#define FWBUFF_ALIGN_SZ 512
 #define MAX_DUMP_FWSZ  49152 /*default = 49152 (48k)*/
 
-static u32 rtl871x_open_fw(struct _adapter *padapter, void **pphfwfile_hdl,
-                   const u8 **ppmappedfw)
+static void rtl871x_load_fw_cb(const struct firmware *firmware, void *context)
 {
+       struct _adapter *padapter = context;
+
+       complete(&padapter->rtl8712_fw_ready);
+       if (!firmware) {
+               struct usb_device *udev = padapter->dvobjpriv.pusbdev;
+               struct usb_interface *pusb_intf = padapter->pusb_intf;
+               printk(KERN_ERR "r8712u: Firmware request failed\n");
+               padapter->fw_found = false;
+               usb_put_dev(udev);
+               usb_set_intfdata(pusb_intf, NULL);
+               return;
+       }
+       padapter->fw = firmware;
+       padapter->fw_found = true;
+       /* firmware available - start netdev */
+       register_netdev(padapter->pnetdev);
+}
+
+static const char firmware_file[] = "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin";
+
+int rtl871x_load_fw(struct _adapter *padapter)
+{
+       struct device *dev = &padapter->dvobjpriv.pusbdev->dev;
        int rc;
-       const char firmware_file[] = "rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin";
-       const struct firmware **praw = (const struct firmware **)
-                                      (pphfwfile_hdl);
-       struct dvobj_priv *pdvobjpriv = (struct dvobj_priv *)
-                                       (&padapter->dvobjpriv);
-       struct usb_device *pusbdev = pdvobjpriv->pusbdev;
 
+       init_completion(&padapter->rtl8712_fw_ready);
        printk(KERN_INFO "r8712u: Loading firmware from \"%s\"\n",
               firmware_file);
-       rc = request_firmware(praw, firmware_file, &pusbdev->dev);
-       if (rc < 0) {
-               printk(KERN_ERR "r8712u: Unable to load firmware\n");
-               printk(KERN_ERR "r8712u: Install latest linux-firmware\n");
+       rc = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, firmware_file, dev,
+                                    GFP_KERNEL, padapter, rtl871x_load_fw_cb);
+       if (rc)
+               printk(KERN_ERR "r8712u: Firmware request error %d\n", rc);
+       return rc;
+}
+MODULE_FIRMWARE("rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin");
+
+static u32 rtl871x_open_fw(struct _adapter *padapter, const u8 **ppmappedfw)
+{
+       const struct firmware **praw = &padapter->fw;
+
+       if (padapter->fw->size > 200000) {
+               printk(KERN_ERR "r8172u: Badfw->size of %d\n",
+                      (int)padapter->fw->size);
                return 0;
        }
        *ppmappedfw = (u8 *)((*praw)->data);
        return (*praw)->size;
 }
-MODULE_FIRMWARE("rtlwifi/rtl8712u.bin");
 
 static void fill_fwpriv(struct _adapter *padapter, struct fw_priv *pfwpriv)
 {
        uint dump_imem_sz, imem_sz, dump_emem_sz, emem_sz; /* max = 49152; */
        struct fw_hdr fwhdr;
        u32 ulfilelength;       /* FW file size */
-       void *phfwfile_hdl = NULL;
        const u8 *pmappedfw = NULL;
        u8 *ptmpchar = NULL, *ppayload, *ptr;
        struct tx_desc *ptx_desc;
        u32 txdscp_sz = sizeof(struct tx_desc);
        u8 ret = _FAIL;
 
-       ulfilelength = rtl871x_open_fw(padapter, &phfwfile_hdl, &pmappedfw);
+       ulfilelength = rtl871x_open_fw(padapter, &pmappedfw);
        if (pmappedfw && (ulfilelength > 0)) {
                update_fwhdr(&fwhdr, pmappedfw);
                if (chk_fwhdr(&fwhdr, ulfilelength) == _FAIL)
-                       goto firmware_rel;
+                       return ret;
                fill_fwpriv(padapter, &fwhdr.fwpriv);
                /* firmware check ok */
                maxlen = (fwhdr.img_IMEM_size > fwhdr.img_SRAM_size) ?
                maxlen += txdscp_sz;
                ptmpchar = _malloc(maxlen + FWBUFF_ALIGN_SZ);
                if (ptmpchar == NULL)
-                       goto firmware_rel;
+                       return ret;
 
