diff --git a/src/hulk/rtc.d b/src/hulk/rtc.d
index 93f8957..6770c80 100644
--- a/src/hulk/rtc.d
+++ b/src/hulk/rtc.d
@@ -43,17 +43,19 @@ struct rtc
 
     public static void initialize()
     {
-        time t = read_rtc_time();
-        klog.writefln("System time is 20%02u-%02u-%02u %02u:%02u:%02u",
-                t.year, t.month, t.day, t.hour, t.minute, t.second);
-
         /* Enable IRQ 8 to receive RTC interrupts. */
         ubyte sr_b = read_register(REG_SR_B, true);
         write_register(REG_SR_B, sr_b | SR_B_ENABLE_IRQ, true);
 
+        /* Record RTC mode flags from status register B. */
         rtc_24hour_mode = (sr_b & SR_B_24HOUR) != 0u;
         rtc_binary_mode = (sr_b & SR_B_BINARY) != 0u;
 
+        /* Read the current system time. */
+        time t = read_rtc_time();
+        klog.writefln("System time is 20%02u-%02u-%02u %02u:%02u:%02u",
+                t.year, t.month, t.day, t.hour, t.minute, t.second);
+
         /* Send EOI to enable more RTC interrupts and re-enable NMIs. */
         eoi();
     }
@@ -110,20 +112,24 @@ struct rtc
         t.year = read_rtc_time_register(REG_RTC_YEAR);
         t.month = read_rtc_time_register(REG_RTC_MONTH);
         t.day = read_rtc_time_register(REG_RTC_DAY);
-        t.hour = read_register(REG_RTC_HOURS);
         t.minute = read_rtc_time_register(REG_RTC_MINUTES);
         t.second = read_rtc_time_register(REG_RTC_SECONDS);
+        /* Hour field is treated differently because it might have 'PM' flag
+         * in highest bit if we're in 24-hour mode. */
+        ubyte hour = read_register(REG_RTC_HOURS);
+        ubyte pm = hour >> 7u;
+        hour &= 0x7Fu;
+        if (!rtc_binary_mode)
+        {
+            /* Hour is in BCD format; convert to binary. */
+            hour = bcd_to_binary(hour);
+        }
         if (!rtc_24hour_mode)
         {
-            ubyte pm = (t.hour & 0x80u) >> 7u;
-            t.hour &= 0x7Fu;
-            if (!rtc_binary_mode)
-            {
-                t.hour = bcd_to_binary(t.hour);
-            }
             /* Hour is in 12-hour format; convert to 24-hour format. */
-            t.hour = cast(ubyte)((t.hour % 12u) + pm * 12u);
+            hour = cast(ubyte)((hour % 12u) + pm * 12u);
         }
+        t.hour = hour;
         return t;
     }