diff --git a/drivers/media/tuners/xc2028.c b/drivers/media/tuners/xc2028.c
index 8e6638e5f688..a9c1f9ea74e8 100644
--- a/drivers/media/tuners/xc2028.c
+++ b/drivers/media/tuners/xc2028.c
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ struct xc2028_data {
 	struct xc2028_ctrl	ctrl;
 
 	struct firmware_properties cur_fw;
+	struct completion fw_completion;
 
 	struct mutex lock;
 };
@@ -1329,6 +1330,9 @@ static void xc2028_dvb_release(struct dvb_frontend *fe)
 
 	mutex_lock(&xc2028_list_mutex);
 
+	if (priv->state == XC2028_WAITING_FIRMWARE)
+		wait_for_completion(&priv->fw_completion);
+
 	/* only perform final cleanup if this is the last instance */
 	if (hybrid_tuner_report_instance_count(priv) == 1)
 		free_firmware(priv);
@@ -1361,30 +1365,21 @@ static void load_firmware_cb(const struct firmware *fw,
 			     void *context)
 {
 	struct dvb_frontend *fe = context;
-	struct xc2028_data *priv;
+	struct xc2028_data *priv = fe->tuner_priv;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (!fe) {
-		pr_warn("xc2028: No frontend in %s\n", __func__);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	priv = fe->tuner_priv;
-
 	tuner_dbg("request_firmware_nowait(): %s\n", fw ? "OK" : "error");
 	if (!fw) {
 		tuner_err("Could not load firmware %s.\n", priv->fname);
 		priv->state = XC2028_NODEV;
-		return;
+	} else {
+		rc = load_all_firmwares(fe, fw);
+		release_firmware(fw);
+		if (rc == 0)
+			priv->state = XC2028_ACTIVE;
 	}
 
-	rc = load_all_firmwares(fe, fw);
-
-	release_firmware(fw);
-
-	if (rc < 0)
-		return;
-	priv->state = XC2028_ACTIVE;
+	complete(&priv->fw_completion);
 }
 
 static int xc2028_set_config(struct dvb_frontend *fe, void *priv_cfg)
@@ -1433,8 +1428,10 @@ static int xc2028_set_config(struct dvb_frontend *fe, void *priv_cfg)
 			tuner_err("Failed to request firmware %s\n",
 				  priv->fname);
 			priv->state = XC2028_NODEV;
-		} else
+		} else {
+			init_completion(&priv->fw_completion);
 			priv->state = XC2028_WAITING_FIRMWARE;
+		}
 	}
 unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&priv->lock);