return ret;
 
        list_for_each_entry(link, &dev->links.consumers, s_node) {
-               if (link->flags == (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
+               if ((link->flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) ==
+                   (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
                        continue;
 
                if (link->consumer == target)
 
        device_for_each_child(dev, NULL, device_reorder_to_tail);
        list_for_each_entry(link, &dev->links.consumers, s_node) {
-               if (link->flags == (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
+               if ((link->flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) ==
+                   (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
                        continue;
                device_reorder_to_tail(link->consumer, NULL);
        }
 #define DL_MANAGED_LINK_FLAGS (DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_CONSUMER | \
                               DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_SUPPLIER | \
                               DL_FLAG_AUTOPROBE_CONSUMER  | \
-                              DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY)
+                              DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | \
+                              DL_FLAG_INFERRED)
 
 #define DL_ADD_VALID_FLAGS (DL_MANAGED_LINK_FLAGS | DL_FLAG_STATELESS | \
                            DL_FLAG_PM_RUNTIME | DL_FLAG_RPM_ACTIVE)
        if (!consumer || !supplier || flags & ~DL_ADD_VALID_FLAGS ||
            (flags & DL_FLAG_STATELESS && flags & DL_MANAGED_LINK_FLAGS) ||
            (flags & DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY &&
-            flags != DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY) ||
+            (flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) != DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY) ||
            (flags & DL_FLAG_AUTOPROBE_CONSUMER &&
             flags & (DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_CONSUMER |
                      DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_SUPPLIER)))
                if (link->consumer != consumer)
                        continue;
 
+               if (link->flags & DL_FLAG_INFERRED &&
+                   !(flags & DL_FLAG_INFERRED))
+                       link->flags &= ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED;
+
                if (flags & DL_FLAG_PM_RUNTIME) {
                        if (!(link->flags & DL_FLAG_PM_RUNTIME)) {
                                pm_runtime_new_link(consumer);
 
  * AUTOPROBE_CONSUMER: Probe consumer driver automatically after supplier binds.
  * MANAGED: The core tracks presence of supplier/consumer drivers (internal).
  * SYNC_STATE_ONLY: Link only affects sync_state() behavior.
+ * INFERRED: Inferred from data (eg: firmware) and not from driver actions.
  */
 #define DL_FLAG_STATELESS              BIT(0)
 #define DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_CONSUMER    BIT(1)
 #define DL_FLAG_AUTOPROBE_CONSUMER     BIT(5)
 #define DL_FLAG_MANAGED                        BIT(6)
 #define DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY                BIT(7)
+#define DL_FLAG_INFERRED               BIT(8)
 
 /**
  * enum dl_dev_state - Device driver presence tracking information.