diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c
index 56588f357b20..8ae099d20b48 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c
@@ -396,6 +396,18 @@ int gb_connection_enable(struct gb_connection *connection,
 	if (connection->state == GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED)
 		goto out_unlock;
 
+	if (connection->state == GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED_TX) {
+		if (!handler)
+			goto out_unlock;
+
+		spin_lock_irq(&connection->lock);
+		connection->handler = handler;
+		connection->state = GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED;
+		spin_unlock_irq(&connection->lock);
+
+		goto out_unlock;
+	}
+
 	ret = gb_connection_hd_cport_enable(connection);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_unlock;
@@ -406,7 +418,10 @@ int gb_connection_enable(struct gb_connection *connection,
 
 	spin_lock_irq(&connection->lock);
 	connection->handler = handler;
-	connection->state = GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED;
+	if (handler)
+		connection->state = GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED;
+	else
+		connection->state = GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED_TX;
 	spin_unlock_irq(&connection->lock);
 
 	ret = gb_connection_control_connected(connection);
@@ -422,6 +437,7 @@ err_svc_destroy:
 	spin_lock_irq(&connection->lock);
 	connection->state = GB_CONNECTION_STATE_DISABLED;
 	gb_connection_cancel_operations(connection, -ESHUTDOWN);
+	connection->handler = NULL;
 	spin_unlock_irq(&connection->lock);
 
 	gb_connection_svc_connection_destroy(connection);
@@ -446,6 +462,7 @@ void gb_connection_disable(struct gb_connection *connection)
 	spin_lock_irq(&connection->lock);
 	connection->state = GB_CONNECTION_STATE_DISABLED;
 	gb_connection_cancel_operations(connection, -ESHUTDOWN);
+	connection->handler = NULL;
 	spin_unlock_irq(&connection->lock);
 
 	gb_connection_svc_connection_destroy(connection);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h
index e7c6feb76e80..ab2556d81273 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 enum gb_connection_state {
 	GB_CONNECTION_STATE_INVALID	= 0,
 	GB_CONNECTION_STATE_DISABLED	= 1,
-	GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED	= 2,
+	GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED_TX	= 2,
+	GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED	= 3,
 };
 
 struct gb_operation;
@@ -70,6 +71,10 @@ static inline bool gb_connection_is_static(struct gb_connection *connection)
 
 int gb_connection_enable(struct gb_connection *connection,
 					gb_request_handler_t handler);
+static inline int gb_connection_enable_tx(struct gb_connection *connection)
+{
+	return gb_connection_enable(connection, NULL);
+}
 void gb_connection_disable(struct gb_connection *connection);
 
 int gb_connection_legacy_init(struct gb_connection *connection);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
index 4dc79cb12397..d6b3d1f22b28 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ static int gb_operation_get_active(struct gb_operation *operation)
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&connection->lock, flags);
 
-	if (connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED) {
+	if (connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED &&
+			connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED_TX &&
+			!gb_operation_is_incoming(operation)) {
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&connection->lock, flags);
 		return -ENOTCONN;
 	}
@@ -906,7 +908,8 @@ void gb_connection_recv(struct gb_connection *connection,
 	size_t msg_size;
 	u16 operation_id;
 
-	if (connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED) {
+	if (connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED &&
+		connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED_TX) {
 		dev_warn(dev, "%s: dropping %zu received bytes\n",
 				connection->name, size);
 		return;