diff --git a/hw/fsp/fsp-op-panel.c b/hw/fsp/fsp-op-panel.c
index eb61e8d62623..7063cbb3a335 100644
--- a/hw/fsp/fsp-op-panel.c
+++ b/hw/fsp/fsp-op-panel.c
@@ -40,7 +40,13 @@ static void fsp_op_display_fatal(uint32_t w0, uint32_t w1)
 
 	fsp_fillmsg(&op_msg, FSP_CMD_DISP_SRC_DIRECT, 3, 1, w0, w1);
 
-	fsp_sync_msg(&op_msg, false);
+	/*
+	 * A special way to send a message: it doesn't run pollers.
+	 * This means we can call it while in a poller, which we may
+	 * well be in when we're terminating (and thus displaying a *fatal*
+	 * message on the op-panel).
+	 */
+	fsp_fatal_msg(&op_msg);
 }
 
 void op_display(enum op_severity sev, enum op_module mod, uint16_t code)
diff --git a/hw/fsp/fsp.c b/hw/fsp/fsp.c
index 58219a0aca57..c25e42c8b347 100644
--- a/hw/fsp/fsp.c
+++ b/hw/fsp/fsp.c
@@ -1689,6 +1689,7 @@ void fsp_interrupt(void)
 	unlock(&fsp_lock);
 }
 
+
 int fsp_sync_msg(struct fsp_msg *msg, bool autofree)
 {
 	int rc;
@@ -1977,6 +1978,36 @@ static void fsp_opal_poll(void *data __unused)
 	}
 }
 
+int fsp_fatal_msg(struct fsp_msg *msg)
+{
+	int rc = 0;
+
+	rc = fsp_queue_msg(msg, NULL);
+	if (rc)
+		return rc;
+
+	while(fsp_msg_busy(msg)) {
+		cpu_relax();
+		fsp_opal_poll(NULL);
+	}
+
+	switch(msg->state) {
+	case fsp_msg_done:
+		rc = 0;
+		break;
+	case fsp_msg_timeout:
+		rc = -1; /* XXX to improve */
+		break;
+	default:
+		rc = -1; /* Should not happen... (assert ?) */
+	}
+
+	if (msg->resp)
+		rc = (msg->resp->word1 >> 8) & 0xff;
+
+	return rc;
+}
+
 static bool fsp_init_one(const char *compat)
 {
 	struct dt_node *fsp_node;
diff --git a/include/fsp.h b/include/fsp.h
index 7ea162db0146..6142ca39a9f9 100644
--- a/include/fsp.h
+++ b/include/fsp.h
@@ -697,6 +697,13 @@ extern void fsp_cancelmsg(struct fsp_msg *msg);
 extern int fsp_queue_msg(struct fsp_msg *msg,
 			 void (*comp)(struct fsp_msg *msg)) __warn_unused_result;
 
+/* Send a fatal message to FSP
+ *
+ * This will *not* run pollers.
+ * Use only when attempting to get the word out about how we died.
+ */
+extern int fsp_fatal_msg(struct fsp_msg *msg);
+
 /* Synchronously send a command. If there's a response, the status is
  * returned as a positive number. A negative result means an error
  * sending the message.