diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/ucc_uart.c b/drivers/tty/serial/ucc_uart.c
index 8a378ee5d34f..f286e91714cb 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/ucc_uart.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/ucc_uart.c
@@ -1183,6 +1183,61 @@ static void uart_firmware_cont(const struct firmware *fw, void *context)
 	release_firmware(fw);
 }
 
+static int soft_uart_init(struct platform_device *ofdev)
+{
+	struct device_node *np = ofdev->dev.of_node;
+	struct qe_firmware_info *qe_fw_info;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (of_find_property(np, "soft-uart", NULL)) {
+		dev_dbg(&ofdev->dev, "using Soft-UART mode\n");
+		soft_uart = 1;
+	} else {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	qe_fw_info = qe_get_firmware_info();
+
+	/* Check if the firmware has been uploaded. */
+	if (qe_fw_info && strstr(qe_fw_info->id, "Soft-UART")) {
+		firmware_loaded = 1;
+	} else {
+		char filename[32];
+		unsigned int soc;
+		unsigned int rev_h;
+		unsigned int rev_l;
+
+		soc = soc_info(&rev_h, &rev_l);
+		if (!soc) {
+			dev_err(&ofdev->dev, "unknown CPU model\n");
+			return -ENXIO;
+		}
+		sprintf(filename, "fsl_qe_ucode_uart_%u_%u%u.bin",
+			soc, rev_h, rev_l);
+
+		dev_info(&ofdev->dev, "waiting for firmware %s\n",
+			 filename);
+
+		/*
+		 * We call request_firmware_nowait instead of
+		 * request_firmware so that the driver can load and
+		 * initialize the ports without holding up the rest of
+		 * the kernel.  If hotplug support is enabled in the
+		 * kernel, then we use it.
+		 */
+		ret = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE,
+					      FW_ACTION_HOTPLUG, filename, &ofdev->dev,
+					      GFP_KERNEL, &ofdev->dev, uart_firmware_cont);
+		if (ret) {
+			dev_err(&ofdev->dev,
+				"could not load firmware %s\n",
+				filename);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int ucc_uart_probe(struct platform_device *ofdev)
 {
 	struct device_node *np = ofdev->dev.of_node;
@@ -1195,58 +1250,9 @@ static int ucc_uart_probe(struct platform_device *ofdev)
 	/*
 	 * Determine if we need Soft-UART mode
 	 */
-	if (of_find_property(np, "soft-uart", NULL)) {
-		dev_dbg(&ofdev->dev, "using Soft-UART mode\n");
-		soft_uart = 1;
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * If we are using Soft-UART, determine if we need to upload the
-	 * firmware, too.
-	 */
-	if (soft_uart) {
-		struct qe_firmware_info *qe_fw_info;
-
-		qe_fw_info = qe_get_firmware_info();
-
-		/* Check if the firmware has been uploaded. */
-		if (qe_fw_info && strstr(qe_fw_info->id, "Soft-UART")) {
-			firmware_loaded = 1;
-		} else {
-			char filename[32];
-			unsigned int soc;
-			unsigned int rev_h;
-			unsigned int rev_l;
-
-			soc = soc_info(&rev_h, &rev_l);
-			if (!soc) {
-				dev_err(&ofdev->dev, "unknown CPU model\n");
-				return -ENXIO;
-			}
-			sprintf(filename, "fsl_qe_ucode_uart_%u_%u%u.bin",
-				soc, rev_h, rev_l);
-
-			dev_info(&ofdev->dev, "waiting for firmware %s\n",
-				filename);
-
-			/*
-			 * We call request_firmware_nowait instead of
-			 * request_firmware so that the driver can load and
-			 * initialize the ports without holding up the rest of
-			 * the kernel.  If hotplug support is enabled in the
-			 * kernel, then we use it.
-			 */
-			ret = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE,
-				FW_ACTION_HOTPLUG, filename, &ofdev->dev,
-				GFP_KERNEL, &ofdev->dev, uart_firmware_cont);
-			if (ret) {
-				dev_err(&ofdev->dev,
-					"could not load firmware %s\n",
-					filename);
-				return ret;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	ret = soft_uart_init(ofdev);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	qe_port = kzalloc(sizeof(struct uart_qe_port), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!qe_port) {