dir = ".";
 
        snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s", dir, file);
-       ret = request_firmware(&fw, filename, ar->dev);
+       ret = request_firmware_direct(&fw, filename, ar->dev);
+       ath10k_dbg(ar, ATH10K_DBG_BOOT, "boot fw request '%s': %d\n",
+                  filename, ret);
+
        if (ret)
                return ERR_PTR(ret);
 
        /* first fetch the firmware file (firmware-*.bin) */
        fw_file->firmware = ath10k_fetch_fw_file(ar, ar->hw_params.fw.dir,
                                                 name);
-       if (IS_ERR(fw_file->firmware)) {
-               ath10k_err(ar, "could not fetch firmware file '%s/%s': %ld\n",
-                          ar->hw_params.fw.dir, name,
-                          PTR_ERR(fw_file->firmware));
+       if (IS_ERR(fw_file->firmware))
                return PTR_ERR(fw_file->firmware);
-       }
 
        data = fw_file->firmware->data;
        len = fw_file->firmware->size;
 
                 ar->hw_params.fw.dir, ATH10K_FW_UTF_FILE);
 
        /* load utf firmware image */
-       ret = request_firmware(&fw_file->firmware, filename, ar->dev);
+       ret = request_firmware_direct(&fw_file->firmware, filename, ar->dev);
+       ath10k_dbg(ar, ATH10K_DBG_TESTMODE, "testmode fw request '%s': %d\n",
+                  filename, ret);
+
        if (ret) {
                ath10k_warn(ar, "failed to retrieve utf firmware '%s': %d\n",
                            filename, ret);