diff --git a/drivers/mmc/core/mmc.c b/drivers/mmc/core/mmc.c
index 63a7bd0b239c..13074aa1f605 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/core/mmc.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/core/mmc.c
@@ -1905,6 +1905,14 @@ static int mmc_can_sleep(struct mmc_card *card)
 	return card->ext_csd.rev >= 3;
 }
 
+static int mmc_sleep_busy_cb(void *cb_data, bool *busy)
+{
+	struct mmc_host *host = cb_data;
+
+	*busy = host->ops->card_busy(host);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int mmc_sleep(struct mmc_host *host)
 {
 	struct mmc_command cmd = {};
@@ -1930,13 +1938,20 @@ static int mmc_sleep(struct mmc_host *host)
 		goto out_release;
 
 	/*
-	 * If the host does not wait while the card signals busy, then we will
-	 * will have to wait the sleep/awake timeout.  Note, we cannot use the
-	 * SEND_STATUS command to poll the status because that command (and most
-	 * others) is invalid while the card sleeps.
+	 * If the host does not wait while the card signals busy, then we can
+	 * try to poll, but only if the host supports HW polling, as the
+	 * SEND_STATUS cmd is not allowed. If we can't poll, then we simply need
+	 * to wait the sleep/awake timeout.
 	 */
-	if (!use_r1b_resp || !(host->caps & MMC_CAP_WAIT_WHILE_BUSY))
+	if (host->caps & MMC_CAP_WAIT_WHILE_BUSY && use_r1b_resp)
+		goto out_release;
+
+	if (!host->ops->card_busy) {
 		mmc_delay(timeout_ms);
+		goto out_release;
+	}
+
+	err = __mmc_poll_for_busy(card, timeout_ms, &mmc_sleep_busy_cb, host);
 
 out_release:
 	mmc_retune_release(host);