diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus_trace.h b/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus_trace.h
index 93e04a85506f..148ffaf4c6b4 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus_trace.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/greybus_trace.h
@@ -130,6 +130,11 @@ DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS(gb_operation,
  */
 DEFINE_OPERATION_EVENT(gb_operation_create);
 
+/*
+ * Occurs after a new core operation has been created.
+ */
+DEFINE_OPERATION_EVENT(gb_operation_create_core);
+
 /*
  * Occurs after a new operation has been created for an incoming
  * request has been successfully created and initialized.
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
index 75d1231cfde5..fb4a29e2c09f 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
@@ -571,6 +571,26 @@ gb_operation_create_flags(struct gb_connection *connection,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(gb_operation_create_flags);
 
+struct gb_operation *
+gb_operation_create_core(struct gb_connection *connection,
+				u8 type, size_t request_size,
+				size_t response_size, unsigned long flags,
+				gfp_t gfp)
+{
+	struct gb_operation *operation;
+
+	flags |= GB_OPERATION_FLAG_CORE;
+
+	operation = gb_operation_create_common(connection, type,
+						request_size, response_size,
+						flags, gfp);
+	if (operation)
+		trace_gb_operation_create_core(operation);
+
+	return operation;
+}
+/* Do not export this function. */
+
 size_t gb_operation_get_payload_size_max(struct gb_connection *connection)
 {
 	struct gb_host_device *hd = connection->hd;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.h b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.h
index 117d7df2e0bd..de09a2c7de54 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ struct gb_message {
 #define GB_OPERATION_FLAG_INCOMING		BIT(0)
 #define GB_OPERATION_FLAG_UNIDIRECTIONAL	BIT(1)
 #define GB_OPERATION_FLAG_SHORT_RESPONSE	BIT(2)
+#define GB_OPERATION_FLAG_CORE			BIT(3)
 
 #define GB_OPERATION_FLAG_USER_MASK	(GB_OPERATION_FLAG_SHORT_RESPONSE | \
 					 GB_OPERATION_FLAG_UNIDIRECTIONAL)
@@ -123,6 +124,11 @@ gb_operation_short_response_allowed(struct gb_operation *operation)
 	return operation->flags & GB_OPERATION_FLAG_SHORT_RESPONSE;
 }
 
+static inline bool gb_operation_is_core(struct gb_operation *operation)
+{
+	return operation->flags & GB_OPERATION_FLAG_CORE;
+}
+
 void gb_connection_recv(struct gb_connection *connection,
 					void *data, size_t size);
 
@@ -144,6 +150,12 @@ gb_operation_create(struct gb_connection *connection,
 						response_size, 0, gfp);
 }
 
+struct gb_operation *
+gb_operation_create_core(struct gb_connection *connection,
+				u8 type, size_t request_size,
+				size_t response_size, unsigned long flags,
+				gfp_t gfp);
+
 void gb_operation_get(struct gb_operation *operation);
 void gb_operation_put(struct gb_operation *operation);