diff --git a/net/mac80211/Kconfig b/net/mac80211/Kconfig
index 6fffb3845ab6..32c8c08c4683 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/Kconfig
+++ b/net/mac80211/Kconfig
@@ -13,6 +13,18 @@ config MAC80211
 	This option enables the hardware independent IEEE 802.11
 	networking stack.
 
+config MAC80211_RCSIMPLE
+	bool "'simple' rate control algorithm"
+	default y
+	depends on MAC80211 && EMBEDDED
+	help
+	  This option allows you to turn off the 'simple' rate
+	  control algorithm in mac80211. If you do turn it off,
+	  you absolutely need another rate control algorithm.
+
+	  Say Y unless you know you will have another algorithm
+	  available.
+
 config MAC80211_LEDS
 	bool "Enable LED triggers"
 	depends on MAC80211 && LEDS_TRIGGERS
diff --git a/net/mac80211/Makefile b/net/mac80211/Makefile
index 219cd9f9341f..1e6237b34846 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/Makefile
+++ b/net/mac80211/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-obj-$(CONFIG_MAC80211) += mac80211.o rc80211_simple.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_MAC80211) += mac80211.o
 
 mac80211-objs-$(CONFIG_MAC80211_LEDS) += ieee80211_led.o
 mac80211-objs-$(CONFIG_MAC80211_DEBUGFS) += debugfs.o debugfs_sta.o debugfs_netdev.o debugfs_key.o
 mac80211-objs-$(CONFIG_NET_SCHED) += wme.o
+mac80211-objs-$(CONFIG_MAC80211_RCSIMPLE) += rc80211_simple.o
 
 mac80211-objs := \
 	ieee80211.o \
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c b/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c
index f484ca7ade9c..52ba6ef90685 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c
@@ -1233,8 +1233,17 @@ static int __init ieee80211_init(void)
 
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(sizeof(struct ieee80211_tx_packet_data) > sizeof(skb->cb));
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_RCSIMPLE
+	ret = ieee80211_rate_control_register(&mac80211_rcsimple);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+#endif
+
 	ret = ieee80211_wme_register();
 	if (ret) {
+#ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_RCSIMPLE
+		ieee80211_rate_control_unregister(&mac80211_rcsimple);
+#endif
 		printk(KERN_DEBUG "ieee80211_init: failed to "
 		       "initialize WME (err=%d)\n", ret);
 		return ret;
@@ -1248,6 +1257,10 @@ static int __init ieee80211_init(void)
 
 static void __exit ieee80211_exit(void)
 {
+#ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_RCSIMPLE
+	ieee80211_rate_control_unregister(&mac80211_rcsimple);
+#endif
+
 	ieee80211_wme_unregister();
 	ieee80211_debugfs_netdev_exit();
 }
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.c b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.c
index 93abb8fff141..e4bd8481554d 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.c
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ int ieee80211_rate_control_register(struct rate_control_ops *ops)
 {
 	struct rate_control_alg *alg;
 
+	if (!ops->name)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	alg = kzalloc(sizeof(*alg), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (alg == NULL) {
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -61,9 +64,12 @@ ieee80211_try_rate_control_ops_get(const char *name)
 	struct rate_control_alg *alg;
 	struct rate_control_ops *ops = NULL;
 
+	if (!name)
+		return NULL;
+
 	mutex_lock(&rate_ctrl_mutex);
 	list_for_each_entry(alg, &rate_ctrl_algs, list) {
-		if (!name || !strcmp(alg->ops->name, name))
+		if (!strcmp(alg->ops->name, name))
 			if (try_module_get(alg->ops->module)) {
 				ops = alg->ops;
 				break;
@@ -80,9 +86,12 @@ ieee80211_rate_control_ops_get(const char *name)
 {
 	struct rate_control_ops *ops;
 
+	if (!name)
+		name = "simple";
+
 	ops = ieee80211_try_rate_control_ops_get(name);
 	if (!ops) {
-		request_module("rc80211_%s", name ? name : "default");
+		request_module("rc80211_%s", name);
 		ops = ieee80211_try_rate_control_ops_get(name);
 	}
 	return ops;
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.h b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.h
index 7cd1ebab4f83..23688139ffb3 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.h
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_rate.h
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ struct rate_control_ref {
 	struct kref kref;
 };
 
+/* default 'simple' algorithm */
+extern struct rate_control_ops mac80211_rcsimple;
+
 int ieee80211_rate_control_register(struct rate_control_ops *ops);
 void ieee80211_rate_control_unregister(struct rate_control_ops *ops);
 
diff --git a/net/mac80211/rc80211_simple.c b/net/mac80211/rc80211_simple.c
index 314b8de88862..da72737364e4 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/rc80211_simple.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/rc80211_simple.c
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  * published by the Free Software Foundation.
  */
 
-#include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
@@ -29,8 +28,6 @@
 #define RATE_CONTROL_INTERVAL (HZ / 20)
 #define RATE_CONTROL_MIN_TX 10
 
-MODULE_ALIAS("rc80211_default");
-
 static void rate_control_rate_inc(struct ieee80211_local *local,
 				  struct sta_info *sta)
 {
@@ -394,8 +391,7 @@ static void rate_control_simple_remove_sta_debugfs(void *priv, void *priv_sta)
 }
 #endif
 
-static struct rate_control_ops rate_control_simple = {
-	.module = THIS_MODULE,
+struct rate_control_ops mac80211_rcsimple = {
 	.name = "simple",
 	.tx_status = rate_control_simple_tx_status,
 	.get_rate = rate_control_simple_get_rate,
@@ -410,22 +406,3 @@ static struct rate_control_ops rate_control_simple = {
 	.remove_sta_debugfs = rate_control_simple_remove_sta_debugfs,
 #endif
 };
-
-
-static int __init rate_control_simple_init(void)
-{
-	return ieee80211_rate_control_register(&rate_control_simple);
-}
-
-
-static void __exit rate_control_simple_exit(void)
-{
-	ieee80211_rate_control_unregister(&rate_control_simple);
-}
-
-
-subsys_initcall(rate_control_simple_init);
-module_exit(rate_control_simple_exit);
-
-MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Simple rate control algorithm for ieee80211");
-MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");