diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/core.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/core.c
index 5c20a043a4704aa8591f03813a17c553bc85a2e0..fdb3b1decc76716c4c4f41004bb4f7a7bf3bfcc1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/core.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/moduleparam.h>
 #include <linux/export.h>
+#include <linux/vmalloc.h>
 
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "hif-ops.h"
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ void ath6kl_core_cleanup(struct ath6kl *ar)
 
 	kfree(ar->fw_board);
 	kfree(ar->fw_otp);
-	kfree(ar->fw);
+	vfree(ar->fw);
 	kfree(ar->fw_patch);
 	kfree(ar->fw_testscript);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/init.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/init.c
index 092e4cddfed33e5ff4f972ef972e9a63c47d5a58..5949ab5357fd92fe3134f7b5d2d000d3f4ea6fa7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/init.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath6kl/init.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/export.h>
 #include <linux/of.h>
 #include <linux/mmc/sdio_func.h>
+#include <linux/vmalloc.h>
 
 #include "core.h"
 #include "cfg80211.h"
@@ -928,13 +929,14 @@ static int ath6kl_fetch_fw_apin(struct ath6kl *ar, const char *name)
 			if (ar->fw != NULL)
 				break;
 
-			ar->fw = kmemdup(data, ie_len, GFP_KERNEL);
+			ar->fw = vmalloc(ie_len);
 
 			if (ar->fw == NULL) {
 				ret = -ENOMEM;
 				goto out;
 			}
 
+			memcpy(ar->fw, data, ie_len);
 			ar->fw_len = ie_len;
 			break;
 		case ATH6KL_FW_IE_PATCH_IMAGE: