diff --git a/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c b/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c
index 4672250b329f..cdcf5c6acc3c 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/power_allocator.c
@@ -73,6 +73,39 @@ struct power_allocator_params {
 };
 
 /**
+ * estimate_sustainable_power() - Estimate the sustainable power of a thermal zone
+ * @tz: thermal zone we are operating in
+ *
+ * For thermal zones that don't provide a sustainable_power in their
+ * thermal_zone_params, estimate one.  Calculate it using the minimum
+ * power of all the cooling devices as that gives a valid value that
+ * can give some degree of functionality.  For optimal performance of
+ * this governor, provide a sustainable_power in the thermal zone's
+ * thermal_zone_params.
+ */
+static u32 estimate_sustainable_power(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
+{
+	u32 sustainable_power = 0;
+	struct thermal_instance *instance;
+	struct power_allocator_params *params = tz->governor_data;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(instance, &tz->thermal_instances, tz_node) {
+		struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev = instance->cdev;
+		u32 min_power;
+
+		if (instance->trip != params->trip_max_desired_temperature)
+			continue;
+
+		if (power_actor_get_min_power(cdev, tz, &min_power))
+			continue;
+
+		sustainable_power += min_power;
+	}
+
+	return sustainable_power;
+}
+
+/**
  * pid_controller() - PID controller
  * @tz:	thermal zone we are operating in
  * @current_temp:	the current temperature in millicelsius
@@ -98,6 +131,7 @@ static u32 pid_controller(struct thermal_zone_device *tz,
 {
 	s64 p, i, d, power_range;
 	s32 err, max_power_frac;
+	u32 sustainable_power;
 	struct power_allocator_params *params = tz->governor_data;
 
 	max_power_frac = int_to_frac(max_allocatable_power);
@@ -138,8 +172,11 @@ static u32 pid_controller(struct thermal_zone_device *tz,
 
 	power_range = p + i + d;
 
+	sustainable_power = tz->tzp->sustainable_power ?:
+		estimate_sustainable_power(tz);
+
 	/* feed-forward the known sustainable dissipatable power */
-	power_range = tz->tzp->sustainable_power + frac_to_int(power_range);
+	power_range = sustainable_power + frac_to_int(power_range);
 
 	power_range = clamp(power_range, (s64)0, (s64)max_allocatable_power);
 
@@ -412,18 +449,18 @@ static int power_allocator_bind(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
 	int ret;
 	struct power_allocator_params *params;
 	unsigned long switch_on_temp, control_temp;
-	u32 temperature_threshold;
+	u32 sustainable_power, temperature_threshold;
 
-	if (!tz->tzp || !tz->tzp->sustainable_power) {
-		dev_err(&tz->device,
-			"power_allocator: missing sustainable_power\n");
+	if (!tz->tzp)
 		return -EINVAL;
-	}
 
 	params = devm_kzalloc(&tz->device, sizeof(*params), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!params)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	if (!tz->tzp->sustainable_power)
+		dev_warn(&tz->device, "power_allocator: sustainable_power will be estimated\n");
+
 	ret = get_governor_trips(tz, params);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev_err(&tz->device,
@@ -442,13 +479,20 @@ static int power_allocator_bind(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
 	if (ret)
 		goto free;
 
+	/*
+	 * Provide an arbitrary sustainable_power to set the default
+	 * values of k_po and k_pu.  We can estimate sustainable_power
+	 * at this point because no cooling devices have been
+	 * registered yet.  By providing an arbitrary value we get
+	 * better defaults that setting k_po and k_pu to 0.
+	 */
+	sustainable_power = tz->tzp->sustainable_power ?: 2500;
 	temperature_threshold = control_temp - switch_on_temp;
 
 	tz->tzp->k_po = tz->tzp->k_po ?:
-		int_to_frac(tz->tzp->sustainable_power) / temperature_threshold;
+		int_to_frac(sustainable_power) / temperature_threshold;
 	tz->tzp->k_pu = tz->tzp->k_pu ?:
-		int_to_frac(2 * tz->tzp->sustainable_power) /
-		temperature_threshold;
+		int_to_frac(2 * sustainable_power) / temperature_threshold;
 	tz->tzp->k_i = tz->tzp->k_i ?: int_to_frac(10) / 1000;
 	/*
 	 * The default for k_d and integral_cutoff is 0, so we can
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c b/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
index 04659bfb888b..4040dd95bb19 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
@@ -997,6 +997,34 @@ int power_actor_get_max_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
 }
 
 /**
+ * power_actor_get_min_power() - get the mainimum power that a cdev can consume
+ * @cdev:	pointer to &thermal_cooling_device
+ * @tz:		a valid thermal zone device pointer
+ * @min_power:	pointer in which to store the minimum power
+ *
+ * Calculate the minimum power consumption in milliwats that the
+ * cooling device can currently consume and store it in @min_power.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, -EINVAL if @cdev doesn't support the
+ * power_actor API or -E* on other error.
+ */
+int power_actor_get_min_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
+			      struct thermal_zone_device *tz, u32 *min_power)
+{
+	unsigned long max_state;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (!cdev_is_power_actor(cdev))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	ret = cdev->ops->get_max_state(cdev, &max_state);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	return cdev->ops->state2power(cdev, tz, max_state, min_power);
+}
+
+/**
  * power_actor_set_power() - limit the maximum power that a cooling device can consume
  * @cdev:	pointer to &thermal_cooling_device
  * @instance:	thermal instance to update
diff --git a/include/linux/thermal.h b/include/linux/thermal.h
index 037e9df2f610..f99d934d373a 100644
--- a/include/linux/thermal.h
+++ b/include/linux/thermal.h
@@ -384,6 +384,8 @@ static inline bool cdev_is_power_actor(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev)
 
 int power_actor_get_max_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *,
 			      struct thermal_zone_device *tz, u32 *max_power);
+int power_actor_get_min_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *,
+			      struct thermal_zone_device *tz, u32 *min_power);
 int power_actor_set_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *,
 			  struct thermal_instance *, u32);
 struct thermal_zone_device *thermal_zone_device_register(const char *, int, int,
@@ -419,6 +421,10 @@ static inline bool cdev_is_power_actor(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev)
 static inline int power_actor_get_max_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
 			      struct thermal_zone_device *tz, u32 *max_power)
 { return 0; }
+static inline int power_actor_get_min_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
+					    struct thermal_zone_device *tz,
+					    u32 *min_power)
+{ return -ENODEV; }
 static inline int power_actor_set_power(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
 			  struct thermal_instance *tz, u32 power)
 { return 0; }
