	int i, last_active, last_passive;
 	bool found_first_passive;
 
 	found_first_passive = false;
-	last_passive = -1;
-	ret = -EINVAL;
+	last_active = INVALID_TRIP;
+	last_passive = INVALID_TRIP;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < tz->trips; i++) {
 		enum thermal_trip_type type;
+		int ret;
 
 		ret = tz->ops->get_trip_type(tz, i, &type);
-		if (ret)
-			return ret;
+		if (ret) {
+			dev_warn(&tz->device,
+				 "Failed to get trip point %d type: %d\n", i,
+				 ret);
+			continue;
+		}
 
-		if (!found_first_passive) {
-			if (type == THERMAL_TRIP_PASSIVE) {
+		if (type == THERMAL_TRIP_PASSIVE) {
+			if (!found_first_passive) {
 				params->trip_switch_on = i;
 				found_first_passive = true;
+			} else  {
+				last_passive = i;
 			}
-		} else if (type == THERMAL_TRIP_PASSIVE) {
-			last_passive = i;
+		} else if (type == THERMAL_TRIP_ACTIVE) {
+			last_active = i;
 		} else {
 			break;
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (last_passive != -1) {
+	if (last_passive != INVALID_TRIP) {
 		params->trip_max_desired_temperature = last_passive;
-		ret = 0;
+	} else if (found_first_passive) {
+		params->trip_max_desired_temperature = params->trip_switch_on;
+		params->trip_switch_on = INVALID_TRIP;
 	} else {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
+		params->trip_switch_on = INVALID_TRIP;
+		params->trip_max_desired_temperature = last_active;
 	}
-
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void reset_pid_controller(struct power_allocator_params *params)
@@ -497,11 +524,10 @@ static void allow_maximum_power(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
  * power_allocator_bind() - bind the power_allocator governor to a thermal zone
  * @tz:	thermal zone to bind it to
  *
- * Check that the thermal zone is valid for this governor, that is, it
- * has two thermal trips.  If so, initialize the PID controller
- * parameters and bind it to the thermal zone.
+ * Initialize the PID controller parameters and bind it to the thermal
+ * zone.
  *
- * Return: 0 on success, -EINVAL if the trips were invalid or -ENOMEM
+ * Return: 0 on success, -EINVAL if the thermal zone doesn't have tzp or -ENOMEM
  * if we ran out of memory.
  */
 static int power_allocator_bind(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
@@ -520,30 +546,23 @@ static int power_allocator_bind(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
 	if (!tz->tzp->sustainable_power)
 		dev_warn(&tz->device, "power_allocator: sustainable_power will be estimated\n");
 
-	ret = get_governor_trips(tz, params);
-	if (ret) {
-		dev_err(&tz->device,
-			"thermal zone %s has wrong trip setup for power allocator\n",
-			tz->type);
-		goto free;
-	}
+	get_governor_trips(tz, params);
 
-	ret = tz->ops->get_trip_temp(tz, params->trip_max_desired_temperature,
-				     &control_temp);
-	if (ret)
-		goto free;
+	if (tz->trips > 0) {
+		ret = tz->ops->get_trip_temp(tz,
+					params->trip_max_desired_temperature,
+					&control_temp);
+		if (!ret)
+			estimate_pid_constants(tz, tz->tzp->sustainable_power,
+					       params->trip_switch_on,
+					       control_temp, false);
+	}
 
-	estimate_pid_constants(tz, tz->tzp->sustainable_power,
-			       params->trip_switch_on, control_temp, false);
 	reset_pid_controller(params);
 
 	tz->governor_data = params;
 
 	return 0;
-
-free:
-	kfree(params);
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void power_allocator_unbind(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
@@ -574,13 +593,7 @@ static int power_allocator_throttle(struct thermal_zone_device *tz, int trip)
 
 	ret = tz->ops->get_trip_temp(tz, params->trip_switch_on,
 				     &switch_on_temp);
-	if (ret) {
-		dev_warn(&tz->device,
-			 "Failed to get switch on temperature: %d\n", ret);
-		return ret;
-	}
-
-	if (current_temp < switch_on_temp) {
+	if (!ret && (current_temp < switch_on_temp)) {
 		tz->passive = 0;
 		reset_pid_controller(params);
 		allow_maximum_power(tz);
