diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
index 763a93d832f873c3815ee49ca478007e10fd600a..1b682ddcf4e817cbb0c46c27197fed9c1ced0b5a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
@@ -2104,18 +2104,23 @@ static void iwl_ucode_callback(const struct firmware *ucode_raw, void *context)
 	 * firmware filename ... but we don't check for that and only rely
 	 * on the API version read from firmware header from here on forward
 	 */
-	if (api_ver < api_min || api_ver > api_max) {
-		IWL_ERR(priv, "Driver unable to support your firmware API. "
-			  "Driver supports v%u, firmware is v%u.\n",
-			  api_max, api_ver);
-		goto try_again;
-	}
+	/* no api version check required for experimental uCode */
+	if (priv->fw_index != UCODE_EXPERIMENTAL_INDEX) {
+		if (api_ver < api_min || api_ver > api_max) {
+			IWL_ERR(priv,
+				"Driver unable to support your firmware API. "
+				"Driver supports v%u, firmware is v%u.\n",
+				api_max, api_ver);
+			goto try_again;
+		}
 
-	if (api_ver != api_max)
-		IWL_ERR(priv, "Firmware has old API version. Expected v%u, "
-			  "got v%u. New firmware can be obtained "
-			  "from http://www.intellinuxwireless.org.\n",
-			  api_max, api_ver);
+		if (api_ver != api_max)
+			IWL_ERR(priv,
+				"Firmware has old API version. Expected v%u, "
+				"got v%u. New firmware can be obtained "
+				"from http://www.intellinuxwireless.org.\n",
+				api_max, api_ver);
+	}
 
 	if (build)
 		sprintf(buildstr, " build %u%s", build,