diff --git a/drivers/usb/core/devio.c b/drivers/usb/core/devio.c
index 2087766..274f14f 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/core/devio.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/core/devio.c
@@ -857,11 +857,11 @@
 
 static int proc_setconfig(struct dev_state *ps, void __user *arg)
 {
-	unsigned int u;
+	int u;
 	int status = 0;
  	struct usb_host_config *actconfig;
 
-	if (get_user(u, (unsigned int __user *)arg))
+	if (get_user(u, (int __user *)arg))
 		return -EFAULT;
 
  	actconfig = ps->dev->actconfig;
diff --git a/drivers/usb/core/generic.c b/drivers/usb/core/generic.c
index b531a4f..9bbcb20 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/core/generic.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/core/generic.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
 	/* if this is only an unbind, not a physical disconnect, then
 	 * unconfigure the device */
 	if (udev->actconfig)
-		usb_set_configuration(udev, 0);
+		usb_set_configuration(udev, -1);
 
 	usb_remove_sysfs_dev_files(udev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/usb/core/message.c b/drivers/usb/core/message.c
index 8aca357..74edaea 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/core/message.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/core/message.c
@@ -1316,6 +1316,14 @@
  * use this kind of configurability; many devices only have one
  * configuration.
  *
+ * @configuration is the value of the configuration to be installed.
+ * According to the USB spec (e.g. section 9.1.1.5), configuration values
+ * must be non-zero; a value of zero indicates that the device in
+ * unconfigured.  However some devices erroneously use 0 as one of their
+ * configuration values.  To help manage such devices, this routine will
+ * accept @configuration = -1 as indicating the device should be put in
+ * an unconfigured state.
+ *
  * USB device configurations may affect Linux interoperability,
  * power consumption and the functionality available.  For example,
  * the default configuration is limited to using 100mA of bus power,
@@ -1347,10 +1355,15 @@
 	struct usb_interface **new_interfaces = NULL;
 	int n, nintf;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < dev->descriptor.bNumConfigurations; i++) {
-		if (dev->config[i].desc.bConfigurationValue == configuration) {
-			cp = &dev->config[i];
-			break;
+	if (configuration == -1)
+		configuration = 0;
+	else {
+		for (i = 0; i < dev->descriptor.bNumConfigurations; i++) {
+			if (dev->config[i].desc.bConfigurationValue ==
+					configuration) {
+				cp = &dev->config[i];
+				break;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if ((!cp && configuration != 0))
@@ -1359,6 +1372,7 @@
 	/* The USB spec says configuration 0 means unconfigured.
 	 * But if a device includes a configuration numbered 0,
 	 * we will accept it as a correctly configured state.
+	 * Use -1 if you really want to unconfigure the device.
 	 */
 	if (cp && configuration == 0)
 		dev_warn(&dev->dev, "config 0 descriptor??\n");
diff --git a/drivers/usb/core/sysfs.c b/drivers/usb/core/sysfs.c
index 4eaa0ee..0edfbaf 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/core/sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/core/sysfs.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 	struct usb_device	*udev = to_usb_device(dev);
 	int			config, value;
 
-	if (sscanf(buf, "%u", &config) != 1 || config > 255)
+	if (sscanf(buf, "%d", &config) != 1 || config < -1 || config > 255)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	usb_lock_device(udev);
 	value = usb_set_configuration(udev, config);