diff --git a/msm/dsi/dsi_display.c b/msm/dsi/dsi_display.c
index 4386d52252..f39541fa1b 100644
--- a/msm/dsi/dsi_display.c
+++ b/msm/dsi/dsi_display.c
@@ -4115,6 +4115,20 @@ error:
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static bool dsi_display_validate_panel_resources(struct dsi_display *display)
+{
+	if (!display->panel->te_using_watchdog_timer) {
+		if (!gpio_is_valid(display->panel->reset_config.reset_gpio)) {
+			DSI_ERR("invalid reset gpio for the panel\n");
+			return false;
+		}
+	} else {
+		display->panel->power_info.count = 0;
+		DSI_DEBUG("no dir set and no request for gpios in sim panel\n");
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
 static int dsi_display_res_init(struct dsi_display *display)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
@@ -4154,6 +4168,11 @@ static int dsi_display_res_init(struct dsi_display *display)
 		goto error_ctrl_put;
 	}
 
+	display->panel->te_using_watchdog_timer |= display->sw_te_using_wd;
+
+	if (!dsi_display_validate_panel_resources(display))
+		goto error_ctrl_put;
+
 	display_for_each_ctrl(i, display) {
 		struct msm_dsi_phy *phy = display->ctrl[i].phy;
 		struct dsi_host_common_cfg *host = &display->panel->host_config;
diff --git a/msm/dsi/dsi_panel.c b/msm/dsi/dsi_panel.c
index 1b492d6c62..6a9e3f4ab8 100644
--- a/msm/dsi/dsi_panel.c
+++ b/msm/dsi/dsi_panel.c
@@ -2253,9 +2253,8 @@ static int dsi_panel_parse_gpios(struct dsi_panel *panel)
 					      reset_gpio_name, 0);
 	if (!gpio_is_valid(panel->reset_config.reset_gpio) &&
 		!panel->host_config.ext_bridge_mode) {
-		rc = panel->reset_config.reset_gpio;
-		DSI_ERR("[%s] failed get reset gpio, rc=%d\n", panel->name, rc);
-		goto error;
+		DSI_DEBUG("[%s] reset gpio not set, rc=%d\n", panel->name,
+			panel->reset_config.reset_gpio);
 	}
 
 	panel->reset_config.disp_en_gpio = utils->get_named_gpio(utils->data,