diff --git a/include/linux/async.h b/include/linux/async.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c4ecacd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/linux/async.h
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * async.h: Asynchronous function calls for boot performance
+ *
+ * (C) Copyright 2009 Intel Corporation
+ * Author: Arjan van de Ven <arjan@linux.intel.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; version 2
+ * of the License.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/types.h>
+#include <linux/list.h>
+
+typedef u64 async_cookie_t;
+typedef void (async_func_ptr) (void *data, async_cookie_t cookie);
+
+extern async_cookie_t async_schedule(async_func_ptr *ptr, void *data);
+extern async_cookie_t async_schedule_special(async_func_ptr *ptr, void *data, struct list_head *list);
+extern void async_synchronize_full(void);
+extern void async_synchronize_full_special(struct list_head *list);
+extern void async_synchronize_cookie(async_cookie_t cookie);
+extern void async_synchronize_cookie_special(async_cookie_t cookie, struct list_head *list);
+
diff --git a/init/do_mounts.c b/init/do_mounts.c
index 5efca73..708105e 100644
--- a/init/do_mounts.c
+++ b/init/do_mounts.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <linux/init.h>
 #include <linux/fs.h>
 #include <linux/initrd.h>
+#include <linux/async.h>
 
 #include <linux/nfs_fs.h>
 #include <linux/nfs_fs_sb.h>
@@ -372,6 +373,7 @@
 	/* wait for the known devices to complete their probing */
 	while (driver_probe_done() != 0)
 		msleep(100);
+	async_synchronize_full();
 
 	md_run_setup();
 
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index b5a892c..f66715d 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
 #include <linux/signal.h>
 #include <linux/idr.h>
 #include <linux/ftrace.h>
+#include <linux/async.h>
 #include <trace/boot.h>
 
 #include <asm/io.h>
@@ -684,7 +685,7 @@
 	rest_init();
 }
 
-static int initcall_debug;
+int initcall_debug;
 core_param(initcall_debug, initcall_debug, bool, 0644);
 
 int do_one_initcall(initcall_t fn)
@@ -785,6 +786,8 @@
  */
 static noinline int init_post(void)
 {
+	/* need to finish all async __init code before freeing the memory */
+	async_synchronize_full();
 	free_initmem();
 	unlock_kernel();
 	mark_rodata_ro();
diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index e1c5bf3..2921d90 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 	    rcupdate.o extable.o params.o posix-timers.o \
 	    kthread.o wait.o kfifo.o sys_ni.o posix-cpu-timers.o mutex.o \
 	    hrtimer.o rwsem.o nsproxy.o srcu.o semaphore.o \
-	    notifier.o ksysfs.o pm_qos_params.o sched_clock.o cred.o
+	    notifier.o ksysfs.o pm_qos_params.o sched_clock.o cred.o \
+	    async.o
 
