diff --git a/drivers/base/swnode.c b/drivers/base/swnode.c
index 7b321bf8424c..39b8f8f35cfe 100644
--- a/drivers/base/swnode.c
+++ b/drivers/base/swnode.c
@@ -11,10 +11,19 @@
 #include <linux/property.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 
+struct software_node_reference {
+	struct list_head list;
+	const char *name;
+	int nrefs;
+	struct fwnode_reference_args *args;
+};
+
 struct software_node {
 	int id;
 	struct kobject kobj;
 	struct fwnode_handle fwnode;
+	struct list_head references;
+	struct mutex lock; /* node lock */
 
 	/* hierarchy */
 	struct ida child_ids;
@@ -598,9 +607,11 @@ fwnode_create_software_node(const struct property_entry *properties,
 	swnode->kobj.kset = swnode_kset;
 	swnode->fwnode.ops = &software_node_ops;
 
+	mutex_init(&swnode->lock);
 	ida_init(&swnode->child_ids);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&swnode->entry);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&swnode->children);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&swnode->references);
 	swnode->parent = p;
 
 	ret = kobject_init_and_add(&swnode->kobj, &software_node_type,
@@ -631,6 +642,11 @@ void fwnode_remove_software_node(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode)
 	if (!swnode)
 		return;
 
+	mutex_lock(&swnode->lock);
+	WARN(!list_empty(&swnode->references),
+	     "\"%s\" has still references", kobject_name(&swnode->kobj));
+	mutex_unlock(&swnode->lock);
+
 	if (swnode->parent) {
 		ida_simple_remove(&swnode->parent->child_ids, swnode->id);
 		list_del(&swnode->entry);
@@ -642,6 +658,91 @@ void fwnode_remove_software_node(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fwnode_remove_software_node);
 
+/**
+ * fwnode_create_software_node_reference - Create named reference description
+ * @fwnode: The software node to have the references
+ * @name: Name given to reference description
+ * @args: Zero terminated array of software node references with arguments
+ *
+ * Associates software nodes listed in @args with @fwnode. The association is
+ * named @name. The reference count is incremented for the nodes in @args.
+ *
+ * Returns pointer to software node reference description on success, or ERR_PTR
+ * on failure.
+ */
+struct software_node_reference *
+fwnode_create_software_node_reference(const struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
+				      const char *name,
+				      const struct fwnode_reference_args *args)
+{
+	struct software_node *swnode = to_software_node(fwnode);
+	struct software_node_reference *ref;
+	int n;
+
+	if (!swnode)
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+
+	for (n = 0; args[n].fwnode; n++)
+		if (!is_software_node(args[n].fwnode))
+			return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+
+	ref = kzalloc(sizeof(*ref), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ref)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+
+	ref->nrefs = n;
+
+	ref->name = kstrdup(name, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ref->name) {
+		kfree(ref);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	}
+
+	ref->args = kcalloc(ref->nrefs, sizeof(*ref->args), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ref->args) {
+		kfree(ref->name);
+		kfree(ref);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	}
+
+	for (n = 0; n < ref->nrefs; n++) {
+		ref->args[n] = args[n];
+		software_node_get(ref->args[n].fwnode);
+	}
+
+	mutex_lock(&swnode->lock);
+	list_add_tail(&ref->list, &swnode->references);
+	mutex_unlock(&swnode->lock);
+
+	return ref;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fwnode_create_software_node_reference);
+
+/**
+ * fwnode_remove_software_node_reference - Remove named reference description
+ * @ref: Software node reference description
+ *
+ * Remove named reference @ref. Decrements the software node reference count of
+ * each node in @ref, and removes the association that was created in
+ * fwnode_create_software_node_reference().
+ */
+void fwnode_remove_software_node_reference(struct software_node_reference *ref)
+{
+	int n;
+
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(ref))
+		return;
+
+	for (n = 0; n < ref->nrefs; n++)
+		kobject_put(&to_software_node(ref->args[n].fwnode)->kobj);
+
+	list_del(&ref->list);
+	kfree(ref->args);
+	kfree(ref->name);
+	kfree(ref);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fwnode_remove_software_node_reference);
+
 int software_node_notify(struct device *dev, unsigned long action)
 {
 	struct fwnode_handle *fwnode = dev_fwnode(dev);
diff --git a/include/linux/property.h b/include/linux/property.h
index 65d3420dd5d1..40e12ca43556 100644
--- a/include/linux/property.h
+++ b/include/linux/property.h
@@ -314,6 +314,8 @@ int fwnode_graph_parse_endpoint(const struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* Software fwnode support - when HW description is incomplete or missing */
 
+struct sofware_node_reference;
+
 bool is_software_node(const struct fwnode_handle *fwnode);
 
 int software_node_notify(struct device *dev, unsigned long action);
@@ -323,4 +325,10 @@ fwnode_create_software_node(const struct property_entry *properties,
 			    const struct fwnode_handle *parent);
 void fwnode_remove_software_node(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode);
 
+struct software_node_reference *
+fwnode_create_software_node_reference(const struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
+				      const char *name,
+				      const struct fwnode_reference_args *args);
+void fwnode_remove_software_node_reference(struct software_node_reference *ref);
+
 #endif /* _LINUX_PROPERTY_H_ */
