diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ahb.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ahb.c
index 0e65c51ba1769d8466f925c40959f9bbdd71accc..5618fc25d52ff71201e40c269fcda6ae8adc0bff 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ahb.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ahb.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static int ath_ahb_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	sc->bus_ops = &ath_ahb_bus_ops;
 	sc->irq = irq;
 
-	ret = ath_attach(AR5416_AR9100_DEVID, sc);
+	ret = ath_init_device(AR5416_AR9100_DEVID, sc);
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "failed to attach device, err=%d\n", ret);
 		ret = -ENODEV;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ath9k.h b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ath9k.h
index bda0f302340c90457a3f079123d60522496e2458..7a5a157e15c458418522516fe5f6a5887d6bc31b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ath9k.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ath9k.h
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ extern struct ieee80211_ops ath9k_ops;
 
 irqreturn_t ath_isr(int irq, void *dev);
 void ath_cleanup(struct ath_softc *sc);
-int ath_attach(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc);
+int ath_init_device(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc);
 void ath_detach(struct ath_softc *sc);
 const char *ath_mac_bb_name(u32 mac_bb_version);
 const char *ath_rf_name(u16 rf_version);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c
index 751d803e1bc47e1a02265bcd0018fecfa238cb05..91bffc91bbb03025ea8c0a883b67383ae4593b86 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c
@@ -1292,7 +1292,13 @@ static int ath9k_reg_notifier(struct wiphy *wiphy,
 	return ath_reg_notifier_apply(wiphy, request, reg);
 }
 
-static int ath_init(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc)
+/*
+ * Initialize and fill ath_softc, ath_sofct is the
+ * "Software Carrier" struct. Historically it has existed
+ * to allow the separation between hardware specific
+ * variables (now in ath_hw) and driver specific variables.
+ */
+static int ath_init_softc(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc)
 {
 	struct ath_hw *ah = NULL;
 	int r = 0, i;
@@ -1558,7 +1564,8 @@ void ath_set_hw_capab(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 			&sc->sbands[IEEE80211_BAND_5GHZ];
 }
 
-int ath_attach(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc)
+/* Device driver core initialization */
+int ath_init_device(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc)
 {
 	struct ieee80211_hw *hw = sc->hw;
 	int error = 0, i;
@@ -1566,7 +1573,7 @@ int ath_attach(u16 devid, struct ath_softc *sc)
 
 	DPRINTF(sc, ATH_DBG_CONFIG, "Attach ATH hw\n");
 
-	error = ath_init(devid, sc);
+	error = ath_init_softc(devid, sc);
 	if (error != 0)
 		return error;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/pci.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/pci.c
index cd4841be80af084a7d3a0cc723431cf7ebf55cad..3546504a83c42cc108b8abd2039454fa09d21f2d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/pci.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ static int ath_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *id)
 	sc->mem = mem;
 	sc->bus_ops = &ath_pci_bus_ops;
 
-	if (ath_attach(id->device, sc) != 0) {
+	if (ath_init_device(id->device, sc) != 0) {
 		ret = -ENODEV;
 		goto bad3;
 	}