 ifdef CONFIG_FUNCTION_TRACER
 # Do not trace debug files and internal ftrace files
diff --git a/kernel/async.c b/kernel/async.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..afaa8a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kernel/async.c
@@ -0,0 +1,321 @@
+/*
+ * async.c: Asynchronous function calls for boot performance
+ *
+ * (C) Copyright 2009 Intel Corporation
+ * Author: Arjan van de Ven <arjan@linux.intel.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; version 2
+ * of the License.
+ */
+
+
+/*
+
+Goals and Theory of Operation
+
+The primary goal of this feature is to reduce the kernel boot time,
+by doing various independent hardware delays and discovery operations
+decoupled and not strictly serialized.
+
+More specifically, the asynchronous function call concept allows
+certain operations (primarily during system boot) to happen
+asynchronously, out of order, while these operations still
+have their externally visible parts happen sequentially and in-order.
+(not unlike how out-of-order CPUs retire their instructions in order)
+
+Key to the asynchronous function call implementation is the concept of
+a "sequence cookie" (which, although it has an abstracted type, can be
+thought of as a monotonically incrementing number).
+
+The async core will assign each scheduled event such a sequence cookie and
+pass this to the called functions.
+
+The asynchronously called function should before doing a globally visible
+operation, such as registering device numbers, call the
+async_synchronize_cookie() function and pass in its own cookie. The
+async_synchronize_cookie() function will make sure that all asynchronous
+operations that were scheduled prior to the operation corresponding with the
+cookie have completed.
+
+Subsystem/driver initialization code that scheduled asynchronous probe
+functions, but which shares global resources with other drivers/subsystems
+that do not use the asynchronous call feature, need to do a full
+synchronization with the async_synchronize_full() function, before returning
+from their init function. This is to maintain strict ordering between the
+asynchronous and synchronous parts of the kernel.
+
+*/
+
+#include <linux/async.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/wait.h>
+#include <linux/sched.h>
+#include <linux/init.h>
+#include <linux/kthread.h>
+#include <asm/atomic.h>
+
+static async_cookie_t next_cookie = 1;
+
+#define MAX_THREADS	256
+#define MAX_WORK	32768
+
+static LIST_HEAD(async_pending);
+static LIST_HEAD(async_running);
+static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(async_lock);
+
+struct async_entry {
+	struct list_head list;
+	async_cookie_t   cookie;
+	async_func_ptr	 *func;
+	void             *data;
+	struct list_head *running;
+};
+
+static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(async_done);
+static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(async_new);
+
+static atomic_t entry_count;
+static atomic_t thread_count;
+
+extern int initcall_debug;
+
+
+/*
+ * MUST be called with the lock held!
+ */
+static async_cookie_t  __lowest_in_progress(struct list_head *running)
+{
+	struct async_entry *entry;
+	if (!list_empty(&async_pending)) {
+		entry = list_first_entry(&async_pending,
+			struct async_entry, list);
+		return entry->cookie;
+	} else if (!list_empty(running)) {
+		entry = list_first_entry(running,
+			struct async_entry, list);
+		return entry->cookie;
+	} else {
+		/* nothing in progress... next_cookie is "infinity" */
+		return next_cookie;
+	}
+
+}
+/*
+ * pick the first pending entry and run it
+ */
+static void run_one_entry(void)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+	struct async_entry *entry;
+	ktime_t calltime, delta, rettime;
+
+	/* 1) pick one task from the pending queue */
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&async_lock, flags);
+	if (list_empty(&async_pending))
+		goto out;
+	entry = list_first_entry(&async_pending, struct async_entry, list);
+
+	/* 2) move it to the running queue */
+	list_del(&entry->list);
+	list_add_tail(&entry->list, &async_running);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&async_lock, flags);
+
+	/* 3) run it (and print duration)*/
+	if (initcall_debug) {
+		printk("calling  %lli_%pF @ %i\n", entry->cookie, entry->func, task_pid_nr(current));
+		calltime = ktime_get();
+	}
+	entry->func(entry->data, entry->cookie);
+	if (initcall_debug) {
+		rettime = ktime_get();
+		delta = ktime_sub(rettime, calltime);
+		printk("initcall %lli_%pF returned 0 after %lld usecs\n", entry->cookie,
+			entry->func, ktime_to_ns(delta) >> 10);
+	}
+
+	/* 4) remove it from the running queue */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&async_lock, flags);
+	list_del(&entry->list);
+
+	/* 5) free the entry  */
+	kfree(entry);
+	atomic_dec(&entry_count);
+
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&async_lock, flags);
+
+	/* 6) wake up any waiters. */
+	wake_up(&async_done);
+	return;
+
+out:
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&async_lock, flags);
+}
+
+
+static async_cookie_t __async_schedule(async_func_ptr *ptr, void *data, struct list_head *running)
+{
+	struct async_entry *entry;
+	unsigned long flags;
+	async_cookie_t newcookie;
+	
+
+	/* allow irq-off callers */
+	entry = kzalloc(sizeof(struct async_entry), GFP_ATOMIC);
+
+	/*
+	 * If we're out of memory or if there's too much work
