diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h
index a53c378e7484..9e0da212f8ce 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h
@@ -655,10 +655,39 @@ struct b43_wl {
 	struct work_struct txpower_adjust_work;
 };
 
+/* The type of the firmware file. */
+enum b43_firmware_file_type {
+	B43_FWTYPE_PROPRIETARY,
+	B43_FWTYPE_OPENSOURCE,
+	B43_NR_FWTYPES,
+};
+
+/* Context data for fetching firmware. */
+struct b43_request_fw_context {
+	/* The device we are requesting the fw for. */
+	struct b43_wldev *dev;
+	/* The type of firmware to request. */
+	enum b43_firmware_file_type req_type;
+	/* Error messages for each firmware type. */
+	char errors[B43_NR_FWTYPES][128];
+	/* Temporary buffer for storing the firmware name. */
+	char fwname[64];
+	/* A fatal error occured while requesting. Firmware reqest
+	 * can not continue, as any other reqest will also fail. */
+	int fatal_failure;
+};
+
 /* In-memory representation of a cached microcode file. */
 struct b43_firmware_file {
 	const char *filename;
 	const struct firmware *data;
+	/* Type of the firmware file name. Note that this does only indicate
+	 * the type by the firmware name. NOT the file contents.
+	 * If you want to check for proprietary vs opensource, use (struct b43_firmware)->opensource
+	 * instead! The (struct b43_firmware)->opensource flag is derived from the actual firmware
+	 * binary code, not just the filename.
+	 */
+	enum b43_firmware_file_type type;
 };
 
 /* Pointers to the firmware data and meta information about it. */
@@ -677,7 +706,8 @@ struct b43_firmware {
 	/* Firmware patchlevel */
 	u16 patch;
 
-	/* Set to true, if we are using an opensource firmware. */
+	/* Set to true, if we are using an opensource firmware.
+	 * Use this to check for proprietary vs opensource. */
 	bool opensource;
 	/* Set to true, if the core needs a PCM firmware, but
 	 * we failed to load one. This is always false for
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
index 675a73a98072..cbb3d45f6fc9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.c
@@ -1934,7 +1934,7 @@ static irqreturn_t b43_interrupt_handler(int irq, void *dev_id)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static void do_release_fw(struct b43_firmware_file *fw)
+void b43_do_release_fw(struct b43_firmware_file *fw)
 {
 	release_firmware(fw->data);
 	fw->data = NULL;
@@ -1943,10 +1943,10 @@ static void do_release_fw(struct b43_firmware_file *fw)
 
 static void b43_release_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 {
-	do_release_fw(&dev->fw.ucode);
-	do_release_fw(&dev->fw.pcm);
-	do_release_fw(&dev->fw.initvals);
-	do_release_fw(&dev->fw.initvals_band);
+	b43_do_release_fw(&dev->fw.ucode);
+	b43_do_release_fw(&dev->fw.pcm);
+	b43_do_release_fw(&dev->fw.initvals);
+	b43_do_release_fw(&dev->fw.initvals_band);
 }
 
 static void b43_print_fw_helptext(struct b43_wl *wl, bool error)
@@ -1963,12 +1963,10 @@ static void b43_print_fw_helptext(struct b43_wl *wl, bool error)
 		b43warn(wl, text);
 }
 
-static int do_request_fw(struct b43_wldev *dev,
-			 const char *name,
-			 struct b43_firmware_file *fw,
-			 bool silent)
+int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
+		      const char *name,
+		      struct b43_firmware_file *fw)
 {
-	char path[sizeof(modparam_fwpostfix) + 32];
 	const struct firmware *blob;
 	struct b43_fw_header *hdr;
 	u32 size;
@@ -1976,29 +1974,49 @@ static int do_request_fw(struct b43_wldev *dev,
 
