diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/request_firmware.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/request_firmware.rst
index cc0aea880824..1c2c4967cd43 100644
--- a/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/request_firmware.rst
+++ b/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/request_firmware.rst
@@ -44,6 +44,17 @@ request_firmware_nowait
 .. kernel-doc:: drivers/base/firmware_class.c
    :functions: request_firmware_nowait
 
+Considerations for suspend and resume
+=====================================
+
+During suspend and resume only the built-in firmware and the firmware cache
+elements of the firmware API can be used. This is managed by fw_pm_notify().
+
+fw_pm_notify
+------------
+.. kernel-doc:: drivers/base/firmware_class.c
+   :functions: fw_pm_notify
+
 request firmware API expected driver use
 ========================================
 
diff --git a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
index dd9b7f3d0927..a272c8662212 100644
--- a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
+++ b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
@@ -260,6 +260,38 @@ static int fw_cache_piggyback_on_request(const char *name);
  * guarding for corner cases a global lock should be OK */
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(fw_lock);
 
+static bool __enable_firmware = false;
+
+static void enable_firmware(void)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&fw_lock);
+	__enable_firmware = true;
+	mutex_unlock(&fw_lock);
+}
+
+static void disable_firmware(void)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&fw_lock);
+	__enable_firmware = false;
+	mutex_unlock(&fw_lock);
+}
+
+/*
+ * When disabled only the built-in firmware and the firmware cache will be
+ * used to look for firmware.
+ */
+static bool firmware_enabled(void)
+{
+	bool enabled = false;
+
+	mutex_lock(&fw_lock);
+	if (__enable_firmware)
+		enabled = true;
+	mutex_unlock(&fw_lock);
+
+	return enabled;
+}
+
 static struct firmware_cache fw_cache;
 
 static struct firmware_buf *__allocate_fw_buf(const char *fw_name,
@@ -1163,6 +1195,12 @@ _request_firmware(const struct firmware **firmware_p, const char *name,
 	if (ret <= 0) /* error or already assigned */
 		goto out;
 
+	if (!firmware_enabled()) {
+		WARN(1, "firmware request while host is not available\n");
+		ret = -EHOSTDOWN;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	ret = 0;
 	timeout = firmware_loading_timeout();
 	if (opt_flags & FW_OPT_NOWAIT) {
@@ -1695,6 +1733,62 @@ static void device_uncache_fw_images_delay(unsigned long delay)
 			   msecs_to_jiffies(delay));
 }
 
+/**
+ * fw_pm_notify - notifier for suspend/resume
+ * @notify_block: unused
+ * @mode: mode we are switching to
+ * @unused: unused
+ *
+ * Used to modify the firmware_class state as we move in between states.
+ * The firmware_class implements a firmware cache to enable device driver
+ * to fetch firmware upon resume before the root filesystem is ready. We
+ * disable API calls which do not use the built-in firmware or the firmware
+ * cache when we know these calls will not work.
+ *
+ * The inner logic behind all this is a bit complex so it is worth summarizing
+ * the kernel's own suspend/resume process with context and focus on how this
+ * can impact the firmware API.
+ *
+ * First a review on how we go to suspend::
+ *
+ *	pm_suspend() --> enter_state() -->
+ *	sys_sync()
+ *	suspend_prepare() -->
+ *		__pm_notifier_call_chain(PM_SUSPEND_PREPARE, ...);
+ *		suspend_freeze_processes() -->
+ *			freeze_processes() -->
+ *				__usermodehelper_set_disable_depth(UMH_DISABLED);
+ *				freeze all tasks ...
+ *			freeze_kernel_threads()
+ *	suspend_devices_and_enter() -->
+ *		dpm_suspend_start() -->
+ *				dpm_prepare()
+ *				dpm_suspend()
+ *		suspend_enter()  -->
+ *			platform_suspend_prepare()
+ *			dpm_suspend_late()
+ *			freeze_enter()
+ *			syscore_suspend()
+ *
+ * When we resume we bail out of a loop from suspend_devices_and_enter() and
+ * unwind back out to the caller enter_state() where we were before as follows::
+ *
+ * 	enter_state() -->
+ *	suspend_devices_and_enter() --> (bail from loop)
+ *		dpm_resume_end() -->
+ *			dpm_resume()
+ *			dpm_complete()
+ *	suspend_finish() -->
+ *		suspend_thaw_processes() -->
+ *			thaw_processes() -->
+ *				__usermodehelper_set_disable_depth(UMH_FREEZING);
+ *				thaw_workqueues();
+ *				thaw all processes ...
+ *				usermodehelper_enable();
+ *		pm_notifier_call_chain(PM_POST_SUSPEND);
+ *
+ * fw_pm_notify() works through pm_notifier_call_chain().
+ */
 static int fw_pm_notify(struct notifier_block *notify_block,
 			unsigned long mode, void *unused)
 {
@@ -1708,6 +1802,7 @@ static int fw_pm_notify(struct notifier_block *notify_block,
 		 */
 		kill_pending_fw_fallback_reqs(true);
 		device_cache_fw_images();
+		disable_firmware();
 		break;
 
 	case PM_POST_SUSPEND:
@@ -1720,6 +1815,7 @@ static int fw_pm_notify(struct notifier_block *notify_block,
 		mutex_lock(&fw_lock);
 		fw_cache.state = FW_LOADER_NO_CACHE;
 		mutex_unlock(&fw_lock);
+		enable_firmware();
 
 		device_uncache_fw_images_delay(10 * MSEC_PER_SEC);
 		break;
@@ -1768,6 +1864,7 @@ static void __init fw_cache_init(void)
 static int fw_shutdown_notify(struct notifier_block *unused1,
 			      unsigned long unused2, void *unused3)
 {
+	disable_firmware();
 	/*
 	 * Kill all pending fallback requests to avoid both stalling shutdown,
 	 * and avoid a deadlock with the usermode_lock.
@@ -1783,6 +1880,7 @@ static struct notifier_block fw_shutdown_nb = {
 
 static int __init firmware_class_init(void)
 {
+	enable_firmware();
 	fw_cache_init();
 	register_reboot_notifier(&fw_shutdown_nb);
 #ifdef CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER
@@ -1794,6 +1892,7 @@ static int __init firmware_class_init(void)
 
 static void __exit firmware_class_exit(void)
 {
+	disable_firmware();
 #ifdef CONFIG_PM_SLEEP
 	unregister_syscore_ops(&fw_syscore_ops);
 	unregister_pm_notifier(&fw_cache.pm_notify);