diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h
index b298e5d68be..10e288d470e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <linux/hw_random.h>
 #include <linux/bcma/bcma.h>
 #include <linux/ssb/ssb.h>
+#include <linux/completion.h>
 #include <net/mac80211.h>
 
 #include "debugfs.h"
@@ -722,6 +723,10 @@ enum b43_firmware_file_type {
 struct b43_request_fw_context {
 	/* The device we are requesting the fw for. */
 	struct b43_wldev *dev;
+	/* a completion event structure needed if this call is asynchronous */
+	struct completion fw_load_complete;
+	/* a pointer to the firmware object */
+	const struct firmware *blob;
 	/* The type of firmware to request. */
 	enum b43_firmware_file_type req_type;
 	/* Error messages for each firmware type. */
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
index 16ab280359b..806e34c1928 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
@@ -2088,11 +2088,18 @@ static void b43_print_fw_helptext(struct b43_wl *wl, bool error)
 		b43warn(wl, text);
 }
 
+static void b43_fw_cb(const struct firmware *firmware, void *context)
+{
+	struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx = context;
+
+	ctx->blob = firmware;
+	complete(&ctx->fw_load_complete);
+}
+
 int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
 		      const char *name,
-		      struct b43_firmware_file *fw)
+		      struct b43_firmware_file *fw, bool async)
 {
-	const struct firmware *blob;
 	struct b43_fw_header *hdr;
 	u32 size;
 	int err;
@@ -2131,11 +2138,31 @@ int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
 		B43_WARN_ON(1);
 		return -ENOSYS;
 	}
-	err = request_firmware(&blob, ctx->fwname, ctx->dev->dev->dev);
+	if (async) {
+		/* do this part asynchronously */
+		init_completion(&ctx->fw_load_complete);
+		err = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, ctx->fwname,
+					      ctx->dev->dev->dev, GFP_KERNEL,
+					      ctx, b43_fw_cb);
+		if (err < 0) {
+			pr_err("Unable to load firmware\n");
+			return err;
+		}
+		/* stall here until fw ready */
+		wait_for_completion(&ctx->fw_load_complete);
+		if (ctx->blob)
+			goto fw_ready;
+	/* On some ARM systems, the async request will fail, but the next sync
+	 * request works. For this reason, we dall through here
+	 */
+	}
+	err = request_firmware(&ctx->blob, ctx->fwname,
+			       ctx->dev->dev->dev);
 	if (err == -ENOENT) {
 		snprintf(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type],
 			 sizeof(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type]),
-			 "Firmware file \"%s\" not found\n", ctx->fwname);
+			 "Firmware file \"%s\" not found\n",
+			 ctx->fwname);
 		return err;
 	} else if (err) {
 		snprintf(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type],
@@ -2144,14 +2171,15 @@ int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
 			 ctx->fwname, err);
 		return err;
 	}
-	if (blob->size < sizeof(struct b43_fw_header))
+fw_ready:
+	if (ctx->blob->size < sizeof(struct b43_fw_header))
 		goto err_format;
-	hdr = (struct b43_fw_header *)(blob->data);
+	hdr = (struct b43_fw_header *)(ctx->blob->data);
 	switch (hdr->type) {
 	case B43_FW_TYPE_UCODE:
 	case B43_FW_TYPE_PCM:
 		size = be32_to_cpu(hdr->size);
-		if (size != blob->size - sizeof(struct b43_fw_header))
+		if (size != ctx->blob->size - sizeof(struct b43_fw_header))
 			goto err_format;
 		/* fallthrough */
 	case B43_FW_TYPE_IV:
@@ -2162,7 +2190,7 @@ int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
 		goto err_format;
 	}
 
-	fw->data = blob;
+	fw->data = ctx->blob;
 	fw->filename = name;
 	fw->type = ctx->req_type;
 
@@ -2172,7 +2200,7 @@ err_format:
 	snprintf(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type],
 		 sizeof(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type]),
 		 "Firmware file \"%s\" format error.\n", ctx->fwname);
-	release_firmware(blob);
+	release_firmware(ctx->blob);
 
 	return -EPROTO;
 }
@@ -2223,7 +2251,7 @@ static int b43_try_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx)
 			goto err_no_ucode;
 		}
 	}
-	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->ucode);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->ucode, true);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_load;
 
@@ -2235,7 +2263,7 @@ static int b43_try_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx)
 	else
 		goto err_no_pcm;
 	fw->pcm_request_failed = false;
-	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->pcm);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->pcm, false);
 	if (err == -ENOENT) {
 		/* We did not find a PCM file? Not fatal, but
 		 * core rev <= 10 must do without hwcrypto then. */
@@ -2296,7 +2324,7 @@ static int b43_try_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx)
 	default:
 		goto err_no_initvals;
 	}
-	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->initvals);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->initvals, false);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_load;
 
@@ -2355,7 +2383,7 @@ static int b43_try_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx)
 	default:
 		goto err_no_initvals;
 	}
-	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->initvals_band);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->initvals_band, false);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_load;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h
index 8c684cd3352..abac25ee958 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h
@@ -137,9 +137,8 @@ void b43_mac_phy_clock_set(struct b43_wldev *dev, bool on);
 
 
 struct b43_request_fw_context;
-int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
-		      const char *name,
-		      struct b43_firmware_file *fw);
+int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx, const char *name,
+		      struct b43_firmware_file *fw, bool async);
 void b43_do_release_fw(struct b43_firmware_file *fw);
 
 #endif /* B43_MAIN_H_ */