 	if (!name) {
 		/* Don't fetch anything. Free possibly cached firmware. */
-		do_release_fw(fw);
+		/* FIXME: We should probably keep it anyway, to save some headache
+		 * on suspend/resume with multiband devices. */
+		b43_do_release_fw(fw);
 		return 0;
 	}
 	if (fw->filename) {
-		if (strcmp(fw->filename, name) == 0)
+		if ((fw->type == ctx->req_type) &&
+		    (strcmp(fw->filename, name) == 0))
 			return 0; /* Already have this fw. */
 		/* Free the cached firmware first. */
-		do_release_fw(fw);
+		/* FIXME: We should probably do this later after we successfully
+		 * got the new fw. This could reduce headache with multiband devices.
+		 * We could also redesign this to cache the firmware for all possible
+		 * bands all the time. */
+		b43_do_release_fw(fw);
 	}
 
-	snprintf(path, ARRAY_SIZE(path),
-		 "b43%s/%s.fw",
-		 modparam_fwpostfix, name);
-	err = request_firmware(&blob, path, dev->dev->dev);
+	switch (ctx->req_type) {
+	case B43_FWTYPE_PROPRIETARY:
+		snprintf(ctx->fwname, sizeof(ctx->fwname),
+			 "b43%s/%s.fw",
+			 modparam_fwpostfix, name);
+		break;
+	case B43_FWTYPE_OPENSOURCE:
+		snprintf(ctx->fwname, sizeof(ctx->fwname),
+			 "b43-open%s/%s.fw",
+			 modparam_fwpostfix, name);
+		break;
+	default:
+		B43_WARN_ON(1);
+		return -ENOSYS;
+	}
+	err = request_firmware(&blob, ctx->fwname, ctx->dev->dev->dev);
 	if (err == -ENOENT) {
-		if (!silent) {
-			b43err(dev->wl, "Firmware file \"%s\" not found\n",
-			       path);
-		}
+		snprintf(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type],
+			 sizeof(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type]),
+			 "Firmware file \"%s\" not found\n", ctx->fwname);
 		return err;
 	} else if (err) {
-		b43err(dev->wl, "Firmware file \"%s\" request failed (err=%d)\n",
-		       path, err);
+		snprintf(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type],
+			 sizeof(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type]),
+			 "Firmware file \"%s\" request failed (err=%d)\n",
+			 ctx->fwname, err);
 		return err;
 	}
 	if (blob->size < sizeof(struct b43_fw_header))
@@ -2021,20 +2039,24 @@ static int do_request_fw(struct b43_wldev *dev,
 
 	fw->data = blob;
 	fw->filename = name;
+	fw->type = ctx->req_type;
 
 	return 0;
 
 err_format:
-	b43err(dev->wl, "Firmware file \"%s\" format error.\n", path);
+	snprintf(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type],
+		 sizeof(ctx->errors[ctx->req_type]),
+		 "Firmware file \"%s\" format error.\n", ctx->fwname);
 	release_firmware(blob);
 
 	return -EPROTO;
 }
 
-static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
+static int b43_try_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx)
 {
-	struct b43_firmware *fw = &dev->fw;
-	const u8 rev = dev->dev->id.revision;
+	struct b43_wldev *dev = ctx->dev;
+	struct b43_firmware *fw = &ctx->dev->fw;
+	const u8 rev = ctx->dev->dev->id.revision;
 	const char *filename;
 	u32 tmshigh;
 	int err;
@@ -2049,7 +2071,7 @@ static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 		filename = "ucode13";
 	else
 		goto err_no_ucode;
-	err = do_request_fw(dev, filename, &fw->ucode, 0);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->ucode);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_load;
 
@@ -2061,7 +2083,7 @@ static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 	else
 		goto err_no_pcm;
 	fw->pcm_request_failed = 0;
-	err = do_request_fw(dev, filename, &fw->pcm, 1);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->pcm);
 	if (err == -ENOENT) {
 		/* We did not find a PCM file? Not fatal, but
 		 * core rev <= 10 must do without hwcrypto then. */
@@ -2097,7 +2119,7 @@ static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 	default:
 		goto err_no_initvals;
 	}
-	err = do_request_fw(dev, filename, &fw->initvals, 0);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->initvals);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_load;
 
