A power management PC expansion card controller that includes power on reset circuitry to reset power management enable registers during a reset period, thereby ensuring that the PME registers correctly identify the power management capabilities of the controller. Once the PME registers are reset, an instruction may be provided to change the state of the registers from a default reset state to a state that supports advanced power management capabilities, for example wake-up functions. Additionally, the controller includes blocking circuitry to block conventional reset signals from resetting the power management and proprietary registers if the PME register is instructed to change states, thereby preserving the data contained in the power management and proprietary registers against future reset events. The controller of the present invention supports advanced power management specifications without requiring additional pinout arrangement or reassignment of pin functionality, so that the controller of the present invention can be implemented in current computer system without a the need for retooling or re-layout of system board circuitry and wiring diagrams.