int ret;
        const struct firmware *fw_entry;
 
-       if (request_firmware(&fw_entry, fw->pri_fw,
-                            priv->dev) != 0) {
-               printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Cannot find firmware: %s\n",
-                      dev->name, fw->pri_fw);
-               return -ENOENT;
-       }
+       if (!priv->cached_pri_fw) {
+               if (request_firmware(&fw_entry, fw->pri_fw, priv->dev) != 0) {
+                       printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Cannot find firmware: %s\n",
+                              dev->name, fw->pri_fw);
+                       return -ENOENT;
+               }
+       } else
+               fw_entry = priv->cached_pri_fw;
 
        /* Load primary firmware */
        ret = symbol_dl_image(priv, fw, fw_entry->data,
                              fw_entry->data + fw_entry->size, 0);
-       release_firmware(fw_entry);
+
+       if (!priv->cached_pri_fw)
+               release_firmware(fw_entry);
        if (ret) {
                printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Primary firmware download failed\n",
                       dev->name);
                return ret;
        }
 
-       if (request_firmware(&fw_entry, fw->sta_fw,
-                            priv->dev) != 0) {
-               printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Cannot find firmware: %s\n",
-                      dev->name, fw->sta_fw);
-               return -ENOENT;
-       }
+       if (!priv->cached_fw) {
+               if (request_firmware(&fw_entry, fw->sta_fw, priv->dev) != 0) {
+                       printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Cannot find firmware: %s\n",
+                              dev->name, fw->sta_fw);
+                       return -ENOENT;
+               }
+       } else
+               fw_entry = priv->cached_fw;
 
        /* Load secondary firmware */
        ret = symbol_dl_image(priv, fw, fw_entry->data,
                              fw_entry->data + fw_entry->size, 1);
-       release_firmware(fw_entry);
+       if (!priv->cached_fw)
+               release_firmware(fw_entry);
        if (ret) {
                printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Secondary firmware download failed\n",
                       dev->name);
 static void orinoco_cache_fw(struct orinoco_private *priv, int ap)
 {
        const struct firmware *fw_entry = NULL;
+       const char *pri_fw;
        const char *fw;
 
+       pri_fw = orinoco_fw[priv->firmware_type].pri_fw;
        if (ap)
                fw = orinoco_fw[priv->firmware_type].ap_fw;
        else
                fw = orinoco_fw[priv->firmware_type].sta_fw;
 
+       if (pri_fw) {
+               if (request_firmware(&fw_entry, pri_fw, priv->dev) == 0)
+                       priv->cached_pri_fw = fw_entry;
+       }
+
        if (fw) {
                if (request_firmware(&fw_entry, fw, priv->dev) == 0)
                        priv->cached_fw = fw_entry;
 
 static void orinoco_uncache_fw(struct orinoco_private *priv)
 {
+       if (priv->cached_pri_fw)
+               release_firmware(priv->cached_pri_fw);
        if (priv->cached_fw)
                release_firmware(priv->cached_fw);
 
+       priv->cached_pri_fw = NULL;
        priv->cached_fw = NULL;
 }
 
        netif_carrier_off(dev);
        priv->last_linkstatus = 0xffff;
 
+       priv->cached_pri_fw = NULL;
        priv->cached_fw = NULL;
 
        return dev;