@@ -2131,30 +2153,34 @@ static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 	default:
 		goto err_no_initvals;
 	}
-	err = do_request_fw(dev, filename, &fw->initvals_band, 0);
+	err = b43_do_request_fw(ctx, filename, &fw->initvals_band);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_load;
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_load:
-	b43_print_fw_helptext(dev->wl, 1);
-	goto error;
-
 err_no_ucode:
-	err = -ENODEV;
-	b43err(dev->wl, "No microcode available for core rev %u\n", rev);
+	err = ctx->fatal_failure = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	b43err(dev->wl, "The driver does not know which firmware (ucode) "
+	       "is required for your device (wl-core rev %u)\n", rev);
 	goto error;
 
 err_no_pcm:
-	err = -ENODEV;
-	b43err(dev->wl, "No PCM available for core rev %u\n", rev);
+	err = ctx->fatal_failure = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	b43err(dev->wl, "The driver does not know which firmware (PCM) "
+	       "is required for your device (wl-core rev %u)\n", rev);
 	goto error;
 
 err_no_initvals:
-	err = -ENODEV;
-	b43err(dev->wl, "No Initial Values firmware file for PHY %u, "
-	       "core rev %u\n", dev->phy.type, rev);
+	err = ctx->fatal_failure = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	b43err(dev->wl, "The driver does not know which firmware (initvals) "
+	       "is required for your device (wl-core rev %u)\n", rev);
+	goto error;
+
+err_load:
+	/* We failed to load this firmware image. The error message
+	 * already is in ctx->errors. Return and let our caller decide
+	 * what to do. */
 	goto error;
 
 error:
@@ -2162,6 +2188,48 @@ static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 	return err;
 }
 
+static int b43_request_firmware(struct b43_wldev *dev)
+{
+	struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx;
+	unsigned int i;
+	int err;
+	const char *errmsg;
+
+	ctx = kzalloc(sizeof(*ctx), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ctx)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	ctx->dev = dev;
+
+	ctx->req_type = B43_FWTYPE_PROPRIETARY;
+	err = b43_try_request_fw(ctx);
+	if (!err)
+		goto out; /* Successfully loaded it. */
+	err = ctx->fatal_failure;
+	if (err)
+		goto out;
+
+	ctx->req_type = B43_FWTYPE_OPENSOURCE;
+	err = b43_try_request_fw(ctx);
+	if (!err)
+		goto out; /* Successfully loaded it. */
+	err = ctx->fatal_failure;
+	if (err)
+		goto out;
+
+	/* Could not find a usable firmware. Print the errors. */
+	for (i = 0; i < B43_NR_FWTYPES; i++) {
+		errmsg = ctx->errors[i];
+		if (strlen(errmsg))
+			b43err(dev->wl, errmsg);
+	}
+	b43_print_fw_helptext(dev->wl, 1);
+	err = -ENOENT;
+
+out:
+	kfree(ctx);
+	return err;
+}
+
 static int b43_upload_microcode(struct b43_wldev *dev)
 {
 	const size_t hdr_len = sizeof(struct b43_fw_header);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h
index f871a252cb55..e6d90f377d9b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/b43/main.h
@@ -121,4 +121,11 @@ void b43_power_saving_ctl_bits(struct b43_wldev *dev, unsigned int ps_flags);
 void b43_mac_suspend(struct b43_wldev *dev);
 void b43_mac_enable(struct b43_wldev *dev);
 
+
+struct b43_request_fw_context;
+int b43_do_request_fw(struct b43_request_fw_context *ctx,
+		      const char *name,
+		      struct b43_firmware_file *fw);
+void b43_do_release_fw(struct b43_firmware_file *fw);
+
 #endif /* B43_MAIN_H_ */