diff --git a/include/linux/ethtool.h b/include/linux/ethtool.h
index 90c4a3616d94eb90c961f3af696193d45d4d5c85..15e4eb713694442a1ed77d5972667ac69543fd8a 100644
--- a/include/linux/ethtool.h
+++ b/include/linux/ethtool.h
@@ -362,6 +362,18 @@ struct ethtool_rxnfc {
 	__u32				rule_locs[0];
 };
 
+#define ETHTOOL_FLASH_MAX_FILENAME	128
+enum ethtool_flash_op_type {
+	ETHTOOL_FLASH_ALL_REGIONS	= 0,
+};
+
+/* for passing firmware flashing related parameters */
+struct ethtool_flash {
+	__u32	cmd;
+	__u32	region;
+	char	data[ETHTOOL_FLASH_MAX_FILENAME];
+};
+
 #ifdef __KERNEL__
 
 struct net_device;
@@ -489,6 +501,7 @@ struct ethtool_ops {
 	int	(*get_stats_count)(struct net_device *);/* use get_sset_count */
 	int	(*get_rxnfc)(struct net_device *, struct ethtool_rxnfc *, void *);
 	int	(*set_rxnfc)(struct net_device *, struct ethtool_rxnfc *);
+	int     (*flash_device)(struct net_device *, struct ethtool_flash *);
 };
 #endif /* __KERNEL__ */
 
@@ -545,6 +558,7 @@ struct ethtool_ops {
 #define	ETHTOOL_GRXCLSRLALL	0x00000030 /* Get all RX classification rule */
 #define	ETHTOOL_SRXCLSRLDEL	0x00000031 /* Delete RX classification rule */
 #define	ETHTOOL_SRXCLSRLINS	0x00000032 /* Insert RX classification rule */
+#define	ETHTOOL_FLASHDEV	0x00000033 /* Flash firmware to device */
 
 /* compatibility with older code */
 #define SPARC_ETH_GSET		ETHTOOL_GSET
diff --git a/net/core/ethtool.c b/net/core/ethtool.c
index 44e571111d3a617809a5aa7c51231bcaadbf1008..4c12ddb5f5ee43ab546278ba5527c2e10939824b 100644
--- a/net/core/ethtool.c
+++ b/net/core/ethtool.c
@@ -898,6 +898,19 @@ static int ethtool_set_value(struct net_device *dev, char __user *useraddr,
 	return actor(dev, edata.data);
 }
 
+static int ethtool_flash_device(struct net_device *dev, char __user *useraddr)
+{
+	struct ethtool_flash efl;
+
+	if (copy_from_user(&efl, useraddr, sizeof(efl)))
+		return -EFAULT;
+
+	if (!dev->ethtool_ops->flash_device)
+		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
+	return dev->ethtool_ops->flash_device(dev, &efl);
+}
+
 /* The main entry point in this file.  Called from net/core/dev.c */
 
 int dev_ethtool(struct net *net, struct ifreq *ifr)
@@ -1111,6 +1124,9 @@ int dev_ethtool(struct net *net, struct ifreq *ifr)
 	case ETHTOOL_SGRO:
 		rc = ethtool_set_gro(dev, useraddr);
 		break;
+	case ETHTOOL_FLASHDEV:
+		rc = ethtool_flash_device(dev, useraddr);
+		break;
 	default:
 		rc = -EOPNOTSUPP;
 	}