diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-a64.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-a64.c
index 49bd7a4c015c..045121b50da3 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-a64.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-a64.c
@@ -342,8 +342,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_de_clk,	"bus-de",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(12), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_gpu_clk,	"bus-gpu",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(20), 0);
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk,	"bus-msgbox",	"ahb1",
-		      0x064, BIT(21), 0);
+		      0x064, BIT(21), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk,	"bus-spinlock",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(22), 0);
 
diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-h6.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-h6.c
index aebef4af9861..14f39bc4180f 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-h6.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun50i-h6.c
@@ -340,8 +340,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_vp9_clk, "bus-vp9", "psi-ahb1-ahb2",
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_dma_clk, "bus-dma", "psi-ahb1-ahb2",
 		      0x70c, BIT(0), 0);
 
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk, "bus-msgbox", "psi-ahb1-ahb2",
-		      0x71c, BIT(0), 0);
+		      0x71c, BIT(0), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk, "bus-spinlock", "psi-ahb1-ahb2",
 		      0x72c, BIT(0), 0);
diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a23.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a23.c
index 103aa504f6c8..5a28583f57e2 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a23.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a23.c
@@ -255,8 +255,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_de_fe_clk,	"bus-de-fe",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(14), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_gpu_clk,	"bus-gpu",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(20), 0);
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk,	"bus-msgbox",	"ahb1",
-		      0x064, BIT(21), 0);
+		      0x064, BIT(21), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk,	"bus-spinlock",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(22), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_drc_clk,	"bus-drc",	"ahb1",
diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a33.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a33.c
index 91838cd11037..50cf3726ef30 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a33.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a33.c
@@ -267,8 +267,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_de_fe_clk,	"bus-de-fe",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(14), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_gpu_clk,	"bus-gpu",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(20), 0);
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk,	"bus-msgbox",	"ahb1",
-		      0x064, BIT(21), 0);
+		      0x064, BIT(21), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk,	"bus-spinlock",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(22), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_drc_clk,	"bus-drc",	"ahb1",
diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a83t.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a83t.c
index 2b434521c5cc..4ab3a76f4ffa 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a83t.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-a83t.c
@@ -339,8 +339,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_de_clk,	"bus-de",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(12), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_gpu_clk,	"bus-gpu",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(20), 0);
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk,	"bus-msgbox",	"ahb1",
-		      0x064, BIT(21), 0);
+		      0x064, BIT(21), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk,	"bus-spinlock",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(22), 0);
 
diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-h3.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-h3.c
index 6b636362379e..7429d3fe8fb7 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-h3.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun8i-h3.c
@@ -273,8 +273,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_de_clk,	"bus-de",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(12), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_gpu_clk,	"bus-gpu",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(20), 0);
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk,	"bus-msgbox",	"ahb1",
-		      0x064, BIT(21), 0);
+		      0x064, BIT(21), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk,	"bus-spinlock",	"ahb1",
 		      0x064, BIT(22), 0);
 
diff --git a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun9i-a80.c b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun9i-a80.c
index dcac1391767f..47d1d18b6f38 100644
--- a/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun9i-a80.c
+++ b/drivers/clk/sunxi-ng/ccu-sun9i-a80.c
@@ -748,8 +748,9 @@ static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_usb_clk,	"bus-usb",	"ahb1",
 		      0x584, BIT(1), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_gmac_clk,	"bus-gmac",	"ahb1",
 		      0x584, BIT(17), 0);
+/* Used for communication between firmware components at runtime */
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_msgbox_clk,	"bus-msgbox",	"ahb1",
-		      0x584, BIT(21), 0);
+		      0x584, BIT(21), CLK_IS_CRITICAL);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_spinlock_clk,	"bus-spinlock",	"ahb1",
 		      0x584, BIT(22), 0);
 static SUNXI_CCU_GATE(bus_hstimer_clk,	"bus-hstimer",	"ahb1",
