diff --git a/board/freescale/mpc8536ds/mpc8536ds.c b/board/freescale/mpc8536ds/mpc8536ds.c
index 8216c70ca..3cf12fda5 100644
--- a/board/freescale/mpc8536ds/mpc8536ds.c
+++ b/board/freescale/mpc8536ds/mpc8536ds.c
@@ -608,6 +608,18 @@ get_board_ddr_clk(ulong dummy)
 }
 #endif
 
+int is_sata_supported()
+{
+	volatile ccsr_gur_t *gur = (void *)(CFG_MPC85xx_GUTS_ADDR);
+	uint devdisr = gur->devdisr;
+	uint sdrs2_io_sel =
+		(gur->pordevsr & MPC85xx_PORDEVSR_SRDS2_IO_SEL) >> 27;
+	if (sdrs2_io_sel & 0x04)
+		return 0;
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_OF_BOARD_SETUP)
 void
 ft_board_setup(void *blob, bd_t *bd)
diff --git a/lib_ppc/board.c b/lib_ppc/board.c
index c02ac62b3..564faf2c6 100644
--- a/lib_ppc/board.c
+++ b/lib_ppc/board.c
@@ -635,6 +635,16 @@ void board_init_f (ulong bootflag)
 	/* NOTREACHED - relocate_code() does not return */
 }
 
+int __is_sata_supported()
+{
+	/* For some boards, when sata disabled by the switch, and the
+	 * driver still access the sata registers, the cpu will hangup.
+	 * please define platform specific is_sata_supported() if your
+	 * board have such issue.*/
+	return 1;
+}
+int is_sata_supported() __attribute__((weak, alias("__is_sata_supported")));
+
 /************************************************************************
  *
  * This is the next part if the initialization sequence: we are now
@@ -1105,8 +1115,10 @@ void board_init_r (gd_t *id, ulong dest_addr)
 #endif
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_CMD_SATA)
-	puts ("SATA:  ");
-	sata_initialize ();
+	if (is_sata_supported()) {
+		puts("SATA:  ");
+		sata_initialize();
+	}
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_LAST_STAGE_INIT