diff --git a/drivers/base/dd.c b/drivers/base/dd.c
index 0df9b4461766..0399a6f6c479 100644
--- a/drivers/base/dd.c
+++ b/drivers/base/dd.c
@@ -238,23 +238,32 @@ __setup("deferred_probe_timeout=", deferred_probe_timeout_setup);
 /**
  * driver_deferred_probe_check_state() - Check deferred probe state
  * @dev: device to check
+ * @flags: Flags used to control the behavior of this function. Drivers can
+ *   set the DRIVER_DEFER_PROBE_PERSIST flag to indicate that they want to
+ *   keep trying to probe after built-in drivers have had a chance to probe.
+ *   This is useful for built-in drivers that rely on resources provided by
+ *   modular drivers.
  *
  * Returns -ENODEV if init is done and all built-in drivers have had a chance
- * to probe (i.e. initcalls are done), -ETIMEDOUT if deferred probe debug
- * timeout has expired, or -EPROBE_DEFER if none of those conditions are met.
+ * to probe (i.e. initcalls are done) and unless the DRIVER_DEFER_PROBE_PERSIST
+ * flag is set, -ETIMEDOUT if deferred probe debug timeout has expired, or
+ * -EPROBE_DEFER if none of those conditions are met.
  *
  * Drivers or subsystems can opt-in to calling this function instead of directly
  * returning -EPROBE_DEFER.
  */
-int driver_deferred_probe_check_state(struct device *dev)
+int driver_deferred_probe_check_state(struct device *dev, unsigned long flags)
 {
 	if (initcalls_done) {
 		if (!deferred_probe_timeout) {
 			dev_WARN(dev, "deferred probe timeout, ignoring dependency");
 			return -ETIMEDOUT;
 		}
-		dev_warn(dev, "ignoring dependency for device, assuming no driver");
-		return -ENODEV;
+
+		if ((flags & DRIVER_DEFER_PROBE_PERSIST) == 0) {
+			dev_warn(dev, "ignoring dependency for device, assuming no driver");
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
 	}
 	return -EPROBE_DEFER;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/base/power/domain.c b/drivers/base/power/domain.c
index 33c30c1e6a30..6198c6a30fe2 100644
--- a/drivers/base/power/domain.c
+++ b/drivers/base/power/domain.c
@@ -2423,7 +2423,7 @@ static int __genpd_dev_pm_attach(struct device *dev, struct device *base_dev,
 		mutex_unlock(&gpd_list_lock);
 		dev_dbg(dev, "%s() failed to find PM domain: %ld\n",
 			__func__, PTR_ERR(pd));
-		return driver_deferred_probe_check_state(base_dev);
+		return driver_deferred_probe_check_state(base_dev, 0);
 	}
 
 	dev_dbg(dev, "adding to PM domain %s\n", pd->name);
diff --git a/drivers/iommu/of_iommu.c b/drivers/iommu/of_iommu.c
index 614a93aa5305..b95d4342e414 100644
--- a/drivers/iommu/of_iommu.c
+++ b/drivers/iommu/of_iommu.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static int of_iommu_xlate(struct device *dev,
 	 * a proper probe-ordering dependency mechanism in future.
 	 */
 	if (!ops)
-		return driver_deferred_probe_check_state(dev);
+		return driver_deferred_probe_check_state(dev, 0);
 
 	return ops->of_xlate(dev, iommu_spec);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/devicetree.c b/drivers/pinctrl/devicetree.c
index f7e354f85518..43c0183fa23f 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/devicetree.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/devicetree.c
@@ -111,13 +111,14 @@ static int dt_to_map_one_config(struct pinctrl *p,
 
 		np_pctldev = of_get_next_parent(np_pctldev);
 		if (!np_pctldev || of_node_is_root(np_pctldev)) {
+			unsigned long flags = 0;
+
 			of_node_put(np_pctldev);
-			ret = driver_deferred_probe_check_state(p->dev);
 			/* keep deferring if modules are enabled unless we've timed out */
-			if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_MODULES) && !allow_default && ret == -ENODEV)
-				ret = -EPROBE_DEFER;
+			if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_MODULES) && !allow_default)
+				flags |= DRIVER_DEFER_PROBE_PERSIST;
 
-			return ret;
+			return driver_deferred_probe_check_state(p->dev, flags);
 		}
 		/* If we're creating a hog we can use the passed pctldev */
 		if (hog_pctldev && (np_pctldev == p->dev->of_node)) {
diff --git a/include/linux/device.h b/include/linux/device.h
index e0649f6adf2e..d364656a920c 100644
--- a/include/linux/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/device.h
@@ -340,7 +340,23 @@ struct device *driver_find_device(struct device_driver *drv,
 				  int (*match)(struct device *dev, void *data));
 
 void driver_deferred_probe_add(struct device *dev);
-int driver_deferred_probe_check_state(struct device *dev);
+
+/*
+ * This can be use to continue to defer probe after the init stage and after
+ * all the built-in drivers have had a chance to probe. This is useful if a
+ * built-in driver requires resources provided by a modular driver.
+ *
+ * One such example is the pinctrl subsystem, where for example the DPAUX
+ * hardware on Tegra provides pinmuxing controls for pins shared between DPAUX
+ * and I2C controllers. Only a subset of I2C controllers need the DPAUX
+ * pinmuxing, and some I2C controllers are used during early boot for critical
+ * tasks (such as communicating with the system PMIC). The I2C controllers
+ * that don't share pins with a DPAUX block will want to be driven by a built-
+ * in driver to make sure they are available early on.
+ */
+#define DRIVER_DEFER_PROBE_PERSIST (1 << 0)
+
+int driver_deferred_probe_check_state(struct device *dev, unsigned long flags);
 
 /**
  * struct subsys_interface - interfaces to device functions
