diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/pwm.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/pwm.rst
index a7ca4f58305a8..750734a7f874a 100644
--- a/Documentation/driver-api/pwm.rst
+++ b/Documentation/driver-api/pwm.rst
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ After being requested, a PWM has to be configured using::
 
 This API controls both the PWM period/duty_cycle config and the
 enable/disable state.
+There is also a usage_power setting: If set, the PWM driver is only required to
+maintain the power output but has more freedom regarding signal form.
+If supported by the driver, the signal can be optimized, for example to improve
+EMI by phase shifting the individual channels of a chip.
 
 The pwm_config(), pwm_enable() and pwm_disable() functions are just wrappers
 around pwm_apply_state() and should not be used if the user wants to change
diff --git a/drivers/pwm/core.c b/drivers/pwm/core.c
index c165c5822703e..a42999f877d25 100644
--- a/drivers/pwm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pwm/core.c
@@ -536,7 +536,8 @@ int pwm_apply_state(struct pwm_device *pwm, const struct pwm_state *state)
 	if (state->period == pwm->state.period &&
 	    state->duty_cycle == pwm->state.duty_cycle &&
 	    state->polarity == pwm->state.polarity &&
-	    state->enabled == pwm->state.enabled)
+	    state->enabled == pwm->state.enabled &&
+	    state->usage_power == pwm->state.usage_power)
 		return 0;
 
 	if (chip->ops->apply) {
@@ -1241,6 +1242,9 @@ static void pwm_dbg_show(struct pwm_chip *chip, struct seq_file *s)
 		seq_printf(s, " polarity: %s",
 			   state.polarity ? "inverse" : "normal");
 
+		if (state.usage_power)
+			seq_puts(s, " usage_power");
+
 		seq_puts(s, "\n");
 	}
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/pwm.h b/include/linux/pwm.h
index 5bb90af4997e0..5a73251d28e3f 100644
--- a/include/linux/pwm.h
+++ b/include/linux/pwm.h
@@ -54,12 +54,17 @@ enum {
  * @duty_cycle: PWM duty cycle (in nanoseconds)
  * @polarity: PWM polarity
  * @enabled: PWM enabled status
+ * @usage_power: If set, the PWM driver is only required to maintain the power
+ *               output but has more freedom regarding signal form.
+ *               If supported, the signal can be optimized, for example to
+ *               improve EMI by phase shifting individual channels.
  */
 struct pwm_state {
 	u64 period;
 	u64 duty_cycle;
 	enum pwm_polarity polarity;
 	bool enabled;
+	bool usage_power;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -188,6 +193,7 @@ static inline void pwm_init_state(const struct pwm_device *pwm,
 	state->period = args.period;
 	state->polarity = args.polarity;
 	state->duty_cycle = 0;
+	state->usage_power = false;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -558,6 +564,7 @@ static inline void pwm_apply_args(struct pwm_device *pwm)
 	state.enabled = false;
 	state.polarity = pwm->args.polarity;
 	state.period = pwm->args.period;
+	state.usage_power = false;
 
 	pwm_apply_state(pwm, &state);
 }