diff --git a/drivers/pwm/core.c b/drivers/pwm/core.c
index 27cd58d16881..3a7769fe53de 100644
--- a/drivers/pwm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pwm/core.c
@@ -223,13 +223,16 @@ void *pwm_get_chip_data(struct pwm_device *pwm)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwm_get_chip_data);
 
 /**
- * pwmchip_add() - register a new PWM chip
+ * pwmchip_add_with_polarity() - register a new PWM chip
  * @chip: the PWM chip to add
+ * @polarity: initial polarity of PWM channels
  *
  * Register a new PWM chip. If chip->base < 0 then a dynamically assigned base
- * will be used.
+ * will be used. The initial polarity for all channels is specified by the
+ * @polarity parameter.
  */
-int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip)
+int pwmchip_add_with_polarity(struct pwm_chip *chip,
+			      enum pwm_polarity polarity)
 {
 	struct pwm_device *pwm;
 	unsigned int i;
@@ -259,6 +262,7 @@ int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip)
 		pwm->chip = chip;
 		pwm->pwm = chip->base + i;
 		pwm->hwpwm = i;
+		pwm->polarity = polarity;
 
 		radix_tree_insert(&pwm_tree, pwm->pwm, pwm);
 	}
@@ -279,6 +283,19 @@ out:
 	mutex_unlock(&pwm_lock);
 	return ret;
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwmchip_add_with_polarity);
+
+/**
+ * pwmchip_add() - register a new PWM chip
+ * @chip: the PWM chip to add
+ *
+ * Register a new PWM chip. If chip->base < 0 then a dynamically assigned base
+ * will be used. The initial polarity for all channels is normal.
+ */
+int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip)
+{
+	return pwmchip_add_with_polarity(chip, PWM_POLARITY_NORMAL);
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwmchip_add);
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/linux/pwm.h b/include/linux/pwm.h
index cfe2d8df5be0..36262d08a9da 100644
--- a/include/linux/pwm.h
+++ b/include/linux/pwm.h
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ struct pwm_chip {
 int pwm_set_chip_data(struct pwm_device *pwm, void *data);
 void *pwm_get_chip_data(struct pwm_device *pwm);
 
+int pwmchip_add_with_polarity(struct pwm_chip *chip,
+			      enum pwm_polarity polarity);
 int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip);
 int pwmchip_remove(struct pwm_chip *chip);
 struct pwm_device *pwm_request_from_chip(struct pwm_chip *chip,
@@ -217,6 +219,11 @@ static inline int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip)
 	return -EINVAL;
 }
 
+static inline int pwmchip_add_inversed(struct pwm_chip *chip)
+{
+	return -EINVAL;
+}
+
 static inline int pwmchip_remove(struct pwm_chip *chip)
 {
 	return -EINVAL;