diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c
index 10c02f5..165dd20 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c
@@ -17,12 +17,8 @@
 #include <asm/unaligned.h>
 #include "htc.h"
 
-/* identify firmware images */
-#define FIRMWARE_AR7010_1_1     "htc_7010.fw"
-#define FIRMWARE_AR9271         "htc_9271.fw"
-
-MODULE_FIRMWARE(FIRMWARE_AR7010_1_1);
-MODULE_FIRMWARE(FIRMWARE_AR9271);
+MODULE_FIRMWARE(HTC_7010_MODULE_FW);
+MODULE_FIRMWARE(HTC_9271_MODULE_FW);
 
 static struct usb_device_id ath9k_hif_usb_ids[] = {
 	{ USB_DEVICE(0x0cf3, 0x9271) }, /* Atheros */
@@ -1080,12 +1076,88 @@ static void ath9k_hif_usb_firmware_fail(struct hif_device_usb *hif_dev)
 		device_unlock(parent);
 }
 
+static void ath9k_hif_usb_firmware_cb(const struct firmware *fw, void *context);
+
+/* taken from iwlwifi */
+static int ath9k_hif_request_firmware(struct hif_device_usb *hif_dev,
+				      bool first)
+{
+	char index[8], *chip;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (first) {
+		if (htc_use_dev_fw) {
+			hif_dev->fw_minor_index = FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MAX + 1;
+			sprintf(index, "%s", "dev");
+		} else {
+			hif_dev->fw_minor_index = FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MAX;
+			sprintf(index, "%d", hif_dev->fw_minor_index);
+		}
+	} else {
+		hif_dev->fw_minor_index--;
+		sprintf(index, "%d", hif_dev->fw_minor_index);
+	}
+
+	/* test for FW 1.3 */
+	if (MAJOR_VERSION_REQ == 1 && hif_dev->fw_minor_index == 3) {
+		const char *filename;
+
+		if (IS_AR7010_DEVICE(hif_dev->usb_device_id->driver_info))
+			filename = FIRMWARE_AR7010_1_1;
+		else
+			filename = FIRMWARE_AR9271;
+
+		/* expected fw locations:
+		 * - htc_9271.fw   (stable version 1.3, depricated)
+		 */
+		snprintf(hif_dev->fw_name, sizeof(hif_dev->fw_name),
+			 "%s", filename);
+
+	} else if (hif_dev->fw_minor_index < FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MIN) {
+		dev_err(&hif_dev->udev->dev, "no suitable firmware found!\n");
+
+		return -ENOENT;
+	} else {
+		if (IS_AR7010_DEVICE(hif_dev->usb_device_id->driver_info))
+			chip = "7010";
+		else
+			chip = "9271";
+
+		/* expected fw locations:
+		 * - ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.dev.0.fw (development version)
+		 * - ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.4.0.fw   (stable version)
+		 */
+		snprintf(hif_dev->fw_name, sizeof(hif_dev->fw_name),
+			 "%s/htc_%s-%d.%s.0.fw", HTC_FW_PATH,
+			 chip, MAJOR_VERSION_REQ, index);
+	}
+
+	ret = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, true, hif_dev->fw_name,
+				      &hif_dev->udev->dev, GFP_KERNEL,
+				      hif_dev, ath9k_hif_usb_firmware_cb);
+	if (ret) {
+		dev_err(&hif_dev->udev->dev,
+			"ath9k_htc: Async request for firmware %s failed\n",
+			hif_dev->fw_name);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	dev_info(&hif_dev->udev->dev, "ath9k_htc: Firmware %s requested\n",
+		 hif_dev->fw_name);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static void ath9k_hif_usb_firmware_cb(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
 {
 	struct hif_device_usb *hif_dev = context;
 	int ret;
 
 	if (!fw) {
+		ret = ath9k_hif_request_firmware(hif_dev, false);
+		if (!ret)
+			return;
+
 		dev_err(&hif_dev->udev->dev,
 			"ath9k_htc: Failed to get firmware %s\n",
 			hif_dev->fw_name);
@@ -1215,27 +1287,11 @@ static int ath9k_hif_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 
 	init_completion(&hif_dev->fw_done);
 
-	/* Find out which firmware to load */
-
-	if (IS_AR7010_DEVICE(id->driver_info))
-		hif_dev->fw_name = FIRMWARE_AR7010_1_1;
-	else
-		hif_dev->fw_name = FIRMWARE_AR9271;
-
-	ret = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, true, hif_dev->fw_name,
-				      &hif_dev->udev->dev, GFP_KERNEL,
-				      hif_dev, ath9k_hif_usb_firmware_cb);
-	if (ret) {
-		dev_err(&hif_dev->udev->dev,
-			"ath9k_htc: Async request for firmware %s failed\n",
-			hif_dev->fw_name);
+	ret = ath9k_hif_request_firmware(hif_dev, true);
+	if (ret)
 		goto err_fw_req;
-	}
 
-	dev_info(&hif_dev->udev->dev, "ath9k_htc: Firmware %s requested\n",
-		 hif_dev->fw_name);
-
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 
 err_fw_req:
 	usb_set_intfdata(interface, NULL);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.h b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.h
index 51496e7..7c2ef7e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.h
@@ -17,8 +17,26 @@
 #ifndef HTC_USB_H
 #define HTC_USB_H
 
+/* old firmware images */
+#define FIRMWARE_AR7010_1_1     "htc_7010.fw"
+#define FIRMWARE_AR9271         "htc_9271.fw"
+
+/* supported Major FW version */
 #define MAJOR_VERSION_REQ 1
 #define MINOR_VERSION_REQ 3
+/* minimal and maximal supported Minor FW version. */
+#define FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MAX  4
+#define FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MIN  3
+#define HTC_FW_PATH	"ath9k_htc"
+
+#define HTC_9271_MODULE_FW  HTC_FW_PATH "/htc_9271-" \
+			__stringify(MAJOR_VERSION_REQ) \
+			"." __stringify(FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MAX) ".0.fw"
+#define HTC_7010_MODULE_FW  HTC_FW_PATH "/htc_7010-" \
+			__stringify(MAJOR_VERSION_REQ) \
+			"." __stringify(FIRMWARE_MINOR_IDX_MAX) ".0.fw"
+
+extern int htc_use_dev_fw;
 
 #define IS_AR7010_DEVICE(_v) (((_v) == AR9280_USB) || ((_v) == AR9287_USB))
 
@@ -101,7 +119,8 @@ struct hif_device_usb {
 	struct usb_anchor reg_in_submitted;
 	struct usb_anchor mgmt_submitted;
 	struct sk_buff *remain_skb;
-	const char *fw_name;
+	char fw_name[32];
+	int fw_minor_index;
 	int rx_remain_len;
 	int rx_pkt_len;
 	int rx_transfer_len;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_drv_init.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_drv_init.c
index 7468562..57ca9b6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_drv_init.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_drv_init.c
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ static int ath9k_ps_enable;
 module_param_named(ps_enable, ath9k_ps_enable, int, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(ps_enable, "Enable WLAN PowerSave");
 
+int htc_use_dev_fw = 0;
+module_param_named(use_dev_fw, htc_use_dev_fw, int, 0444);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(use_dev_fw, "Use development FW version");
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_LEDS
 int ath9k_htc_led_blink = 1;
 module_param_named(blink, ath9k_htc_led_blink, int, 0444);
