--- a/compat/Makefile
+++ b/compat/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 obj-m += compat.o
 #compat-objs :=
 
-obj-$(CONFIG_COMPAT_FIRMWARE_CLASS) += compat_firmware_class.o
 
 compat-y += main.o
 
+ifdef CONFIG_COMPAT_FIRMWARE_CLASS
+  compat-y += compat_firmware_class.o
+endif
+
 # Compat kernel compatibility code
 compat-$(CONFIG_COMPAT_KERNEL_2_6_14) += compat-2.6.14.o
 compat-$(CONFIG_COMPAT_KERNEL_2_6_18) += compat-2.6.18.o
--- a/compat/compat_firmware_class.c
+++ b/compat/compat_firmware_class.c
@@ -741,19 +741,16 @@ request_firmware_nowait(
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int __init firmware_class_init(void)
+int __init firmware_class_init(void)
 {
 	return class_register(&firmware_class);
 }
 
-static void __exit firmware_class_exit(void)
+void __exit firmware_class_exit(void)
 {
 	class_unregister(&firmware_class);
 }
 
-fs_initcall(firmware_class_init);
-module_exit(firmware_class_exit);
-
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(release_firmware);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(request_firmware);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(request_firmware_nowait);
--- a/compat/main.c
+++ b/compat/main.c
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ module_param(compat_version, charp, 0400
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(compat_version,
 		 "Version of the kernel compat backport work");
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_FW_LOADER) && (LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2,6,33))
+int __init firmware_class_init(void);
+void __exit firmware_class_exit(void);
+#else
+static inline int firmware_class_init(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+static inline void firmware_class_exit(void) {}
+#endif
+
 static int __init compat_init(void)
 {
 	/* pm-qos for kernels <= 2.6.24, this is a no-op on newer kernels */
@@ -46,7 +57,8 @@ static int __init compat_init(void)
 	       COMPAT_BASE_TREE " " COMPAT_BASE_TREE_VERSION
 	       "\n");
 
-        return 0;
+	firmware_class_init();
+	return 0;
 }
 module_init(compat_init);
 
@@ -55,7 +67,8 @@ static void __exit compat_exit(void)
 	compat_pm_qos_power_deinit();
 	compat_system_workqueue_destroy();
 
-        return;
+	firmware_class_exit();
+	return;
 }
 module_exit(compat_exit);