diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.cc b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.cc
index b758362ef3..ccca61108c 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.cc
@@ -71,16 +71,6 @@ struct Ahci
 		scan_ports(env.rm(), env.ram());
 	}
 
-	bool atapi(unsigned sig)
-	{
-		return enable_atapi && (sig == ATAPI_SIG_QEMU || sig == ATAPI_SIG);
-	}
-
-	bool ata(unsigned sig)
-	{
-		return sig == ATA_SIG;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Forward IRQs to ports
 	 */
@@ -115,8 +105,8 @@ struct Ahci
 
 	void scan_ports(Genode::Region_map &rm, Genode::Ram_session &ram)
 	{
-		Genode::log("number of ports: ", hba.port_count(), " "
-		            "pi: ", Genode::Hex(hba.read<Hba::Pi>()));
+		log("number of ports: ", hba.port_count(), " pi: ",
+		    Hex(hba.read<Hba::Pi>()));
 
 		unsigned available = hba.read<Hba::Pi>();
 		for (unsigned i = 0; i < hba.port_count(); i++) {
@@ -125,42 +115,35 @@ struct Ahci
 			if (!(available & (1U << i)))
 				continue;
 
-			Port port(rm, hba, platform_hba, i);
-
-			/* check for ATA/ATAPI devices */
-			unsigned sig = port.read<Port::Sig>();
-			if (!atapi(sig) && !ata(sig)) {
-				Genode::log("\t\t#", i, ": off");
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			port.reset();
-
 			bool enabled = false;
-			try { enabled = port.enable(); }
-			catch (Port::Not_ready) { Genode::error("could not enable port ", i); }
-
-			Genode::log("\t\t#", i, ": ", atapi(sig) ? "ATAPI" : "ATA");
-
-			if (!enabled)
-				continue;
-
-
-			switch (sig) {
 
+			switch (Port_base(i, hba).read<Port_base::Sig>()) {
 				case ATA_SIG:
-					ports[i] = new (&alloc) Ata_driver(alloc, port, ram, root,
-					                                   ready_count);
+					try {
+						ports[i] = new (&alloc)
+							Ata_driver(alloc, ram, root, ready_count, rm, hba,
+							           platform_hba, i);
+						enabled = true;
+					} catch (...) { }
+
+					log("\t\t#", i, ":", enabled ? " ATA" : " off (ATA)");
 					break;
 
 				case ATAPI_SIG:
 				case ATAPI_SIG_QEMU:
-					ports[i] = new (&alloc) Atapi_driver(port, ram, root,
-					                                     ready_count);
+					if (enable_atapi)
+						try {
+							ports[i] = new (&alloc)
+								Atapi_driver(ram, root, ready_count, rm, hba,
+								             platform_hba, i);
+							enabled = true;
+						} catch (...) { }
+
+					log("\t\t#", i, ":", enabled ? " ATAPI" : " off (ATAPI)");
 					break;
 
 				default:
-					Genode::warning("device signature ", Genode::Hex(sig), " unsupported");
+					log("\t\t#", i, ": off (unknown device signature)");
 			}
 		}
 	};
diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.h b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.h
index 77eebd8074..e007ea0cea 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ahci.h
@@ -388,18 +388,35 @@ struct Command_table
 };
 
 
+/**
+ * Minimalistic AHCI port structure to merely detect device signature
+ */
+struct Port_base : Genode::Mmio
+{
+	/**
+	 * Port signature
+	 */
+	struct Sig : Register<0x24, 32> { };
+
+	static constexpr Genode::addr_t offset() { return 0x100; }
+	static constexpr Genode::size_t size()   { return 0x80;  }
+
+	Port_base(unsigned number, Hba &hba)
+	: Mmio(hba.base + offset() + (number * size())) { }
+};
+
+
 /**
  * AHCI port
  */
-struct Port : Genode::Mmio
+struct Port : Port_base
 {
 	struct Not_ready : Genode::Exception { };
 
 	Genode::Region_map &rm;
-
-	Hba           &hba;
-	Platform::Hba &platform_hba;
-	unsigned       cmd_slots = hba.command_slots();
+	Hba                &hba;
+	Platform::Hba      &platform_hba;
+	unsigned            cmd_slots = hba.command_slots();
 
