diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/sti/c8sectpfe/c8sectpfe-core.c b/drivers/media/platform/sti/c8sectpfe/c8sectpfe-core.c
index a43404cad3e3..ed307488ccbd 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/sti/c8sectpfe/c8sectpfe-core.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/sti/c8sectpfe/c8sectpfe-core.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ MODULE_FIRMWARE(FIRMWARE_MEMDMA);
 #define PID_TABLE_SIZE 1024
 #define POLL_MSECS 50
 
-static int load_c8sectpfe_fw_step1(struct c8sectpfei *fei);
+static int load_c8sectpfe_fw(struct c8sectpfei *fei);
 
 #define TS_PKT_SIZE 188
 #define HEADER_SIZE (4)
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ static int c8sectpfe_start_feed(struct dvb_demux_feed *dvbdmxfeed)
 	struct channel_info *channel;
 	u32 tmp;
 	unsigned long *bitmap;
+	int ret;
 
 	switch (dvbdmxfeed->type) {
 	case DMX_TYPE_TS:
@@ -171,8 +172,9 @@ static int c8sectpfe_start_feed(struct dvb_demux_feed *dvbdmxfeed)
 	}
 
 	if (!atomic_read(&fei->fw_loaded)) {
-		dev_err(fei->dev, "%s: c8sectpfe fw not loaded\n", __func__);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		ret = load_c8sectpfe_fw(fei);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&fei->lock);
@@ -267,8 +269,9 @@ static int c8sectpfe_stop_feed(struct dvb_demux_feed *dvbdmxfeed)
 	unsigned long *bitmap;
 
 	if (!atomic_read(&fei->fw_loaded)) {
-		dev_err(fei->dev, "%s: c8sectpfe fw not loaded\n", __func__);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		ret = load_c8sectpfe_fw(fei);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&fei->lock);
@@ -882,13 +885,6 @@ static int c8sectpfe_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		goto err_clk_disable;
 	}
 
-	/* ensure all other init has been done before requesting firmware */
-	ret = load_c8sectpfe_fw_step1(fei);
-	if (ret) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Couldn't load slim core firmware\n");
-		goto err_clk_disable;
-	}
-
 	c8sectpfe_debugfs_init(fei);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1093,15 +1089,14 @@ static void load_dmem_segment(struct c8sectpfei *fei, Elf32_Phdr *phdr,
 		phdr->p_memsz - phdr->p_filesz);
 }
 
-static int load_slim_core_fw(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
+static int load_slim_core_fw(const struct firmware *fw, struct c8sectpfei *fei)
 {
-	struct c8sectpfei *fei = context;
 	Elf32_Ehdr *ehdr;
 	Elf32_Phdr *phdr;
 	u8 __iomem *dst;
 	int err = 0, i;
 
-	if (!fw || !context)
+	if (!fw || !fei)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	ehdr = (Elf32_Ehdr *)fw->data;
@@ -1153,29 +1148,35 @@ static int load_slim_core_fw(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static void load_c8sectpfe_fw_cb(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
+static int load_c8sectpfe_fw(struct c8sectpfei *fei)
 {
-	struct c8sectpfei *fei = context;
+	const struct firmware *fw;
 	int err;
 
+	dev_info(fei->dev, "Loading firmware: %s\n", FIRMWARE_MEMDMA);
+
+	err = request_firmware(&fw, FIRMWARE_MEMDMA, fei->dev);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
 	err = c8sectpfe_elf_sanity_check(fei, fw);
 	if (err) {
 		dev_err(fei->dev, "c8sectpfe_elf_sanity_check failed err=(%d)\n"
 			, err);
-		goto err;
+		return err;
 	}
 
-	err = load_slim_core_fw(fw, context);
+	err = load_slim_core_fw(fw, fei);
 	if (err) {
 		dev_err(fei->dev, "load_slim_core_fw failed err=(%d)\n", err);
-		goto err;
+		return err;
 	}
 
 	/* now the firmware is loaded configure the input blocks */
 	err = configure_channels(fei);
 	if (err) {
 		dev_err(fei->dev, "configure_channels failed err=(%d)\n", err);
-		goto err;
+		return err;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -1188,28 +1189,6 @@ static void load_c8sectpfe_fw_cb(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
 	writel(0x1,  fei->io + DMA_CPU_RUN);
 
 	atomic_set(&fei->fw_loaded, 1);
-err:
-	complete_all(&fei->fw_ack);
-}
-
-static int load_c8sectpfe_fw_step1(struct c8sectpfei *fei)
-{
-	int err;
-
-	dev_info(fei->dev, "Loading firmware: %s\n", FIRMWARE_MEMDMA);
-
-	init_completion(&fei->fw_ack);
-	atomic_set(&fei->fw_loaded, 0);
-
-	err = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, FW_ACTION_HOTPLUG,
-				FIRMWARE_MEMDMA, fei->dev, GFP_KERNEL, fei,
-				load_c8sectpfe_fw_cb);
-
-	if (err) {
-		dev_err(fei->dev, "request_firmware_nowait err: %d.\n", err);
-		complete_all(&fei->fw_ack);
-		return err;
-	}
 
 	return 0;
 }