diff --git a/Documentation/firmware_class/README b/Documentation/firmware_class/README
index 43e836c07ae8..e9cc8bb26f7d 100644
--- a/Documentation/firmware_class/README
+++ b/Documentation/firmware_class/README
@@ -105,20 +105,3 @@
    on the setup, so I think that the choice on what firmware to make
    persistent should be left to userspace.
 
- - Why register_firmware()+__init can be useful:
- 	- For boot devices needing firmware.
-	- To make the transition easier:
-		The firmware can be declared __init and register_firmware()
-		called on module_init. Then the firmware is warranted to be
-		there even if "firmware hotplug userspace" is not there yet or
-		it doesn't yet provide the needed firmware.
-		Once the firmware is widely available in userspace, it can be
-		removed from the kernel. Or made optional (CONFIG_.*_FIRMWARE).
-
-	In either case, if firmware hotplug support is there, it can move the
-	firmware out of kernel memory into the real filesystem for later
-	usage.
-
-	Note: If persistence is implemented on top of initramfs,
-	register_firmware() may not be appropriate.
-
diff --git a/Documentation/firmware_class/firmware_sample_driver.c b/Documentation/firmware_class/firmware_sample_driver.c
index ad3edaba4533..87feccdb5c9f 100644
--- a/Documentation/firmware_class/firmware_sample_driver.c
+++ b/Documentation/firmware_class/firmware_sample_driver.c
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
  *
  * Sample code on how to use request_firmware() from drivers.
  *
- * Note that register_firmware() is currently useless.
- *
  */
 
 #include <linux/module.h>
@@ -17,11 +15,6 @@
 
 #include "linux/firmware.h"
 
-#define WE_CAN_NEED_FIRMWARE_BEFORE_USERSPACE_IS_AVAILABLE
-#ifdef WE_CAN_NEED_FIRMWARE_BEFORE_USERSPACE_IS_AVAILABLE
-char __init inkernel_firmware[] = "let's say that this is firmware\n";
-#endif
-
 static struct device ghost_device = {
 	.bus_id    = "ghost0",
 };
@@ -104,10 +97,6 @@ static void sample_probe_async(void)
 
 static int sample_init(void)
 {
-#ifdef WE_CAN_NEED_FIRMWARE_BEFORE_USERSPACE_IS_AVAILABLE
-	register_firmware("sample_driver_fw", inkernel_firmware,
-			  sizeof(inkernel_firmware));
-#endif
 	device_initialize(&ghost_device);
 	/* since there is no real hardware insertion I just call the
 	 * sample probe functions here */
diff --git a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
index 472318205236..0c99ae6a3407 100644
--- a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
+++ b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
@@ -86,18 +86,9 @@ firmware_timeout_store(struct class *class, const char *buf, size_t count)
 static CLASS_ATTR(timeout, 0644, firmware_timeout_show, firmware_timeout_store);
 
 static void  fw_class_dev_release(struct class_device *class_dev);
-int firmware_class_uevent(struct class_device *dev, char **envp,
-			   int num_envp, char *buffer, int buffer_size);
 
-static struct class firmware_class = {
-	.name		= "firmware",
-	.uevent	= firmware_class_uevent,
-	.release	= fw_class_dev_release,
-};
-
-int
-firmware_class_uevent(struct class_device *class_dev, char **envp,
-		       int num_envp, char *buffer, int buffer_size)
+static int firmware_class_uevent(struct class_device *class_dev, char **envp,
+				 int num_envp, char *buffer, int buffer_size)
 {
 	struct firmware_priv *fw_priv = class_get_devdata(class_dev);
 	int i = 0, len = 0;
@@ -116,6 +107,12 @@ firmware_class_uevent(struct class_device *class_dev, char **envp,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static struct class firmware_class = {
+	.name		= "firmware",
+	.uevent		= firmware_class_uevent,
+	.release	= fw_class_dev_release,
+};
+
 static ssize_t
 firmware_loading_show(struct class_device *class_dev, char *buf)
 {
@@ -493,25 +490,6 @@ release_firmware(const struct firmware *fw)
 	}
 }
 
-/**
- * register_firmware: - provide a firmware image for later usage
- * @name: name of firmware image file
- * @data: buffer pointer for the firmware image
- * @size: size of the data buffer area
- *
- *	Make sure that @data will be available by requesting firmware @name.
- *
- *	Note: This will not be possible until some kind of persistence
- *	is available.
- **/
-void
-register_firmware(const char *name, const u8 *data, size_t size)
-{
-	/* This is meaningless without firmware caching, so until we
-	 * decide if firmware caching is reasonable just leave it as a
-	 * noop */
-}
-
 /* Async support */
 struct firmware_work {
 	struct work_struct work;
@@ -630,4 +608,3 @@ module_exit(firmware_class_exit);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(release_firmware);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(request_firmware);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(request_firmware_nowait);
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(register_firmware);
diff --git a/include/linux/firmware.h b/include/linux/firmware.h
index 2d716080be4a..33d8f2087b6e 100644
--- a/include/linux/firmware.h
+++ b/include/linux/firmware.h
@@ -19,5 +19,4 @@ int request_firmware_nowait(
 	void (*cont)(const struct firmware *fw, void *context));
 
 void release_firmware(const struct firmware *fw);
-void register_firmware(const char *name, const u8 *data, size_t size);
 #endif