diff --git a/src/arch/i386/lib/pci_ops_auto.c b/src/arch/i386/lib/pci_ops_auto.c
index b757e608fc..f453d47826 100644
--- a/src/arch/i386/lib/pci_ops_auto.c
+++ b/src/arch/i386/lib/pci_ops_auto.c
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ static int pci_sanity_check(const struct pci_bus_operations *o)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+struct pci_bus_operations *pci_bus_fallback_ops = NULL;
+
 const struct pci_bus_operations *pci_check_direct(void)
 {
 	unsigned int tmp;
@@ -81,11 +83,18 @@ const struct pci_bus_operations *pci_check_direct(void)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+const struct pci_bus_operations *pci_remember_direct(void)
+{
+	if (!pci_bus_fallback_ops)
+		pci_bus_fallback_ops = pci_check_direct();
+	return pci_bus_fallback_ops;
+}
+
 /** Set the method to be used for PCI, type I or type II
  */
 void pci_set_method(device_t dev)
 {
 	printk_info("Finding PCI configuration type.\n");
-	dev->ops->ops_pci_bus = pci_check_direct();
+	dev->ops->ops_pci_bus = pci_remember_direct();
 	post_code(0x5f);
 }
diff --git a/src/devices/pci_ops.c b/src/devices/pci_ops.c
index 6029d757ef..6ade5e0c3c 100644
--- a/src/devices/pci_ops.c
+++ b/src/devices/pci_ops.c
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 #include <device/pci_ids.h>
 #include <device/pci_ops.h>
 
+/* The only consumer of the return value of get_pbus() is ops_pci_bus().
+ * ops_pci_bus() can handle being passed NULL and auto-picks working ops.
+ */
 static struct bus *get_pbus(device_t dev)
 {
 	struct bus *pbus = NULL;
@@ -44,8 +47,9 @@ static struct bus *get_pbus(device_t dev)
 		pbus = pbus->dev->bus;
 	}
 	if (!pbus || !pbus->dev || !pbus->dev->ops || !pbus->dev->ops->ops_pci_bus) {
-		printk_emerg("%s: Cannot find pci bus operations.\n", dev_path(dev));
-		die("");
+		/* This can happen before the device tree is set up completely. */
+		//printk_emerg("%s: Cannot find pci bus operations.\n", dev_path(dev));
+		pbus = NULL;
 	}
 	return pbus;
 }
diff --git a/src/include/device/pci.h b/src/include/device/pci.h
index df9e80dbbb..60cf4aa35c 100644
--- a/src/include/device/pci.h
+++ b/src/include/device/pci.h
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ static inline const struct pci_bus_operations *ops_pci_bus(struct bus *bus)
 	if (bus && bus->dev && bus->dev->ops) {
 		bops = bus->dev->ops->ops_pci_bus;
 	}
+	if (!bops)
+		bops = pci_remember_direct();
 	return bops;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/include/device/pci_ops.h b/src/include/device/pci_ops.h
index da7e6c5d17..13eee9d4a9 100644
--- a/src/include/device/pci_ops.h
+++ b/src/include/device/pci_ops.h
@@ -21,4 +21,7 @@ void pci_mmio_write_config16(device_t dev, unsigned where, uint16_t val);
 void pci_mmio_write_config32(device_t dev, unsigned where, uint32_t val);
 #endif
 
+/* This function lives in pci_ops_auto.c */
+const struct pci_bus_operations *pci_remember_direct(void);
+
 #endif /* PCI_OPS_H */