diff --git a/drivers/usb/serial/generic.c b/drivers/usb/serial/generic.c
index e1d245a..d8dd3a5 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/serial/generic.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/serial/generic.c
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@
 
 int usb_serial_generic_open(struct tty_struct *tty, struct usb_serial_port *port)
 {
-	struct usb_serial *serial = port->serial;
 	int result = 0;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
@@ -131,23 +130,8 @@
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&port->lock, flags);
 
 	/* if we have a bulk endpoint, start reading from it */
-	if (port->bulk_in_size) {
-		/* Start reading from the device */
-		usb_fill_bulk_urb(port->read_urb, serial->dev,
-				   usb_rcvbulkpipe(serial->dev,
-						port->bulk_in_endpointAddress),
-				   port->read_urb->transfer_buffer,
-				   port->read_urb->transfer_buffer_length,
-				   ((serial->type->read_bulk_callback) ?
-				     serial->type->read_bulk_callback :
-				     usb_serial_generic_read_bulk_callback),
-				   port);
-		result = usb_submit_urb(port->read_urb, GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (result)
-			dev_err(&port->dev,
-			    "%s - failed resubmitting read urb, error %d\n",
-							__func__, result);
-	}
+	if (port->bulk_in_size)
+		result = usb_serial_generic_submit_read_urb(port, GFP_KERNEL);
 
 	return result;
 }
@@ -418,9 +402,8 @@
 	return chars;
 }
 
-
-void usb_serial_generic_resubmit_read_urb(struct usb_serial_port *port,
-			gfp_t mem_flags)
+int usb_serial_generic_submit_read_urb(struct usb_serial_port *port,
+					gfp_t mem_flags)
 {
 	struct urb *urb = port->read_urb;
 	struct usb_serial *serial = port->serial;
@@ -439,11 +422,12 @@
 	result = usb_submit_urb(urb, mem_flags);
 	if (result && result != -EPERM) {
 		dev_err(&port->dev,
-			"%s - failed resubmitting read urb, error %d\n",
+			"%s - failed submitting read urb, error %d\n",
 							__func__, result);
 	}
+	return result;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(usb_serial_generic_resubmit_read_urb);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(usb_serial_generic_submit_read_urb);
 
 /* Push data to tty layer and resubmit the bulk read URB */
 static void flush_and_resubmit_read_urb(struct usb_serial_port *port)
@@ -471,7 +455,7 @@
 	tty_flip_buffer_push(tty);
 	tty_kref_put(tty);
 done:
-	usb_serial_generic_resubmit_read_urb(port, GFP_ATOMIC);
+	usb_serial_generic_submit_read_urb(port, GFP_ATOMIC);
 }
 
 void usb_serial_generic_read_bulk_callback(struct urb *urb)
diff --git a/drivers/usb/serial/usb_debug.c b/drivers/usb/serial/usb_debug.c
index 28026b4..63c2734 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/serial/usb_debug.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/serial/usb_debug.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 	    memcmp(urb->transfer_buffer, USB_DEBUG_BRK,
 		   USB_DEBUG_BRK_SIZE) == 0) {
 		usb_serial_handle_break(port);
-		usb_serial_generic_resubmit_read_urb(port, GFP_ATOMIC);
+		usb_serial_generic_submit_read_urb(port, GFP_ATOMIC);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/linux/usb/serial.h b/include/linux/usb/serial.h
index ab311da..53f6dc6 100644
--- a/include/linux/usb/serial.h
+++ b/include/linux/usb/serial.h
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@
 extern void usb_serial_generic_release(struct usb_serial *serial);
 extern int usb_serial_generic_register(int debug);
 extern void usb_serial_generic_deregister(void);
-extern void usb_serial_generic_resubmit_read_urb(struct usb_serial_port *port,
+extern int usb_serial_generic_submit_read_urb(struct usb_serial_port *port,
 						 gfp_t mem_flags);
 extern int usb_serial_handle_sysrq_char(struct tty_struct *tty,
 					struct usb_serial_port *port,