diff --git a/drivers/of/base.c b/drivers/of/base.c
index d94efee4a7fc5..a8b0c42bdc8e9 100644
--- a/drivers/of/base.c
+++ b/drivers/of/base.c
@@ -87,15 +87,25 @@ static bool __of_node_is_type(const struct device_node *np, const char *type)
 	return np && match && type && !strcmp(match, type);
 }
 
+#define EXCLUDED_DEFAULT_CELLS_PLATFORMS ( \
+	IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SPARC) \
+)
+
 int of_bus_n_addr_cells(struct device_node *np)
 {
 	u32 cells;
 
-	for (; np; np = np->parent)
+	for (; np; np = np->parent) {
 		if (!of_property_read_u32(np, "#address-cells", &cells))
 			return cells;
-
-	/* No #address-cells property for the root node */
+		/*
+		 * Default root value and walking parent nodes for "#address-cells"
+		 * is deprecated. Any platforms which hit this warning should
+		 * be added to the excluded list.
+		 */
+		WARN_ONCE(!EXCLUDED_DEFAULT_CELLS_PLATFORMS,
+			  "Missing '#address-cells' in %pOF\n", np);
+	}
 	return OF_ROOT_NODE_ADDR_CELLS_DEFAULT;
 }
 
@@ -112,11 +122,17 @@ int of_bus_n_size_cells(struct device_node *np)
 {
 	u32 cells;
 
-	for (; np; np = np->parent)
+	for (; np; np = np->parent) {
 		if (!of_property_read_u32(np, "#size-cells", &cells))
 			return cells;
-
-	/* No #size-cells property for the root node */
+		/*
+		 * Default root value and walking parent nodes for "#size-cells"
+		 * is deprecated. Any platforms which hit this warning should
+		 * be added to the excluded list.
+		 */
+		WARN_ONCE(!EXCLUDED_DEFAULT_CELLS_PLATFORMS,
+			  "Missing '#size-cells' in %pOF\n", np);
+	}
 	return OF_ROOT_NODE_SIZE_CELLS_DEFAULT;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/of/fdt.c b/drivers/of/fdt.c
index d3ecf2bdd2023..0121100372b41 100644
--- a/drivers/of/fdt.c
+++ b/drivers/of/fdt.c
@@ -937,12 +937,12 @@ int __init early_init_dt_scan_root(void)
 	dt_root_addr_cells = OF_ROOT_NODE_ADDR_CELLS_DEFAULT;
 
 	prop = of_get_flat_dt_prop(node, "#size-cells", NULL);
-	if (prop)
+	if (!WARN(!prop, "No '#size-cells' in root node\n"))
 		dt_root_size_cells = be32_to_cpup(prop);
 	pr_debug("dt_root_size_cells = %x\n", dt_root_size_cells);
 
 	prop = of_get_flat_dt_prop(node, "#address-cells", NULL);
-	if (prop)
+	if (!WARN(!prop, "No '#address-cells' in root node\n"))
 		dt_root_addr_cells = be32_to_cpup(prop);
 	pr_debug("dt_root_addr_cells = %x\n", dt_root_addr_cells);