diff --git a/drivers/char/random.c b/drivers/char/random.c
index 6229d7d3c5b58..bd6fdb6248616 100644
--- a/drivers/char/random.c
+++ b/drivers/char/random.c
@@ -1354,6 +1354,12 @@ void add_interrupt_randomness(int irq)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(add_interrupt_randomness);
 
+struct entropy_timer_state {
+	unsigned long entropy;
+	struct timer_list timer;
+	unsigned int samples, samples_per_bit;
+};
+
 /*
  * Each time the timer fires, we expect that we got an unpredictable
  * jump in the cycle counter. Even if the timer is running on another
@@ -1367,9 +1373,14 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(add_interrupt_randomness);
  *
  * So the re-arming always happens in the entropy loop itself.
  */
-static void entropy_timer(struct timer_list *t)
+static void entropy_timer(struct timer_list *timer)
 {
-	credit_entropy_bits(1);
+	struct entropy_timer_state *state = container_of(timer, struct entropy_timer_state, timer);
+
+	if (++state->samples == state->samples_per_bit) {
+		credit_entropy_bits(1);
+		state->samples = 0;
+	}
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1378,17 +1389,22 @@ static void entropy_timer(struct timer_list *t)
  */
 static void try_to_generate_entropy(void)
 {
-	struct {
-		unsigned long entropy;
-		struct timer_list timer;
-	} stack;
-
-	stack.entropy = random_get_entropy();
+	enum { NUM_TRIAL_SAMPLES = 8192, MAX_SAMPLES_PER_BIT = 32 };
+	struct entropy_timer_state stack;
+	unsigned int i, num_different = 0;
+	unsigned long last = random_get_entropy();
 
-	/* Slow counter - or none. Don't even bother */
-	if (stack.entropy == random_get_entropy())
+	for (i = 0; i < NUM_TRIAL_SAMPLES - 1; ++i) {
+		stack.entropy = random_get_entropy();
+		if (stack.entropy != last)
+			++num_different;
+		last = stack.entropy;
+	}
+	stack.samples_per_bit = DIV_ROUND_UP(NUM_TRIAL_SAMPLES, num_different + 1);
+	if (stack.samples_per_bit > MAX_SAMPLES_PER_BIT)
 		return;
 
+	stack.samples = 0;
 	timer_setup_on_stack(&stack.timer, entropy_timer, 0);
 	while (!crng_ready() && !signal_pending(current)) {
 		if (!timer_pending(&stack.timer))