+	 * pending already, we execute synchronously.
+	 */
+	if (!entry || atomic_read(&entry_count) > MAX_WORK) {
+		kfree(entry);
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&async_lock, flags);
+		newcookie = next_cookie++;
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&async_lock, flags);
+
+		/* low on memory.. run synchronously */
+		ptr(data, newcookie);
+		return newcookie;
+	}
+	entry->func = ptr;
+	entry->data = data;
+	entry->running = running;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&async_lock, flags);
+	newcookie = entry->cookie = next_cookie++;
+	list_add_tail(&entry->list, &async_pending);
+	atomic_inc(&entry_count);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&async_lock, flags);
+	wake_up(&async_new);
+	return newcookie;
+}
+
+async_cookie_t async_schedule(async_func_ptr *ptr, void *data)
+{
+	return __async_schedule(ptr, data, &async_pending);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(async_schedule);
+
+async_cookie_t async_schedule_special(async_func_ptr *ptr, void *data, struct list_head *running)
+{
+	return __async_schedule(ptr, data, running);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(async_schedule_special);
+
+void async_synchronize_full(void)
+{
+	async_synchronize_cookie(next_cookie);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(async_synchronize_full);
+
+void async_synchronize_full_special(struct list_head *list)
+{
+	async_synchronize_cookie_special(next_cookie, list);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(async_synchronize_full_special);
+
+void async_synchronize_cookie_special(async_cookie_t cookie, struct list_head *running)
+{
+	ktime_t starttime, delta, endtime;
+
+	if (initcall_debug) {
+		printk("async_waiting @ %i\n", task_pid_nr(current));
+		starttime = ktime_get();
+	}
+
+	wait_event(async_done, __lowest_in_progress(running) >= cookie);
+
+	if (initcall_debug) {
+		endtime = ktime_get();
+		delta = ktime_sub(endtime, starttime);
+
+		printk("async_continuing @ %i after %lli usec\n",
+			task_pid_nr(current), ktime_to_ns(delta) >> 10);
+	}
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(async_synchronize_cookie_special);
+
+void async_synchronize_cookie(async_cookie_t cookie)
+{
+	async_synchronize_cookie_special(cookie, &async_running);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(async_synchronize_cookie);
+
+
+static int async_thread(void *unused)
+{
+	DECLARE_WAITQUEUE(wq, current);
+	add_wait_queue(&async_new, &wq);
+
+	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
+		int ret = HZ;
+		set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
+		/*
+		 * check the list head without lock.. false positives
+		 * are dealt with inside run_one_entry() while holding
+		 * the lock.
+		 */
+		rmb();
+		if (!list_empty(&async_pending))
+			run_one_entry();
+		else
+			ret = schedule_timeout(HZ);
+
+		if (ret == 0) {
+			/*
+			 * we timed out, this means we as thread are redundant.
+			 * we sign off and die, but we to avoid any races there
+			 * is a last-straw check to see if work snuck in.
+			 */
+			atomic_dec(&thread_count);
+			wmb(); /* manager must see our departure first */
+			if (list_empty(&async_pending))
+				break;
+			/*
+			 * woops work came in between us timing out and us
+			 * signing off; we need to stay alive and keep working.
+			 */
+			atomic_inc(&thread_count);
+		}
+	}
+	remove_wait_queue(&async_new, &wq);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int async_manager_thread(void *unused)
+{
+	DECLARE_WAITQUEUE(wq, current);
+	add_wait_queue(&async_new, &wq);
+
+	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
+		int tc, ec;
+
+		set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
+
+		tc = atomic_read(&thread_count);
+		rmb();
+		ec = atomic_read(&entry_count);
+
+		while (tc < ec && tc < MAX_THREADS) {
+			kthread_run(async_thread, NULL, "async/%i", tc);
+			atomic_inc(&thread_count);
+			tc++;
+		}
+
+		schedule();
+	}
+	remove_wait_queue(&async_new, &wq);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int __init async_init(void)
+{
+	kthread_run(async_manager_thread, NULL, "async/mgr");
+	return 0;
+}
+
+core_initcall(async_init);
diff --git a/kernel/irq/autoprobe.c b/kernel/irq/autoprobe.c
index cc0f732..1de9700 100644
--- a/kernel/irq/autoprobe.c
+++ b/kernel/irq/autoprobe.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
+#include <linux/async.h>
 
 #include "internals.h"
 
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@
 	unsigned int status;
 	int i;
 
+	/*
+	 * quiesce the kernel, or at least the asynchronous portion
+	 */
+	async_synchronize_full();
 	mutex_lock(&probing_active);
 	/*
 	 * something may have generated an irq long ago and we want to
diff --git a/kernel/module.c b/kernel/module.c
index 496dcb5..c9332c9 100644
--- a/kernel/module.c
+++ b/kernel/module.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include <asm/sections.h>
 #include <linux/tracepoint.h>
 #include <linux/ftrace.h>
+#include <linux/async.h>
 
 #if 0
 #define DEBUGP printk
@@ -816,6 +817,7 @@
 		mod->exit();
 	blocking_notifier_call_chain(&module_notify_list,
 				     MODULE_STATE_GOING, mod);
+	async_synchronize_full();
 	mutex_lock(&module_mutex);
 	/* Store the name of the last unloaded module for diagnostic purposes */
 	strlcpy(last_unloaded_module, mod->name, sizeof(last_unloaded_module));