                ptx_desc = (struct tx_desc *)(ptmpchar + FWBUFF_ALIGN_SZ -
                            ((addr_t)(ptmpchar) & (FWBUFF_ALIGN_SZ - 1)));
 
 exit_fail:
        kfree(ptmpchar);
-firmware_rel:
-       release_firmware((struct firmware *)phfwfile_hdl);
        return ret;
 }
 
 
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
 #include <linux/kthread.h>
+#include <linux/firmware.h>
 #include "osdep_service.h"
 #include "drv_types.h"
 #include "xmit_osdep.h"
 void r8712_stop_drv_timers(struct _adapter *padapter)
 {
        _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->mlmepriv.assoc_timer);
-       _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->mlmepriv.sitesurveyctrl.
-                        sitesurvey_ctrl_timer);
        _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->securitypriv.tkip_timer);
        _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->mlmepriv.scan_to_timer);
        _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->mlmepriv.dhcp_timer);
        _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->mlmepriv.wdg_timer);
+       _cancel_timer_ex(&padapter->mlmepriv.sitesurveyctrl.
+                        sitesurvey_ctrl_timer);
 }
 
 static u8 init_default_value(struct _adapter *padapter)
        r8712_free_mlme_priv(&padapter->mlmepriv);
        r8712_free_io_queue(padapter);
        _free_xmit_priv(&padapter->xmitpriv);
-       _r8712_free_sta_priv(&padapter->stapriv);
+       if (padapter->fw_found)
+               _r8712_free_sta_priv(&padapter->stapriv);
        _r8712_free_recv_priv(&padapter->recvpriv);
        mp871xdeinit(padapter);
        if (pnetdev)
 {
        struct _adapter *padapter = (struct _adapter *)netdev_priv(pnetdev);
 
+       mutex_lock(&padapter->mutex_start);
        if (padapter->bup == false) {
                padapter->bDriverStopped = false;
                padapter->bSurpriseRemoved = false;
        /* start driver mlme relation timer */
        start_drv_timers(padapter);
        padapter->ledpriv.LedControlHandler(padapter, LED_CTL_NO_LINK);
+       mutex_unlock(&padapter->mutex_start);
        return 0;
 netdev_open_error:
        padapter->bup = false;
        netif_carrier_off(pnetdev);
        netif_stop_queue(pnetdev);
+       mutex_unlock(&padapter->mutex_start);
        return -1;
 }
 
        r8712_free_network_queue(padapter);
        /* The interface is no longer Up: */
        padapter->bup = false;
+       release_firmware(padapter->fw);
+       /* never exit with a firmware callback pending */
+       wait_for_completion(&padapter->rtl8712_fw_ready);
        return 0;
 }
 
 
        pdvobjpriv = &padapter->dvobjpriv;
        pdvobjpriv->padapter = padapter;
        padapter->dvobjpriv.pusbdev = udev;
+       padapter->pusb_intf = pusb_intf;
        usb_set_intfdata(pusb_intf, pnetdev);
        SET_NETDEV_DEV(pnetdev, &pusb_intf->dev);
        /* step 2. */
                               "%pM\n", mac);
                memcpy(pnetdev->dev_addr, mac, ETH_ALEN);
        }
-       /* step 6. Tell the network stack we exist */
-       if (register_netdev(pnetdev) != 0)
+       /* step 6. Load the firmware asynchronously */
+       if (rtl871x_load_fw(padapter))
                goto error;
        spin_lock_init(&padapter->lockRxFF0Filter);
+       mutex_init(&padapter->mutex_start);
        return 0;
 error:
        usb_put_dev(udev);
                flush_scheduled_work();
                udelay(1);
                /*Stop driver mlme relation timer */
-               r8712_stop_drv_timers(padapter);
+               if (padapter->fw_found)
+                       r8712_stop_drv_timers(padapter);
                r871x_dev_unload(padapter);
                r8712_free_drv_sw(padapter);
        }