diff --git a/drivers/net/wimax/i2400m/control.c b/drivers/net/wimax/i2400m/control.c
index 8fe70e75d030f414cfdf690b63cff6f9453d9395..b69fd8834c78470edeb1b7986579a71f59ef422c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wimax/i2400m/control.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wimax/i2400m/control.c
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@
 #define D_SUBMODULE control
 #include "debug-levels.h"
 
+int i2400m_passive_mode;	/* 0 (passive mode disabled) by default */
+module_param_named(passive_mode, i2400m_passive_mode, int, 0644);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(passive_mode,
+		 "If true, the driver will not do any device setup "
+		 "and leave it up to user space, who must be properly "
+		 "setup.");
+
 
 /*
  * Return if a TLV is of a give type and size
@@ -1335,6 +1342,8 @@ int i2400m_dev_initialize(struct i2400m *i2400m)
 	unsigned argc = 0;
 
 	d_fnstart(3, dev, "(i2400m %p)\n", i2400m);
+	if (i2400m_passive_mode)
+		goto out_passive;
 	/* Disable idle mode? (enabled by default) */
 	if (i2400m_idle_mode_disabled) {
 		if (i2400m_le_v1_3(i2400m)) {
@@ -1377,6 +1386,7 @@ int i2400m_dev_initialize(struct i2400m *i2400m)
 	result = i2400m_set_init_config(i2400m, args, argc);
 	if (result < 0)
 		goto error;
+out_passive:
 	/*
 	 * Update state: Here it just calls a get state; parsing the
 	 * result (System State TLV and RF Status TLV [done in the rx