diff --git a/drivers/pwm/core.c b/drivers/pwm/core.c
index 7831bc6b51dddb66960f8ef97fde2da1ce33572a..22cf3959041c1e9f5f8bc9cdbe6144b94e492f31 100644
--- a/drivers/pwm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pwm/core.c
@@ -146,12 +146,12 @@ of_pwm_xlate_with_flags(struct pwm_chip *pc, const struct of_phandle_args *args)
 	if (IS_ERR(pwm))
 		return pwm;
 
-	pwm_set_period(pwm, args->args[1]);
+	pwm->args.period = args->args[1];
 
 	if (args->args[2] & PWM_POLARITY_INVERTED)
-		pwm_set_polarity(pwm, PWM_POLARITY_INVERSED);
+		pwm->args.polarity = PWM_POLARITY_INVERSED;
 	else
-		pwm_set_polarity(pwm, PWM_POLARITY_NORMAL);
+		pwm->args.polarity = PWM_POLARITY_NORMAL;
 
 	return pwm;
 }
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ of_pwm_simple_xlate(struct pwm_chip *pc, const struct of_phandle_args *args)
 	if (IS_ERR(pwm))
 		return pwm;
 
-	pwm_set_period(pwm, args->args[1]);
+	pwm->args.period = args->args[1];
 
 	return pwm;
 }
@@ -620,6 +620,13 @@ struct pwm_device *of_pwm_get(struct device_node *np, const char *con_id)
 
 	pwm->label = con_id;
 
+	/*
+	 * FIXME: This should be removed once all PWM users properly make use
+	 * of struct pwm_args to initialize the PWM device. As long as this is
+	 * here, the PWM state and hardware state can get out of sync.
+	 */
+	pwm_apply_args(pwm);
+
 put:
 	of_node_put(args.np);
 
@@ -751,8 +758,15 @@ struct pwm_device *pwm_get(struct device *dev, const char *con_id)
 	if (IS_ERR(pwm))
 		goto out;
 
-	pwm_set_period(pwm, chosen->period);
-	pwm_set_polarity(pwm, chosen->polarity);
+	pwm->args.period = chosen->period;
+	pwm->args.polarity = chosen->polarity;
+
+	/*
+	 * FIXME: This should be removed once all PWM users properly make use
+	 * of struct pwm_args to initialize the PWM device. As long as this is
+	 * here, the PWM state and hardware state can get out of sync.
+	 */
+	pwm_apply_args(pwm);
 
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&pwm_lookup_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/pwm/pwm-clps711x.c b/drivers/pwm/pwm-clps711x.c
index a80c10803636adbd24d79865ee2a1207df90cd5a..7d335422cfdac674dcefe3638c8fe82ac18631ec 100644
--- a/drivers/pwm/pwm-clps711x.c
+++ b/drivers/pwm/pwm-clps711x.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ static int clps711x_pwm_request(struct pwm_chip *chip, struct pwm_device *pwm)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	/* Store constant period value */
-	pwm_set_period(pwm, DIV_ROUND_CLOSEST(NSEC_PER_SEC, freq));
+	pwm->args.period = DIV_ROUND_CLOSEST(NSEC_PER_SEC, freq);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/pwm/pwm-pxa.c b/drivers/pwm/pwm-pxa.c
index cb2f7024cf6846350dd2ac83846e8d0a7b26ee02..58b709f291302158bb1643fdd7f3f5d6dcbcea98 100644
--- a/drivers/pwm/pwm-pxa.c
+++ b/drivers/pwm/pwm-pxa.c
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ pxa_pwm_of_xlate(struct pwm_chip *pc, const struct of_phandle_args *args)
 	if (IS_ERR(pwm))
 		return pwm;
 
-	pwm_set_period(pwm, args->args[0]);
+	pwm->args.period = args->args[0];
 
 	return pwm;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/pwm.h b/include/linux/pwm.h
index cfc3ed46cad20a26ffa131b51e25927ac6045f4c..b78d27c426290089b76546a8fc27d8b95f7216d0 100644
--- a/include/linux/pwm.h
+++ b/include/linux/pwm.h
@@ -74,6 +74,24 @@ enum pwm_polarity {
 	PWM_POLARITY_INVERSED,
 };
 
+/**
+ * struct pwm_args - board-dependent PWM arguments
+ * @period: reference period
+ * @polarity: reference polarity
+ *
+ * This structure describes board-dependent arguments attached to a PWM
+ * device. These arguments are usually retrieved from the PWM lookup table or
+ * device tree.
+ *
+ * Do not confuse this with the PWM state: PWM arguments represent the initial
+ * configuration that users want to use on this PWM device rather than the
+ * current PWM hardware state.
+ */
+struct pwm_args {
+	unsigned int period;
+	enum pwm_polarity polarity;
+};
+
 enum {
 	PWMF_REQUESTED = 1 << 0,
 	PWMF_ENABLED = 1 << 1,
@@ -92,6 +110,7 @@ enum {
  * @period: period of the PWM signal (in nanoseconds)
  * @duty_cycle: duty cycle of the PWM signal (in nanoseconds)
  * @polarity: polarity of the PWM signal
+ * @args: PWM arguments
  */
 struct pwm_device {
 	const char *label;
@@ -105,6 +124,8 @@ struct pwm_device {
 	unsigned int period;
 	unsigned int duty_cycle;
 	enum pwm_polarity polarity;
+
+	struct pwm_args args;
 };
 
 static inline bool pwm_is_enabled(const struct pwm_device *pwm)
@@ -144,6 +165,18 @@ static inline enum pwm_polarity pwm_get_polarity(const struct pwm_device *pwm)
 	return pwm ? pwm->polarity : PWM_POLARITY_NORMAL;
 }
 
+static inline void pwm_get_args(const struct pwm_device *pwm,
+				struct pwm_args *args)
+{
+	*args = pwm->args;
+}
+
+static inline void pwm_apply_args(struct pwm_device *pwm)
+{
+	pwm_set_period(pwm, pwm->args.period);
+	pwm_set_polarity(pwm, pwm->args.polarity);
+}
+
 /**
  * struct pwm_ops - PWM controller operations
  * @request: optional hook for requesting a PWM