diff --git a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-async.c b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-async.c
index f09d354b96a0..7925875d09b7 100644
--- a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-async.c
+++ b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-async.c
@@ -365,16 +365,26 @@ v4l2_async_notifier_has_async_subdev(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier,
 				     struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd,
 				     unsigned int this_index)
 {
+	struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd_y;
 	unsigned int j;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&list_lock);
 
 	/* Check that an asd is not being added more than once. */
-	for (j = 0; j < this_index; j++) {
-		struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd_y = notifier->subdevs[j];
-
-		if (asd_equal(asd, asd_y))
-			return true;
+	if (notifier->subdevs) {
+		for (j = 0; j < this_index; j++) {
+			asd_y = notifier->subdevs[j];
+			if (asd_equal(asd, asd_y))
+				return true;
+		}
+	} else {
+		j = 0;
+		list_for_each_entry(asd_y, &notifier->asd_list, asd_list) {
+			if (j++ >= this_index)
+				break;
+			if (asd_equal(asd, asd_y))
+				return true;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* Check that an asd does not exist in other notifiers. */
@@ -385,10 +395,48 @@ v4l2_async_notifier_has_async_subdev(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier,
 	return false;
 }
 
-static int __v4l2_async_notifier_register(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
+static int v4l2_async_notifier_asd_valid(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier,
+					 struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd,
+					 unsigned int this_index)
 {
 	struct device *dev =
 		notifier->v4l2_dev ? notifier->v4l2_dev->dev : NULL;
+
+	if (!asd)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	switch (asd->match_type) {
+	case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_CUSTOM:
+	case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_DEVNAME:
+	case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_I2C:
+	case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_FWNODE:
+		if (v4l2_async_notifier_has_async_subdev(notifier, asd,
+							 this_index)) {
+			dev_dbg(dev, "subdev descriptor already listed in this or other notifiers\n");
+			return -EEXIST;
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		dev_err(dev, "Invalid match type %u on %p\n",
+			asd->match_type, asd);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void v4l2_async_notifier_init(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&list_lock);
+
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&notifier->asd_list);
+
+	mutex_unlock(&list_lock);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(v4l2_async_notifier_init);
+
+static int __v4l2_async_notifier_register(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
+{
 	struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd;
 	int ret;
 	int i;
@@ -401,29 +449,25 @@ static int __v4l2_async_notifier_register(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
 
 	mutex_lock(&list_lock);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < notifier->num_subdevs; i++) {
-		asd = notifier->subdevs[i];
+	if (notifier->subdevs) {
+		for (i = 0; i < notifier->num_subdevs; i++) {
+			asd = notifier->subdevs[i];
 
-		switch (asd->match_type) {
-		case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_CUSTOM:
-		case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_DEVNAME:
-		case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_I2C:
-		case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_FWNODE:
-			if (v4l2_async_notifier_has_async_subdev(notifier,
-								 asd, i)) {
-				dev_err(dev,
-					"subdev descriptor already listed in this or other notifiers\n");
-				ret = -EEXIST;
+			ret = v4l2_async_notifier_asd_valid(notifier, asd, i);
+			if (ret)
 				goto err_unlock;
-			}
-			break;
-		default:
-			dev_err(dev, "Invalid match type %u on %p\n",
-				asd->match_type, asd);
-			ret = -EINVAL;
-			goto err_unlock;
+
+			list_add_tail(&asd->list, &notifier->waiting);
+		}
+	} else {
+		i = 0;
+		list_for_each_entry(asd, &notifier->asd_list, asd_list) {
+			ret = v4l2_async_notifier_asd_valid(notifier, asd, i++);
+			if (ret)
+				goto err_unlock;
+
+			list_add_tail(&asd->list, &notifier->waiting);
 		}
-		list_add_tail(&asd->list, &notifier->waiting);
 	}
 
 	ret = v4l2_async_notifier_try_all_subdevs(notifier);
@@ -513,36 +557,99 @@ void v4l2_async_notifier_unregister(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(v4l2_async_notifier_unregister);
 
-void v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
+static void __v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
 {
+	struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd, *tmp;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (!notifier || !notifier->max_subdevs)
+	if (!notifier)
 		return;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < notifier->num_subdevs; i++) {
-		struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd = notifier->subdevs[i];
+	if (notifier->subdevs) {
+		if (!notifier->max_subdevs)
+			return;
 
-		switch (asd->match_type) {
-		case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_FWNODE:
-			fwnode_handle_put(asd->match.fwnode);
-			break;
-		default:
-			WARN_ON_ONCE(true);
-			break;
+		for (i = 0; i < notifier->num_subdevs; i++) {
+			asd = notifier->subdevs[i];
+
+			switch (asd->match_type) {
+			case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_FWNODE:
+				fwnode_handle_put(asd->match.fwnode);
+				break;
+			default:
+				break;
+			}
+
+			kfree(asd);
 		}
 
-		kfree(asd);
+		notifier->max_subdevs = 0;
+		kvfree(notifier->subdevs);
+		notifier->subdevs = NULL;
+	} else {
+		list_for_each_entry_safe(asd, tmp,
+					 &notifier->asd_list, asd_list) {
+			switch (asd->match_type) {
+			case V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_FWNODE:
+				fwnode_handle_put(asd->match.fwnode);
+				break;
+			default:
+				break;
+			}
+
+			list_del(&asd->asd_list);
+			kfree(asd);
+		}
 	}
 
