diff --git a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
index 8c798ef7f13f..bbb03e6f7255 100644
--- a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
+++ b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
@@ -521,6 +521,11 @@ static int _request_firmware(const struct firmware **firmware_p,
 	if (!firmware_p)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	if (WARN_ON(usermodehelper_is_disabled())) {
+		dev_err(device, "firmware: %s will not be loaded\n", name);
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+
 	*firmware_p = firmware = kzalloc(sizeof(*firmware), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!firmware) {
 		dev_err(device, "%s: kmalloc(struct firmware) failed\n",
diff --git a/include/linux/kmod.h b/include/linux/kmod.h
index 6efd7a78de6a..7f3dbcb78116 100644
--- a/include/linux/kmod.h
+++ b/include/linux/kmod.h
@@ -111,7 +111,12 @@ call_usermodehelper(char *path, char **argv, char **envp, enum umh_wait wait)
 
 extern void usermodehelper_init(void);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PM_SLEEP
 extern int usermodehelper_disable(void);
 extern void usermodehelper_enable(void);
+extern bool usermodehelper_is_disabled(void);
+#else
+static inline bool usermodehelper_is_disabled(void) { return false; }
+#endif
 
 #endif /* __LINUX_KMOD_H__ */
diff --git a/kernel/kmod.c b/kernel/kmod.c
index 9cd0591c96a2..9ab513bd0c3c 100644
--- a/kernel/kmod.c
+++ b/kernel/kmod.c
@@ -301,6 +301,15 @@ void usermodehelper_enable(void)
 	usermodehelper_disabled = 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * usermodehelper_is_disabled - check if new helpers are allowed to be started
+ */
+bool usermodehelper_is_disabled(void)
+{
+	return usermodehelper_disabled;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(usermodehelper_is_disabled);
+
 static void helper_lock(void)
 {
 	atomic_inc(&running_helpers);