diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/core.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/core.c
index 51d91837a980d88f7bdd0995f0c4c9c5c232589d..873b134ee7222fe8c472f499e6b4a61ae79379a7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/core.c
@@ -456,7 +456,10 @@ static const struct firmware *ath10k_fetch_fw_file(struct ath10k *ar,
 		dir = ".";
 
 	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s", dir, file);
-	ret = request_firmware(&fw, filename, ar->dev);
+	ret = request_firmware_direct(&fw, filename, ar->dev);
+	ath10k_dbg(ar, ATH10K_DBG_BOOT, "boot fw request '%s': %d\n",
+		   filename, ret);
+
 	if (ret)
 		return ERR_PTR(ret);
 
@@ -1190,12 +1193,8 @@ int ath10k_core_fetch_firmware_api_n(struct ath10k *ar, const char *name,
 	/* first fetch the firmware file (firmware-*.bin) */
 	fw_file->firmware = ath10k_fetch_fw_file(ar, ar->hw_params.fw.dir,
 						 name);
-	if (IS_ERR(fw_file->firmware)) {
-		ath10k_err(ar, "could not fetch firmware file '%s/%s': %ld\n",
-			   ar->hw_params.fw.dir, name,
-			   PTR_ERR(fw_file->firmware));
+	if (IS_ERR(fw_file->firmware))
 		return PTR_ERR(fw_file->firmware);
-	}
 
 	data = fw_file->firmware->data;
 	len = fw_file->firmware->size;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/testmode.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/testmode.c
index ed85f938e3c0799795ccf117e572330ea2635c78..8bb36c18a7491a6d51e75dfaeb3bf0f1d12ff37e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/testmode.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/testmode.c
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@ static int ath10k_tm_fetch_utf_firmware_api_1(struct ath10k *ar,
 		 ar->hw_params.fw.dir, ATH10K_FW_UTF_FILE);
 
 	/* load utf firmware image */
-	ret = request_firmware(&fw_file->firmware, filename, ar->dev);
+	ret = request_firmware_direct(&fw_file->firmware, filename, ar->dev);
+	ath10k_dbg(ar, ATH10K_DBG_TESTMODE, "testmode fw request '%s': %d\n",
+		   filename, ret);
+
 	if (ret) {
 		ath10k_warn(ar, "failed to retrieve utf firmware '%s': %d\n",
 			    filename, ret);