diff --git a/Documentation/thinkpad-acpi.txt b/Documentation/thinkpad-acpi.txt
index 20d5ec3..1a42b77 100644
--- a/Documentation/thinkpad-acpi.txt
+++ b/Documentation/thinkpad-acpi.txt
@@ -716,3 +716,10 @@
 
 There is also a kernel build option to enable more debugging
 information, which may be necessary to debug driver problems.
+
+Force loading of module
+-----------------------
+
+If thinkpad-acpi refuses to detect your ThinkPad, you can try to specify
+the module parameter force_load=1.  Regardless of whether this works or
+not, please contact ibm-acpi-devel@lists.sourceforge.net with a report.
diff --git a/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.c b/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.c
index 5611268..cddf81b 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.c
@@ -2881,6 +2881,16 @@
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Risks a regression on very old machines, but reduces potential
+	 * false positives a damn great deal
+	 */
+	if (!is_thinkpad)
+		is_thinkpad = dmi_name_in_vendors("IBM");
+
+	if (!is_thinkpad && !force_load)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2986,6 +2996,9 @@
 static u32 dbg_level;
 module_param_named(debug, dbg_level, uint, 0);
 
+static int force_load;
+module_param(force_load, int, 0);
+
 #define IBM_PARAM(feature) \
 	module_param_call(feature, set_ibm_param, NULL, NULL, 0)
 
diff --git a/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.h b/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.h
index 97467b7..2020398 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.h
+++ b/drivers/misc/thinkpad_acpi.h
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
 /* Module */
 static int experimental;
 static u32 dbg_level;
+static int force_load;
 static char *ibm_thinkpad_ec_found;
 
 static char* check_dmi_for_ec(void);