diff --git a/drivers/mmc/core/sdio_irq.c b/drivers/mmc/core/sdio_irq.c
index 8843a4c2fe91997f1a0851796b1dc90dfff9be32..f78ffeefed52618e56571e8de92a78daf4a4b7ed 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/core/sdio_irq.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/core/sdio_irq.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
 static int process_sdio_pending_irqs(struct mmc_card *card)
 {
-	int i, ret;
+	int i, ret, count;
 	unsigned char pending;
 
 	ret = mmc_io_rw_direct(card, 0, 0, SDIO_CCCR_INTx, 0, &pending);
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ static int process_sdio_pending_irqs(struct mmc_card *card)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
+	count = 0;
 	for (i = 1; i <= 7; i++) {
 		if (pending & (1 << i)) {
 			struct sdio_func *func = card->sdio_func[i - 1];
@@ -46,20 +47,21 @@ static int process_sdio_pending_irqs(struct mmc_card *card)
 					sdio_func_id(func));
 			} else if (func->irq_handler) {
 				func->irq_handler(func);
+				count++;
 			} else
 				printk(KERN_WARNING "%s: pending IRQ with no handler\n",
 				       sdio_func_id(func));
 		}
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return count;
 }
 
 static int sdio_irq_thread(void *_host)
 {
 	struct mmc_host *host = _host;
 	struct sched_param param = { .sched_priority = 1 };
-	unsigned long period;
+	unsigned long period, idle_period;
 	int ret;
 
 	sched_setscheduler(current, SCHED_FIFO, &param);
@@ -70,8 +72,9 @@ static int sdio_irq_thread(void *_host)
 	 * asynchronous notification of pending SDIO card interrupts
 	 * hence we poll for them in that case.
 	 */
+	idle_period = msecs_to_jiffies(10);
 	period = (host->caps & MMC_CAP_SDIO_IRQ) ?
-		MAX_SCHEDULE_TIMEOUT : msecs_to_jiffies(10);
+		MAX_SCHEDULE_TIMEOUT : idle_period;
 
 	pr_debug("%s: IRQ thread started (poll period = %lu jiffies)\n",
 		 mmc_hostname(host), period);
@@ -101,9 +104,24 @@ static int sdio_irq_thread(void *_host)
 		 * errors.  FIXME: determine if due to card removal and
 		 * possibly exit this thread if so.
 		 */
-		if (ret)
+		if (ret < 0)
 			ssleep(1);
 
+		/*
+		 * Adaptive polling frequency based on the assumption
+		 * that an interrupt will be closely followed by more.
+		 * This has a substantial benefit for network devices.
+		 */
+		if (!(host->caps & MMC_CAP_SDIO_IRQ)) {
+			if (ret > 0)
+				period /= 2;
+			else {
+				period++;
+				if (period > idle_period)
+					period = idle_period;
+			}
+		}
+
 		set_task_state(current, TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 		if (host->caps & MMC_CAP_SDIO_IRQ)
 			host->ops->enable_sdio_irq(host, 1);