diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/bcm/pinctrl-bcm2835.c b/drivers/pinctrl/bcm/pinctrl-bcm2835.c
index f5a9372d43bde..7178a38475ccc 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/bcm/pinctrl-bcm2835.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/bcm/pinctrl-bcm2835.c
@@ -244,6 +244,10 @@ static const char * const irq_type_names[] = {
 	[IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_LOW] = "level-low",
 };
 
+static bool persist_gpio_outputs;
+module_param(persist_gpio_outputs, bool, 0644);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(persist_gpio_outputs, "Enable GPIO_OUT persistence when pin is freed");
+
 static inline u32 bcm2835_gpio_rd(struct bcm2835_pinctrl *pc, unsigned reg)
 {
 	return readl(pc->base + reg);
@@ -926,6 +930,13 @@ static int bcm2835_pmx_free(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev,
 		unsigned offset)
 {
 	struct bcm2835_pinctrl *pc = pinctrl_dev_get_drvdata(pctldev);
+	enum bcm2835_fsel fsel = bcm2835_pinctrl_fsel_get(pc, offset);
+
+	if (fsel == BCM2835_FSEL_GPIO_IN)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (persist_gpio_outputs && fsel == BCM2835_FSEL_GPIO_OUT)
+		return 0;
 
 	/* disable by setting to GPIO_IN */
 	bcm2835_pinctrl_fsel_set(pc, offset, BCM2835_FSEL_GPIO_IN);
@@ -970,10 +981,7 @@ static void bcm2835_pmx_gpio_disable_free(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev,
 		struct pinctrl_gpio_range *range,
 		unsigned offset)
 {
-	struct bcm2835_pinctrl *pc = pinctrl_dev_get_drvdata(pctldev);
-
-	/* disable by setting to GPIO_IN */
-	bcm2835_pinctrl_fsel_set(pc, offset, BCM2835_FSEL_GPIO_IN);
+	bcm2835_pmx_free(pctldev, offset);
 }
 
 static int bcm2835_pmx_gpio_set_direction(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev,
@@ -1419,6 +1427,9 @@ static int bcm2835_pinctrl_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		goto out_remove;
 	}
 
+	dev_info(dev, "GPIO_OUT persistence: %s\n",
+		 persist_gpio_outputs ? "yes" : "no");
+
 	return 0;
 
 out_remove: