diff --git a/drivers/cxl/Kconfig b/drivers/cxl/Kconfig
index 29c192f20082..876469e23f7a 100644
--- a/drivers/cxl/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/cxl/Kconfig
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ config CXL_ACPI
 	default CXL_BUS
 	select ACPI_TABLE_LIB
 	select ACPI_HMAT
+	select CXL_PORT
 	help
 	  Enable support for host managed device memory (HDM) resources
 	  published by a platform's ACPI CXL memory layout description.  See
diff --git a/drivers/cxl/Makefile b/drivers/cxl/Makefile
index db321f48ba52..2caa90fa4bf2 100644
--- a/drivers/cxl/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/cxl/Makefile
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+# Order is important here for the built-in case:
+# - 'core' first for fundamental init
+# - 'port' before platform root drivers like 'acpi' so that CXL-root ports
+#   are immediately enabled
+# - 'mem' and 'pmem' before endpoint drivers so that memdevs are
+#   immediately enabled
+# - 'pci' last, also mirrors the hardware enumeration hierarchy
 obj-y += core/
-obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_PCI) += cxl_pci.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_MEM) += cxl_mem.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_PORT) += cxl_port.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_ACPI) += cxl_acpi.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_PMEM) += cxl_pmem.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_PORT) += cxl_port.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_MEM) += cxl_mem.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_CXL_PCI) += cxl_pci.o
 
-cxl_mem-y := mem.o
-cxl_pci-y := pci.o
+cxl_port-y := port.o
 cxl_acpi-y := acpi.o
 cxl_pmem-y := pmem.o security.o
-cxl_port-y := port.o
+cxl_mem-y := mem.o
+cxl_pci-y := pci.o
diff --git a/drivers/cxl/port.c b/drivers/cxl/port.c
index 861dde65768f..9dc394295e1f 100644
--- a/drivers/cxl/port.c
+++ b/drivers/cxl/port.c
@@ -208,7 +208,22 @@ static struct cxl_driver cxl_port_driver = {
 	},
 };
 
-module_cxl_driver(cxl_port_driver);
+static int __init cxl_port_init(void)
+{
+	return cxl_driver_register(&cxl_port_driver);
+}
+/*
+ * Be ready to immediately enable ports emitted by the platform CXL root
+ * (e.g. cxl_acpi) when CONFIG_CXL_PORT=y.
+ */
+subsys_initcall(cxl_port_init);
+
+static void __exit cxl_port_exit(void)
+{
+	cxl_driver_unregister(&cxl_port_driver);
+}
+module_exit(cxl_port_exit);
+
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("CXL: Port enumeration and services");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL v2");
 MODULE_IMPORT_NS(CXL);