diff --git a/common/board_f.c b/common/board_f.c
index 14abb42..4f94049 100644
--- a/common/board_f.c
+++ b/common/board_f.c
@@ -765,6 +765,7 @@ static const init_fnc_t init_sequence_f[] = {
 	trace_early_init,
 #endif
 	initf_malloc,
+	initf_bootstage,	/* uses its own timer, so does not need DM */
 	initf_console_record,
 #if defined(CONFIG_HAVE_FSP)
 	arch_fsp_init,
@@ -773,7 +774,6 @@ static const init_fnc_t init_sequence_f[] = {
 	mach_cpu_init,		/* SoC/machine dependent CPU setup */
 	initf_dm,
 	arch_cpu_init_dm,
-	initf_bootstage,		/* need timer, go after init dm */
 #if defined(CONFIG_BOARD_EARLY_INIT_F)
 	board_early_init_f,
 #endif
diff --git a/common/board_r.c b/common/board_r.c
index bd77d64..bde9877 100644
--- a/common/board_r.c
+++ b/common/board_r.c
@@ -328,7 +328,6 @@ static int initr_dm(void)
 
 static int initr_bootstage(void)
 {
-	/* We cannot do this before initr_dm() */
 	bootstage_mark_name(BOOTSTAGE_ID_START_UBOOT_R, "board_init_r");
 
 	return 0;
@@ -727,6 +726,7 @@ static init_fnc_t init_sequence_r[] = {
 #endif
 	initr_barrier,
 	initr_malloc,
+	initr_bootstage,	/* Needs malloc() but has its own timer */
 	initr_console_record,
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYS_NONCACHED_MEMORY
 	initr_noncached,
@@ -738,7 +738,6 @@ static init_fnc_t init_sequence_r[] = {
 #ifdef CONFIG_DM
 	initr_dm,
 #endif
-	initr_bootstage,
 #if defined(CONFIG_ARM) || defined(CONFIG_NDS32)
 	board_init,	/* Setup chipselects */
 #endif