diff --git a/arch/mips/include/asm/i8259.h b/arch/mips/include/asm/i8259.h
index a7fbcd6..b27fcc4 100644
--- a/arch/mips/include/asm/i8259.h
+++ b/arch/mips/include/asm/i8259.h
@@ -43,6 +43,17 @@
 extern void init_i8259_irqs(void);
 extern int i8259_of_init(struct device_node *node, struct device_node *parent);
 
+/**
+ * i8159_set_poll() - Override the i8259 polling function
+ * @poll: pointer to platform-specific polling function
+ *
+ * Call this to override the generic i8259 polling function, which directly
+ * accesses i8259 registers, with a platform specific one which may be faster
+ * in cases where hardware provides a more optimal means of polling for an
+ * interrupt.
+ */
+extern void i8259_set_poll(int (*poll)(void));
+
 /*
  * Do the traditional i8259 interrupt polling thing.  This is for the few
  * cases where no better interrupt acknowledge method is available and we
diff --git a/drivers/irqchip/irq-i8259.c b/drivers/irqchip/irq-i8259.c
index 85897fd..1f4a344 100644
--- a/drivers/irqchip/irq-i8259.c
+++ b/drivers/irqchip/irq-i8259.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 static void enable_8259A_irq(struct irq_data *d);
 static void mask_and_ack_8259A(struct irq_data *d);
 static void init_8259A(int auto_eoi);
+static int (*i8259_poll)(void) = i8259_irq;
 
 static struct irq_chip i8259A_chip = {
 	.name			= "XT-PIC",
@@ -51,6 +52,11 @@
  * 8259A PIC functions to handle ISA devices:
  */
 
+void i8259_set_poll(int (*poll)(void))
+{
+	i8259_poll = poll;
+}
+
 /*
  * This contains the irq mask for both 8259A irq controllers,
  */
@@ -355,7 +361,7 @@
 static void i8259_irq_dispatch(struct irq_desc *desc)
 {
 	struct irq_domain *domain = irq_desc_get_handler_data(desc);
-	int hwirq = i8259_irq();
+	int hwirq = i8259_poll();
 	unsigned int irq;
 
 	if (hwirq < 0)