diff --git a/drivers/net/e100.c b/drivers/net/e100.c
index ff83efd47b0d87a627aa80f62534591395b718e8..f428c5f72f186070edf989b0bedc5f9dfd7a1e47 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e100.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e100.c
@@ -621,6 +621,7 @@ struct nic {
 	u16 eeprom_wc;
 	__le16 eeprom[256];
 	spinlock_t mdio_lock;
+	const struct firmware *fw;
 };
 
 static inline void e100_write_flush(struct nic *nic)
@@ -1222,9 +1223,9 @@ static void e100_configure(struct nic *nic, struct cb *cb, struct sk_buff *skb)
 static const struct firmware *e100_request_firmware(struct nic *nic)
 {
 	const char *fw_name;
-	const struct firmware *fw;
+	const struct firmware *fw = nic->fw;
 	u8 timer, bundle, min_size;
-	int err;
+	int err = 0;
 
 	/* do not load u-code for ICH devices */
 	if (nic->flags & ich)
@@ -1240,12 +1241,20 @@ static const struct firmware *e100_request_firmware(struct nic *nic)
 	else /* No ucode on other devices */
 		return NULL;
 
-	err = request_firmware(&fw, fw_name, &nic->pdev->dev);
+	/* If the firmware has not previously been loaded, request a pointer
+	 * to it. If it was previously loaded, we are reinitializing the
+	 * adapter, possibly in a resume from hibernate, in which case
+	 * request_firmware() cannot be used.
+	 */
+	if (!fw)
+		err = request_firmware(&fw, fw_name, &nic->pdev->dev);
+
 	if (err) {
 		DPRINTK(PROBE, ERR, "Failed to load firmware \"%s\": %d\n",
 			fw_name, err);
 		return ERR_PTR(err);
 	}
+
 	/* Firmware should be precisely UCODE_SIZE (words) plus three bytes
 	   indicating the offsets for BUNDLESMALL, BUNDLEMAX, INTDELAY */
 	if (fw->size != UCODE_SIZE * 4 + 3) {
@@ -1268,7 +1277,10 @@ static const struct firmware *e100_request_firmware(struct nic *nic)
 		release_firmware(fw);
 		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 	}
-	/* OK, firmware is validated and ready to use... */
+
+	/* OK, firmware is validated and ready to use. Save a pointer
+	 * to it in the nic */
+	nic->fw = fw;
 	return fw;
 }