diff --git a/hw/watchdog/cmsdk-apb-watchdog.c b/hw/watchdog/cmsdk-apb-watchdog.c
index e4d25a2..ed5ff42 100644
--- a/hw/watchdog/cmsdk-apb-watchdog.c
+++ b/hw/watchdog/cmsdk-apb-watchdog.c
@@ -196,16 +196,13 @@
 
     switch (offset) {
     case A_WDOGLOAD:
-        /*
-         * Reset the load value and the current count, and make sure
-         * we're counting.
-         */
+        /* Reset the load value and the current count. */
         ptimer_transaction_begin(s->timer);
         ptimer_set_limit(s->timer, value, 1);
-        ptimer_run(s->timer, 0);
         ptimer_transaction_commit(s->timer);
         break;
-    case A_WDOGCONTROL:
+    case A_WDOGCONTROL: {
+        uint32_t prev_control = s->control;
         if (s->is_luminary && 0 != (R_WDOGCONTROL_INTEN_MASK & s->control)) {
             /*
              * The Luminary version of this device ignores writes to
@@ -215,8 +212,25 @@
             break;
         }
         s->control = value & R_WDOGCONTROL_VALID_MASK;
+        if (R_WDOGCONTROL_INTEN_MASK & (s->control ^ prev_control)) {
+            ptimer_transaction_begin(s->timer);
+            if (R_WDOGCONTROL_INTEN_MASK & s->control) {
+                /*
+                 * Set HIGH to enable the counter and the interrupt. Reloads
+                 * the counter from the value in WDOGLOAD when the interrupt
+                 * is enabled, after previously being disabled.
+                 */
+                ptimer_set_count(s->timer, ptimer_get_limit(s->timer));
+                ptimer_run(s->timer, 0);
+            } else {
+                /* Or LOW to disable the counter and interrupt. */
+                ptimer_stop(s->timer);
+            }
+            ptimer_transaction_commit(s->timer);
+        }
         cmsdk_apb_watchdog_update(s);
         break;
+    }
     case A_WDOGINTCLR:
         s->intstatus = 0;
         ptimer_transaction_begin(s->timer);
@@ -305,8 +319,14 @@
     s->resetstatus = 0;
     /* Set the limit and the count */
     ptimer_transaction_begin(s->timer);
+    /*
+     * We need to stop the ptimer before setting its limit reset value. If the
+     * order is the opposite when the code executes the stop after setting a new
+     * limit it may want to recalculate the count based on the current time (if
+     * the timer was currently running) and it won't get the proper reset value.
+     */
+    ptimer_stop(s->timer);
     ptimer_set_limit(s->timer, 0xffffffff, 1);
-    ptimer_run(s->timer, 0);
     ptimer_transaction_commit(s->timer);
 }