diff --git a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
index 28bc6db9fbf4..124d50ceb116 100644
--- a/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
+++ b/drivers/base/firmware_class.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static inline long firmware_loading_timeout(void)
 #else
 #define FW_OPT_FALLBACK		0
 #endif
+#define FW_OPT_NO_WARN	(1U << 3)
 
 struct firmware_cache {
 	/* firmware_buf instance will be added into the below list */
@@ -1105,10 +1106,11 @@ _request_firmware(const struct firmware **firmware_p, const char *name,
 
 	ret = fw_get_filesystem_firmware(device, fw->priv);
 	if (ret) {
-		if (opt_flags & FW_OPT_USERHELPER) {
+		if (!(opt_flags & FW_OPT_NO_WARN))
 			dev_warn(device,
-				 "Direct firmware load failed with error %d\n",
-				 ret);
+				 "Direct firmware load for %s failed with error %d\n",
+				 name, ret);
+		if (opt_flags & FW_OPT_USERHELPER) {
 			dev_warn(device, "Falling back to user helper\n");
 			ret = fw_load_from_user_helper(fw, name, device,
 						       opt_flags, timeout);
@@ -1165,7 +1167,6 @@ request_firmware(const struct firmware **firmware_p, const char *name,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(request_firmware);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER_FALLBACK
 /**
  * request_firmware: - load firmware directly without usermode helper
  * @firmware_p: pointer to firmware image
@@ -1182,12 +1183,12 @@ int request_firmware_direct(const struct firmware **firmware_p,
 {
 	int ret;
 	__module_get(THIS_MODULE);
-	ret = _request_firmware(firmware_p, name, device, FW_OPT_UEVENT);
+	ret = _request_firmware(firmware_p, name, device,
+				FW_OPT_UEVENT | FW_OPT_NO_WARN);
 	module_put(THIS_MODULE);
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(request_firmware_direct);
-#endif
 
 /**
  * release_firmware: - release the resource associated with a firmware image
diff --git a/include/linux/firmware.h b/include/linux/firmware.h
index 67e5b801af0c..5c41c5e75b5c 100644
--- a/include/linux/firmware.h
+++ b/include/linux/firmware.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ int request_firmware_nowait(
 	struct module *module, bool uevent,
 	const char *name, struct device *device, gfp_t gfp, void *context,
 	void (*cont)(const struct firmware *fw, void *context));
+int request_firmware_direct(const struct firmware **fw, const char *name,
+			    struct device *device);
 
 void release_firmware(const struct firmware *fw);
 #else
@@ -66,13 +68,12 @@ static inline void release_firmware(const struct firmware *fw)
 {
 }
 
-#endif
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER_FALLBACK
-int request_firmware_direct(const struct firmware **fw, const char *name,
-			    struct device *device);
-#else
-#define request_firmware_direct	request_firmware
-#endif
+static inline int request_firmware_direct(const struct firmware **fw,
+					  const char *name,
+					  struct device *device)
+{
+	return -EINVAL;
+}
 
 #endif
+#endif