diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-sun6i.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-sun6i.c
index e4fc6e4f2bfbf4..54bd47fb0a5f26 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-sun6i.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-sun6i.c
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@
 
 /* Alarm 0 (counter) */
 #define SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER			0x0020
-#define SUN6I_ALRM_CUR_VAL			0x0024
+/* This holds the remaining alarm seconds on older SoCs (current value) */
+#define SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER_HMS			0x0024
 #define SUN6I_ALRM_EN				0x0028
 #define SUN6I_ALRM_EN_CNT_EN			BIT(0)
 #define SUN6I_ALRM_IRQ_EN			0x002c
@@ -523,36 +524,55 @@ static int sun6i_rtc_setalarm(struct device *dev, struct rtc_wkalrm *wkalrm)
 	struct sun6i_rtc_dev *chip = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 	struct rtc_time *alrm_tm = &wkalrm->time;
 	struct rtc_time tm_now;
-	unsigned long time_now = 0;
 	unsigned long time_set = 0;
-	unsigned long time_gap = 0;
+	unsigned long counter_val, counter_val_hms;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	ret = sun6i_rtc_gettime(dev, &tm_now);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Error in getting time\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	time_set = rtc_tm_to_time64(alrm_tm);
-	time_now = rtc_tm_to_time64(&tm_now);
-	if (time_set <= time_now) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Date to set in the past\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
-	time_gap = time_set - time_now;
 
-	if (time_gap > U32_MAX) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Date too far in the future\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (chip->flags & RTC_LINEAR_DAY) {
+		/*
+		 * The alarm registers hold the actual alarm time, encoded
+		 * in the same way (linear day + HMS) as the current time.
+		 */
+		counter_val_hms = SUN6I_TIME_SET_SEC_VALUE(alrm_tm->tm_sec)  |
+				  SUN6I_TIME_SET_MIN_VALUE(alrm_tm->tm_min)  |
+				  SUN6I_TIME_SET_HOUR_VALUE(alrm_tm->tm_hour);
+		counter_val = mktime64(alrm_tm->tm_year + 1900, alrm_tm->tm_mon,
+				       alrm_tm->tm_mday, 0, 0, 0) / SEC_PER_DAY;
+	} else {
+		/* The alarm register holds the number of seconds left. */
+		unsigned long time_now;
+
+		ret = sun6i_rtc_gettime(dev, &tm_now);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			dev_err(dev, "Error in getting time\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		time_now = rtc_tm_to_time64(&tm_now);
+		if (time_set <= time_now) {
+			dev_err(dev, "Date to set in the past\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		counter_val = time_set - time_now;
+
+		if (counter_val > U32_MAX) {
+			dev_err(dev, "Date too far in the future\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	sun6i_rtc_setaie(0, chip);
 	writel(0, chip->base + SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER);
+	if (chip->flags & RTC_LINEAR_DAY)
+		writel(0, chip->base + SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER_HMS);
 	usleep_range(100, 300);
 
-	writel(time_gap, chip->base + SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER);
+	writel(counter_val, chip->base + SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER);
+	if (chip->flags & RTC_LINEAR_DAY)
+		writel(counter_val_hms, chip->base + SUN6I_ALRM_COUNTER_HMS);
 	chip->alarm = time_set;
 
 	sun6i_rtc_setaie(wkalrm->enabled, chip);