Index: head/sys/conf/options
===================================================================
--- head/sys/conf/options
+++ head/sys/conf/options
@@ -673,6 +673,9 @@
 UVSCOM_DEFAULT_OPKTSIZE	opt_uvscom.h
 UVSCOM_INTR_INTERVAL	opt_uvscom.h
 
+# options for the Realtek RTL8188*U/RTL8192CU driver (urtwn)
+URTWN_WITHOUT_UCODE	opt_urtwn.h
+
 # Embedded system options
 INIT_PATH
 
Index: head/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_urtwn.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_urtwn.c
+++ head/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_urtwn.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "opt_wlan.h"
+#include "opt_urtwn.h"
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/sockio.h>
@@ -308,11 +309,13 @@
 static int		urtwn_r92c_power_on(struct urtwn_softc *);
 static int		urtwn_r88e_power_on(struct urtwn_softc *);
 static int		urtwn_llt_init(struct urtwn_softc *);
+#ifndef URTWN_WITHOUT_UCODE
 static void		urtwn_fw_reset(struct urtwn_softc *);
 static void		urtwn_r88e_fw_reset(struct urtwn_softc *);
 static int		urtwn_fw_loadpage(struct urtwn_softc *, int,
 			    const uint8_t *, int);
 static int		urtwn_load_firmware(struct urtwn_softc *);
+#endif
 static int		urtwn_dma_init(struct urtwn_softc *);
 static int		urtwn_mac_init(struct urtwn_softc *);
 static void		urtwn_bb_init(struct urtwn_softc *);
@@ -1376,6 +1379,13 @@
 	usb_error_t error;
 	int ntries;
 
+	if (!(sc->sc_flags & URTWN_FW_LOADED)) {
+		URTWN_DPRINTF(sc, URTWN_DEBUG_FIRMWARE, "%s: firmware "
+		    "was not loaded; command (id %d) will be discarded\n",
+		    __func__, id);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
 	/* Wait for current FW box to be empty. */
 	for (ntries = 0; ntries < 100; ntries++) {
 		if (!(urtwn_read_1(sc, R92C_HMETFR) & (1 << sc->fwcur)))
@@ -3275,6 +3285,7 @@
 	return (error);
 }
 
+#ifndef URTWN_WITHOUT_UCODE
 static void
 urtwn_fw_reset(struct urtwn_softc *sc)
 {
@@ -3457,6 +3468,7 @@
 	firmware_put(fw, FIRMWARE_UNLOAD);
 	return (error);
 }
+#endif
 
 static int
 urtwn_dma_init(struct urtwn_softc *sc)
@@ -4786,10 +4798,12 @@
 		urtwn_write_1(sc, R92C_BCN_MAX_ERR, 0xff);
 	}
 
+#ifndef URTWN_WITHOUT_UCODE
 	/* Load 8051 microcode. */
 	error = urtwn_load_firmware(sc);
-	if (error != 0)
-		goto fail;
+	if (error == 0)
+		sc->sc_flags |= URTWN_FW_LOADED;
+#endif
 
 	/* Initialize MAC/BB/RF blocks. */
 	error = urtwn_mac_init(sc);
@@ -4892,7 +4906,8 @@
 		return;
 	}
 
-	sc->sc_flags &= ~(URTWN_RUNNING | URTWN_TEMP_MEASURED);
+	sc->sc_flags &= ~(URTWN_RUNNING | URTWN_FW_LOADED |
+	    URTWN_TEMP_MEASURED);
 	sc->thcal_lctemp = 0;
 	callout_stop(&sc->sc_watchdog_ch);
 	urtwn_abort_xfers(sc);
@@ -4991,6 +5006,8 @@
 DRIVER_MODULE(urtwn, uhub, urtwn_driver, urtwn_devclass, NULL, NULL);
 MODULE_DEPEND(urtwn, usb, 1, 1, 1);
 MODULE_DEPEND(urtwn, wlan, 1, 1, 1);
+#ifndef URTWN_WITHOUT_UCODE
 MODULE_DEPEND(urtwn, firmware, 1, 1, 1);
+#endif
 MODULE_VERSION(urtwn, 1);
 USB_PNP_HOST_INFO(urtwn_devs);
Index: head/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_urtwnvar.h
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_urtwnvar.h
+++ head/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_urtwnvar.h
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@
 	uint8_t				sc_flags;
 #define URTWN_FLAG_CCK_HIPWR	0x01
 #define URTWN_DETACHED		0x02
-#define	URTWN_RUNNING		0x04
+#define URTWN_RUNNING		0x04
+#define URTWN_FW_LOADED		0x08
 #define URTWN_TEMP_MEASURED	0x10
 
 	u_int				chip;
@@ -196,11 +197,6 @@
 	urtwn_datahead			sc_tx_inactive;
 	urtwn_datahead			sc_tx_pending;
 
-	const char			*fwname;
-	const struct firmware		*fw_fp;
-	struct urtwn_fw_info		fw;
-	void				*fw_virtaddr;
-
 	union urtwn_rom			rom;
 	uint16_t			last_rom_addr;
 
Index: head/sys/modules/usb/Makefile
===================================================================
--- head/sys/modules/usb/Makefile
+++ head/sys/modules/usb/Makefile
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 SUBDIR += ${_dwc_otg} ehci ${_musb} ohci uhci xhci ${_uss820dci} ${_at91dci} \
 	  ${_atmegadci} ${_avr32dci} ${_rsu} ${_rsufw} ${_saf1761otg}
 SUBDIR += ${_rum} ${_run} ${_runfw} ${_uath} upgt usie ural ${_zyd} ${_urtw} 
-SUBDIR += ${_urtwn} ${_urtwnfw}
+SUBDIR += urtwn ${_urtwnfw}
 SUBDIR += atp uhid ukbd ums udbp ufm uep wsp ugold uled
 SUBDIR += ucom u3g uark ubsa ubser uchcom ucycom ufoma uftdi ugensa uipaq ulpt \
 	  umct umcs umodem umoscom uplcom uslcom uvisor uvscom
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@
 _uath=		uath
 _zyd=		zyd
 _kue=		kue
-_urtwn=		urtwn
 _urtwnfw=	urtwnfw
 _run=		run
 _runfw=		runfw
Index: head/sys/modules/usb/urtwn/Makefile
===================================================================
--- head/sys/modules/usb/urtwn/Makefile
+++ head/sys/modules/usb/urtwn/Makefile
@@ -2,9 +2,16 @@
 
 .PATH: ${.CURDIR}/../../../dev/usb/wlan
 
+.include <src.opts.mk>
+
 KMOD    = if_urtwn
 SRCS    = if_urtwn.c if_urtwnreg.h if_urtwnvar.h \
 	  bus_if.h device_if.h \
-	  opt_bus.h opt_usb.h opt_wlan.h usb_if.h usbdevs.h
+	  opt_bus.h opt_urtwn.h opt_usb.h opt_wlan.h usb_if.h usbdevs.h
+
+.if ${MK_SOURCELESS_UCODE} == "no"
+opt_urtwn.h:
+	@echo "#define URTWN_WITHOUT_UCODE 1" > ${.TARGET}
+.endif
 
 .include <bsd.kmod.mk>