diff --git a/drivers/phy/phy-can-transceiver.c b/drivers/phy/phy-can-transceiver.c
index 5c9698f77c7d..3cebaa54f7db 100644
--- a/drivers/phy/phy-can-transceiver.c
+++ b/drivers/phy/phy-can-transceiver.c
@@ -128,8 +128,9 @@ static int can_transceiver_phy_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	struct gpio_desc *standby_gpio;
 	struct gpio_desc *enable_gpio;
 	struct mux_state *mux_state;
-	u32 max_bitrate = 0;
 	int err, i, num_ch = 1;
+	const char *propname;
+	u32 max_bitrate;
 
 	drvdata = device_get_match_data(dev);
 	if (!drvdata)
@@ -151,9 +152,17 @@ static int can_transceiver_phy_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 
 	priv->mux_state = mux_state;
 
-	err = device_property_read_u32(dev, "max-bitrate", &max_bitrate);
-	if ((err != -EINVAL) && !max_bitrate)
-		dev_warn(dev, "Invalid value for transceiver max bitrate. Ignoring bitrate limit\n");
+	propname = "max-bitrate";
+	if (device_property_present(dev, propname)) {
+		err = device_property_read_u32(dev, propname, &max_bitrate);
+		if (err)
+			return dev_err_probe(dev, err, "failed to parse %s\n", propname);
+
+		if (max_bitrate == 0)
+			dev_warn(dev, "Invalid value for transceiver max bitrate. Ignoring bitrate limit\n");
+	} else {
+		max_bitrate = 0;
+	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < num_ch; i++) {
 		can_transceiver_phy = &priv->can_transceiver_phy[i];