diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/core.h b/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/core.h
index df8a1ecb9924..232dcbb83311 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/core.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/core.h
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ enum brcmf_netif_stop_reason {
  * @netif_stop_lock: spinlock for update netif_stop from multiple sources.
  * @pend_8021x_cnt: tracks outstanding number of 802.1x frames.
  * @pend_8021x_wait: used for signalling change in count.
+ * @fwil_fwerr: flag indicating fwil layer should return firmware error codes.
  */
 struct brcmf_if {
 	struct brcmf_pub *drvr;
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ struct brcmf_if {
 	wait_queue_head_t pend_8021x_wait;
 	struct in6_addr ipv6_addr_tbl[NDOL_MAX_ENTRIES];
 	u8 ipv6addr_idx;
+	bool fwil_fwerr;
 };
 
 int brcmf_netdev_wait_pend8021x(struct brcmf_if *ifp);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/feature.c b/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/feature.c
index 47de35a33853..bede7b7fd996 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/feature.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/feature.c
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ static void brcmf_feat_iovar_int_get(struct brcmf_if *ifp,
 	u32 data;
 	int err;
 
+	/* we need to know firmware error */
+	ifp->fwil_fwerr = true;
+
 	err = brcmf_fil_iovar_int_get(ifp, name, &data);
 	if (err == 0) {
 		brcmf_dbg(INFO, "enabling feature: %s\n", brcmf_feat_names[id]);
@@ -112,6 +115,8 @@ static void brcmf_feat_iovar_int_get(struct brcmf_if *ifp,
 		brcmf_dbg(TRACE, "%s feature check failed: %d\n",
 			  brcmf_feat_names[id], err);
 	}
+
+	ifp->fwil_fwerr = false;
 }
 
 static void brcmf_feat_iovar_data_set(struct brcmf_if *ifp,
@@ -120,6 +125,9 @@ static void brcmf_feat_iovar_data_set(struct brcmf_if *ifp,
 {
 	int err;
 
+	/* we need to know firmware error */
+	ifp->fwil_fwerr = true;
+
 	err = brcmf_fil_iovar_data_set(ifp, name, data, len);
 	if (err != -BRCMF_FW_UNSUPPORTED) {
 		brcmf_dbg(INFO, "enabling feature: %s\n", brcmf_feat_names[id]);
@@ -128,6 +136,8 @@ static void brcmf_feat_iovar_data_set(struct brcmf_if *ifp,
 		brcmf_dbg(TRACE, "%s feature check failed: %d\n",
 			  brcmf_feat_names[id], err);
 	}
+
+	ifp->fwil_fwerr = false;
 }
 
 #define MAX_CAPS_BUFFER_SIZE	512
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/fwil.c b/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/fwil.c
index f2cfdd3b2bf1..fc5751116d99 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/fwil.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/broadcom/brcm80211/brcmfmac/fwil.c
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ brcmf_fil_cmd_data(struct brcmf_if *ifp, u32 cmd, void *data, u32 len, bool set)
 			  brcmf_fil_get_errstr((u32)(-fwerr)), fwerr);
 		err = -EBADE;
 	}
+	if (ifp->fwil_fwerr)
+		return fwerr;
+
 	return err;
 }