diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
index 320baed949ee8e..db4ad34fcac48b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
@@ -422,8 +422,16 @@ static int devprop_gpiochip_set_names(struct gpio_chip *chip)
 	if (count > chip->ngpio)
 		count = chip->ngpio;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
-		gdev->descs[i].name = names[chip->offset + i];
+	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		/*
+		 * Allow overriding "fixed" names provided by the GPIO
+		 * provider. The "fixed" names are more often than not
+		 * generic and less informative than the names given in
+		 * device properties.
+		 */
+		if (names[chip->offset + i] && names[chip->offset + i][0])
+			gdev->descs[i].name = names[chip->offset + i];
+	}
 
 	kfree(names);
 
@@ -708,10 +716,12 @@ int gpiochip_add_data_with_key(struct gpio_chip *gc, void *data,
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&gdev->pin_ranges);
 #endif
 
-	if (gc->names)
+	if (gc->names) {
 		ret = gpiochip_set_desc_names(gc);
-	else
-		ret = devprop_gpiochip_set_names(gc);
+		if (ret)
+			goto err_remove_from_list;
+	}
+	ret = devprop_gpiochip_set_names(gc);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_remove_from_list;