diff --git a/arch/sim/src/sim/up_rtc.c b/arch/sim/src/sim/up_rtc.c
index d119253f6e..b020bb7266 100644
--- a/arch/sim/src/sim/up_rtc.c
+++ b/arch/sim/src/sim/up_rtc.c
@@ -123,10 +123,11 @@ static bool sim_rtc_havesettime(FAR struct rtc_lowerhalf_s *lower)
 
 int up_rtc_initialize(void)
 {
+  FAR struct rtc_lowerhalf_s *rtc = &g_sim_rtc;
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_RTC_RPMSG_SERVER
-  up_rtc_set_lowerhalf(rpmsg_rtc_server_initialize(&g_sim_rtc));
-#else
-  up_rtc_set_lowerhalf(&g_sim_rtc);
+  rtc = rpmsg_rtc_server_initialize(rtc);
 #endif
-  return rtc_initialize(0, &g_sim_rtc);
+  up_rtc_set_lowerhalf(rtc);
+  return rtc_initialize(0, rtc);
 }