diff --git a/Documentation/driver-model/porting.txt b/Documentation/driver-model/porting.txt
index 92d86f7271b4..453053f1661f 100644
--- a/Documentation/driver-model/porting.txt
+++ b/Documentation/driver-model/porting.txt
@@ -340,8 +340,10 @@ comparison:
 
   int (*match)(struct device * dev, struct device_driver * drv);
 
-match should return '1' if the driver supports the device, and '0'
-otherwise. 
+match should return positive value if the driver supports the device,
+and zero otherwise. It may also return error code (for example
+-EPROBE_DEFER) if determining that given driver supports the device is
+not possible.
 
 When a device is registered, the bus's list of drivers is iterated
 over. bus->match() is called for each one until a match is found. 
diff --git a/drivers/base/dd.c b/drivers/base/dd.c
index c4da2df62e02..16688f50729c 100644
--- a/drivers/base/dd.c
+++ b/drivers/base/dd.c
@@ -560,6 +560,7 @@ static int __device_attach_driver(struct device_driver *drv, void *_data)
 	struct device_attach_data *data = _data;
 	struct device *dev = data->dev;
 	bool async_allowed;
+	int ret;
 
 	/*
 	 * Check if device has already been claimed. This may
@@ -570,8 +571,17 @@ static int __device_attach_driver(struct device_driver *drv, void *_data)
 	if (dev->driver)
 		return -EBUSY;
 
-	if (!driver_match_device(drv, dev))
+	ret = driver_match_device(drv, dev);
+	if (ret == 0) {
+		/* no match */
 		return 0;
+	} else if (ret == -EPROBE_DEFER) {
+		dev_dbg(dev, "Device match requests probe deferral\n");
+		driver_deferred_probe_add(dev);
+	} else if (ret < 0) {
+		dev_dbg(dev, "Bus failed to match device: %d", ret);
+		return ret;
+	} /* ret > 0 means positive match */
 
 	async_allowed = driver_allows_async_probing(drv);
 
@@ -691,6 +701,7 @@ void device_initial_probe(struct device *dev)
 static int __driver_attach(struct device *dev, void *data)
 {
 	struct device_driver *drv = data;
+	int ret;
 
 	/*
 	 * Lock device and try to bind to it. We drop the error
@@ -702,8 +713,17 @@ static int __driver_attach(struct device *dev, void *data)
 	 * is an error.
 	 */
 
-	if (!driver_match_device(drv, dev))
+	ret = driver_match_device(drv, dev);
+	if (ret == 0) {
+		/* no match */
 		return 0;
+	} else if (ret == -EPROBE_DEFER) {
+		dev_dbg(dev, "Device match requests probe deferral\n");
+		driver_deferred_probe_add(dev);
+	} else if (ret < 0) {
+		dev_dbg(dev, "Bus failed to match device: %d", ret);
+		return ret;
+	} /* ret > 0 means positive match */
 
 	if (dev->parent)	/* Needed for USB */
 		device_lock(dev->parent);
diff --git a/include/linux/device.h b/include/linux/device.h
index 6d6f1fec092f..8f2ec813d215 100644
--- a/include/linux/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/device.h
@@ -70,8 +70,11 @@ extern void bus_remove_file(struct bus_type *, struct bus_attribute *);
  * @dev_groups:	Default attributes of the devices on the bus.
  * @drv_groups: Default attributes of the device drivers on the bus.
  * @match:	Called, perhaps multiple times, whenever a new device or driver
- *		is added for this bus. It should return a nonzero value if the
- *		given device can be handled by the given driver.
+ *		is added for this bus. It should return a positive value if the
+ *		given device can be handled by the given driver and zero
+ *		otherwise. It may also return error code if determining that
+ *		the driver supports the device is not possible. In case of
+ *		-EPROBE_DEFER it will queue the device for deferred probing.
  * @uevent:	Called when a device is added, removed, or a few other things
  *		that generate uevents to add the environment variables.
  * @probe:	Called when a new device or driver add to this bus, and callback