 	Genode::Ram_dataspace_capability device_ds;
 	Genode::Ram_dataspace_capability cmd_ds;
@@ -423,12 +440,14 @@ struct Port : Genode::Mmio
 	Port(Genode::Region_map &rm, Hba &hba, Platform::Hba &platform_hba,
 	     unsigned number)
 	:
-		Mmio(hba.base + offset() + (number * size())),
-		rm(rm), hba(hba), platform_hba(platform_hba)
+		Port_base(number, hba), rm(rm), hba(hba),
+		platform_hba(platform_hba)
 	{
+		reset();
+		if (!enable())
+			throw 1;
 		stop();
-		if (!wait_for<Cmd::Cr>(0, hba.delayer(), 500, 1000))
-			Genode::error("failed to stop command list processing");
+		wait_for(hba.delayer(), Cmd::Cr::Equal(0));
 	}
 
 	virtual ~Port()
@@ -449,9 +468,6 @@ struct Port : Genode::Mmio
 		}
 	}
 
-	static constexpr Genode::addr_t offset()  { return 0x100; }
-	static constexpr Genode::size_t size()    { return 0x80;  }
-
 	/**
 	 * Command list base (1K length naturally aligned)
 	 */
@@ -612,11 +628,6 @@ struct Port : Genode::Mmio
 		struct Sts_bsy : Bitfield<7, 1> { }; /* interface is busy */
 	};
 
-	/**
-	 * Port signature
-	 */
-	struct Sig : Register<0x24, 32> { };
-
 	/**
 	 * Serial ATA status
 	 */
@@ -797,10 +808,15 @@ struct Port_driver : Port, Block::Driver
 	Ahci_root &root;
 	unsigned  &sem;
 
-	Port_driver(Port &port, Genode::Ram_session &ram, Ahci_root &root,
-	            unsigned &sem)
-	: Port(port), Block::Driver(ram),
-	  root(root), sem(sem) { sem++; }
+	Port_driver(Genode::Ram_session &ram,
+	            Ahci_root           &root,
+	            unsigned            &sem,
+	            Genode::Region_map  &rm,
+	            Hba                 &hba,
+	            Platform::Hba       &platform_hba,
+	            unsigned             number)
+	: Port(rm, hba, platform_hba, number), Block::Driver(ram), root(root),
+	  sem(sem) { sem++; }
 
 	virtual void handle_irq() = 0;
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ata_driver.h b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ata_driver.h
index 4c713cd1de..e9d08e5a86 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ata_driver.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/ata_driver.h
@@ -188,10 +188,16 @@ struct Ata_driver : Port_driver
 	Io_command                               *io_cmd = nullptr;
 	Block::Packet_descriptor                  pending[32];
 
-	Ata_driver(Genode::Allocator &alloc,
-	           Port &port, Genode::Ram_session &ram,
-	           Ahci_root &root, unsigned &sem)
-	: Port_driver(port, ram, root, sem), alloc(alloc)
+	Ata_driver(Genode::Allocator   &alloc,
+	           Genode::Ram_session &ram,
+	           Ahci_root           &root,
+	           unsigned            &sem,
+	           Genode::Region_map  &rm,
+	           Hba                 &hba,
+	           Platform::Hba       &platform_hba,
+	           unsigned             number)
+	: Port_driver(ram, root, sem, rm, hba, platform_hba, number),
+	  alloc(alloc)
 	{
 		Port::init();
 		identify_device();
diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/atapi_driver.h b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/atapi_driver.h
index 39e541c33f..385a4e219e 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/atapi_driver.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/ahci/atapi_driver.h
@@ -24,8 +24,14 @@ struct Atapi_driver : Port_driver
 	unsigned                 sense_tries = 0;
 	Block::Packet_descriptor pending;
 
-	Atapi_driver(Port &port, Genode::Ram_session &ram, Ahci_root &root, unsigned &sem)
-	: Port_driver(port, ram, root, sem)
+	Atapi_driver(Genode::Ram_session &ram,
+	             Ahci_root           &root,
+	             unsigned            &sem,
+	             Genode::Region_map  &rm,
+	             Hba                 &hba,
+	             Platform::Hba       &platform_hba,
+	             unsigned             number)
+	: Port_driver(ram, root, sem, rm, hba, platform_hba, number)
 	{
 		Port::init();
 		Port::write<Cmd::Atapi>(1);