diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.c
index 6b1cb706e41..24dc555f5ff 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.c
@@ -726,12 +726,16 @@ static void ar9170_usb_firmware_failed(struct ar9170_usb *aru)
 {
 	struct device *parent = aru->udev->dev.parent;
 
+	complete(&aru->firmware_loading_complete);
+
 	/* unbind anything failed */
 	if (parent)
 		down(&parent->sem);
 	device_release_driver(&aru->udev->dev);
 	if (parent)
 		up(&parent->sem);
+
+	usb_put_dev(aru->udev);
 }
 
 static void ar9170_usb_firmware_finish(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
@@ -760,6 +764,8 @@ static void ar9170_usb_firmware_finish(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
 	if (err)
 		goto err_unrx;
 
+	complete(&aru->firmware_loading_complete);
+	usb_put_dev(aru->udev);
 	return;
 
  err_unrx:
@@ -857,6 +863,7 @@ static int ar9170_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *intf,
 	init_usb_anchor(&aru->tx_pending);
 	init_usb_anchor(&aru->tx_submitted);
 	init_completion(&aru->cmd_wait);
+	init_completion(&aru->firmware_loading_complete);
 	spin_lock_init(&aru->tx_urb_lock);
 
 	aru->tx_pending_urbs = 0;
@@ -876,6 +883,7 @@ static int ar9170_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *intf,
 	if (err)
 		goto err_freehw;
 
+	usb_get_dev(aru->udev);
 	return request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, "ar9170.fw",
 				       &aru->udev->dev, GFP_KERNEL, aru,
 				       ar9170_usb_firmware_step2);
@@ -895,6 +903,9 @@ static void ar9170_usb_disconnect(struct usb_interface *intf)
 		return;
 
 	aru->common.state = AR9170_IDLE;
+
+	wait_for_completion(&aru->firmware_loading_complete);
+
 	ar9170_unregister(&aru->common);
 	ar9170_usb_cancel_urbs(aru);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.h b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.h
index a2ce3b169ce..919b06046eb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ar9170/usb.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ struct ar9170_usb {
 	unsigned int tx_pending_urbs;
 
 	struct completion cmd_wait;
+	struct completion firmware_loading_complete;
 	int readlen;
 	u8 *readbuf;