-	notifier->max_subdevs = 0;
 	notifier->num_subdevs = 0;
+}
+
+void v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&list_lock);
+
+	__v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup(notifier);
 
-	kvfree(notifier->subdevs);
-	notifier->subdevs = NULL;
+	mutex_unlock(&list_lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup);
 
+int v4l2_async_notifier_add_subdev(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier,
+				   struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	mutex_lock(&list_lock);
+
+	if (notifier->num_subdevs >= V4L2_MAX_SUBDEVS) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto unlock;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * If caller uses this function, it cannot also allocate and
+	 * place asd's in the notifier->subdevs array.
+	 */
+	if (WARN_ON(notifier->subdevs)) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto unlock;
+	}
+
+	ret = v4l2_async_notifier_asd_valid(notifier, asd,
+					    notifier->num_subdevs);
+	if (ret)
+		goto unlock;
+
+	list_add_tail(&asd->asd_list, &notifier->asd_list);
+	notifier->num_subdevs++;
+
+unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&list_lock);
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(v4l2_async_notifier_add_subdev);
+
 int v4l2_async_register_subdev(struct v4l2_subdev *sd)
 {
 	struct v4l2_async_notifier *subdev_notifier;
@@ -616,7 +723,7 @@ void v4l2_async_unregister_subdev(struct v4l2_subdev *sd)
 	mutex_lock(&list_lock);
 
 	__v4l2_async_notifier_unregister(sd->subdev_notifier);
-	v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup(sd->subdev_notifier);
+	__v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup(sd->subdev_notifier);
 	kfree(sd->subdev_notifier);
 	sd->subdev_notifier = NULL;
 
diff --git a/include/media/v4l2-async.h b/include/media/v4l2-async.h
index 1592d323c577..ab4d7acb7960 100644
--- a/include/media/v4l2-async.h
+++ b/include/media/v4l2-async.h
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ enum v4l2_async_match_type {
  * @match.custom.priv:
  *		Driver-specific private struct with match parameters
  *		to be used if %V4L2_ASYNC_MATCH_CUSTOM.
+ * @asd_list:	used to add struct v4l2_async_subdev objects to the
+ *		master notifier @asd_list
  * @list:	used to link struct v4l2_async_subdev objects, waiting to be
  *		probed, to a notifier->waiting list
  *
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ struct v4l2_async_subdev {
 
 	/* v4l2-async core private: not to be used by drivers */
 	struct list_head list;
+	struct list_head asd_list;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -127,6 +130,7 @@ struct v4l2_async_notifier_operations {
  * @v4l2_dev:	v4l2_device of the root notifier, NULL otherwise
  * @sd:		sub-device that registered the notifier, NULL otherwise
  * @parent:	parent notifier
+ * @asd_list:	master list of struct v4l2_async_subdev, replaces @subdevs
  * @waiting:	list of struct v4l2_async_subdev, waiting for their drivers
  * @done:	list of struct v4l2_subdev, already probed
  * @list:	member in a global list of notifiers
@@ -139,11 +143,37 @@ struct v4l2_async_notifier {
 	struct v4l2_device *v4l2_dev;
 	struct v4l2_subdev *sd;
 	struct v4l2_async_notifier *parent;
+	struct list_head asd_list;
 	struct list_head waiting;
 	struct list_head done;
 	struct list_head list;
 };
 
+/**
+ * v4l2_async_notifier_init - Initialize a notifier.
+ *
+ * @notifier: pointer to &struct v4l2_async_notifier
+ *
+ * This function initializes the notifier @asd_list. It must be called
+ * before the first call to @v4l2_async_notifier_add_subdev.
+ */
+void v4l2_async_notifier_init(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier);
+
+/**
+ * v4l2_async_notifier_add_subdev - Add an async subdev to the
+ *				notifier's master asd list.
+ *
+ * @notifier: pointer to &struct v4l2_async_notifier
+ * @asd: pointer to &struct v4l2_async_subdev
+ *
+ * This can be used before registering a notifier to add an
+ * asd to the notifiers @asd_list. If the caller uses this
+ * method to compose an asd list, it must never allocate
+ * or place asd's in the @subdevs array.
+ */
+int v4l2_async_notifier_add_subdev(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier,
+				   struct v4l2_async_subdev *asd);
+
 /**
  * v4l2_async_notifier_register - registers a subdevice asynchronous notifier
  *
@@ -177,7 +207,9 @@ void v4l2_async_notifier_unregister(struct v4l2_async_notifier *notifier);
  * Release memory resources related to a notifier, including the async
  * sub-devices allocated for the purposes of the notifier but not the notifier
  * itself. The user is responsible for calling this function to clean up the
- * notifier after calling @v4l2_async_notifier_parse_fwnode_endpoints or
+ * notifier after calling
+ * @v4l2_async_notifier_add_subdev,
+ * @v4l2_async_notifier_parse_fwnode_endpoints or
  * @v4l2_fwnode_reference_parse_sensor_common.
  *
  * There is no harm from calling v4l2_async_notifier_cleanup in other
