diff --git a/drivers/base/dd.c b/drivers/base/dd.c
index af6bea56f4e25a9088499bef419ba0cdb87dbead..3fc3b5940bb31983d1fc0b1f65dede25c5b2c090 100644
--- a/drivers/base/dd.c
+++ b/drivers/base/dd.c
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ int driver_deferred_probe_check_state(struct device *dev)
 
 	return -EPROBE_DEFER;
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(driver_deferred_probe_check_state);
 
 static void deferred_probe_timeout_work_func(struct work_struct *work)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/net/mdio/fwnode_mdio.c b/drivers/net/mdio/fwnode_mdio.c
index 1becb1a731f67555fc44e099bd90ee432086203c..1c1584fca63277a0d6b286e055a72678fa9677fd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mdio/fwnode_mdio.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mdio/fwnode_mdio.c
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ int fwnode_mdiobus_phy_device_register(struct mii_bus *mdio,
 	int rc;
 
 	rc = fwnode_irq_get(child, 0);
+	/* Don't wait forever if the IRQ provider doesn't become available,
+	 * just fall back to poll mode
+	 */
+	if (rc == -EPROBE_DEFER)
+		rc = driver_deferred_probe_check_state(&phy->mdio.dev);
 	if (rc == -EPROBE_DEFER)
 		return rc;