diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index 9af2e63384005002bc99c762f8a61fdd1bbbb3ca..405b1858134b005af48526947fa24621764ce573 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -1159,22 +1159,23 @@ config MICROCODE
 	bool "CPU microcode loading support"
 	default y
 	depends on CPU_SUP_AMD || CPU_SUP_INTEL
-	depends on BLK_DEV_INITRD
 	select FW_LOADER
 	---help---
-
 	  If you say Y here, you will be able to update the microcode on
-	  certain Intel and AMD processors. The Intel support is for the
-	  IA32 family, e.g. Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4,
-	  Xeon etc. The AMD support is for families 0x10 and later. You will
-	  obviously need the actual microcode binary data itself which is not
-	  shipped with the Linux kernel.
-
-	  This option selects the general module only, you need to select
-	  at least one vendor specific module as well.
-
-	  To compile this driver as a module, choose M here: the module
-	  will be called microcode.
+	  Intel and AMD processors. The Intel support is for the IA32 family,
+	  e.g. Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, Xeon etc. The
+	  AMD support is for families 0x10 and later. You will obviously need
+	  the actual microcode binary data itself which is not shipped with
+	  the Linux kernel.
+
+	  The preferred method to load microcode from a detached initrd is described
+	  in Documentation/x86/early-microcode.txt. For that you need to enable
+	  CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD in order for the loader to be able to scan the
+	  initrd for microcode blobs.
+
+	  In addition, you can build-in the microcode into the kernel. For that you
+	  need to enable FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL and add the vendor-supplied microcode
+	  to the CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE config option.
 
 config MICROCODE_INTEL
 	bool "Intel microcode loading support"
diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/microcode.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/microcode.h
index 1e1b07a5a7388d45eaaf46e032efd8ee14569662..9d3a96c4da789230f9aeb523e6af35e4fe4a8db3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/microcode.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/microcode.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <asm/cpu.h>
 #include <linux/earlycpio.h>
+#include <linux/initrd.h>
 
 #define native_rdmsr(msr, val1, val2)			\
 do {							\
@@ -143,4 +144,29 @@ static inline void reload_early_microcode(void)			{ }
 static inline bool
 get_builtin_firmware(struct cpio_data *cd, const char *name)	{ return false; }
 #endif
+
+static inline unsigned long get_initrd_start(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD
+	return initrd_start;
+#else
+	return 0;
+#endif
+}
+
+static inline unsigned long get_initrd_start_addr(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD
+#ifdef CONFIG_X86_32
+	unsigned long *initrd_start_p = (unsigned long *)__pa_nodebug(&initrd_start);
+
+	return (unsigned long)__pa_nodebug(*initrd_start_p);
+#else
+	return get_initrd_start();
+#endif
+#else /* CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD */
+	return 0;
+#endif
+}
+
 #endif /* _ASM_X86_MICROCODE_H */
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/microcode/intel.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/microcode/intel.c
index ee81c544ee0daa8f6d8f35569463ba3b9f444f06..044bbbbcbaf167494bb5f3ebacbf2c6b392cab89 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/microcode/intel.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/microcode/intel.c
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ int __init save_microcode_in_initrd_intel(void)
 	if (count == 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	copy_initrd_ptrs(mc_saved, mc_saved_in_initrd, initrd_start, count);
+	copy_initrd_ptrs(mc_saved, mc_saved_in_initrd, get_initrd_start(), count);
 	ret = save_microcode(&mc_saved_data, mc_saved, count);
 	if (ret)
 		pr_err("Cannot save microcode patches from initrd.\n");
@@ -748,20 +748,14 @@ void load_ucode_intel_ap(void)
 	struct mc_saved_data *mc_saved_data_p;
 	struct ucode_cpu_info uci;
 	unsigned long *mc_saved_in_initrd_p;
-	unsigned long initrd_start_addr;
 	enum ucode_state ret;
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_32
-	unsigned long *initrd_start_p;
 
-	mc_saved_in_initrd_p =
-		(unsigned long *)__pa_nodebug(mc_saved_in_initrd);
+	mc_saved_in_initrd_p = (unsigned long *)__pa_nodebug(mc_saved_in_initrd);
 	mc_saved_data_p = (struct mc_saved_data *)__pa_nodebug(&mc_saved_data);
-	initrd_start_p = (unsigned long *)__pa_nodebug(&initrd_start);
-	initrd_start_addr = (unsigned long)__pa_nodebug(*initrd_start_p);
 #else
-	mc_saved_data_p = &mc_saved_data;
 	mc_saved_in_initrd_p = mc_saved_in_initrd;
-	initrd_start_addr = initrd_start;
+	mc_saved_data_p = &mc_saved_data;
 #endif
 
 	/*
@@ -773,7 +767,7 @@ void load_ucode_intel_ap(void)
 
 	collect_cpu_info_early(&uci);
 	ret = load_microcode(mc_saved_data_p, mc_saved_in_initrd_p,
-			     initrd_start_addr, &uci);
+			     get_initrd_start_addr(), &uci);
 
 	if (ret != UCODE_OK)
 		return;