diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/arch-sunxi/mmc.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/arch-sunxi/mmc.h
index cb52e64..3da360b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/arch-sunxi/mmc.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/arch-sunxi/mmc.h
@@ -127,4 +127,5 @@
 #define SUNXI_MMC_COMMON_RESET			(1 << 18)
 
 struct mmc *sunxi_mmc_init(int sdc_no);
+int sunxi_mmc_has_egon_boot_signature(struct mmc *mmc);
 #endif /* _SUNXI_MMC_H */
diff --git a/board/sunxi/board.c b/board/sunxi/board.c
index ed60e74..76e4b9b 100644
--- a/board/sunxi/board.c
+++ b/board/sunxi/board.c
@@ -299,12 +299,8 @@
 	 * Both mmc0 and mmc2 are bootable, figure out where we're booting
 	 * from. Try mmc0 first, just like the brom does.
 	 */
-	if (mmc_getcd(mmc0) && mmc_init(mmc0) == 0 &&
-	    mmc0->block_dev.block_read(0, 16, 1, buf) == 1) {
-		buf[12] = 0;
-		if (strcmp(&buf[4], "eGON.BT0") == 0)
-			return 0;
-	}
+	if (sunxi_mmc_has_egon_boot_signature(mmc0))
+		return 0;
 
 	/* no bootable card in mmc0, so we must be booting from mmc2, swap */
 	mmc0->block_dev.dev = 1;
diff --git a/drivers/mmc/sunxi_mmc.c b/drivers/mmc/sunxi_mmc.c
index e7ab828..f9b9493 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/sunxi_mmc.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/sunxi_mmc.c
@@ -433,6 +433,23 @@
 	return !gpio_get_value(cd_pin);
 }
 
+int sunxi_mmc_has_egon_boot_signature(struct mmc *mmc)
+{
+	char *buf = malloc(512);
+	int valid_signature = 0;
+
+	if (buf == NULL)
+		panic("Failed to allocate memory\n");
+
+	if (mmc_getcd(mmc) && mmc_init(mmc) == 0 &&
+	    mmc->block_dev.block_read(mmc->block_dev.dev, 16, 1, buf) == 1 &&
+	    strncmp(&buf[4], "eGON.BT0", 8) == 0)
+		valid_signature = 1;
+
+	free(buf);
+	return valid_signature;
+}
+
 static const struct mmc_ops sunxi_mmc_ops = {
 	.send_cmd	= sunxi_mmc_send_cmd,
 	.set_ios	= sunxi_mmc_set_ios,