diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c b/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c
index 26671757c70b..62696f865576 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ static int dvb_shutdown_timeout;
 static int dvb_force_auto_inversion;
 static int dvb_override_tune_delay;
 static int dvb_powerdown_on_sleep = 1;
+static int dvb_mfe_wait_time = 5;
 
 module_param_named(frontend_debug, dvb_frontend_debug, int, 0644);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(frontend_debug, "Turn on/off frontend core debugging (default:off).");
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ module_param(dvb_override_tune_delay, int, 0644);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(dvb_override_tune_delay, "0: normal (default), >0 => delay in milliseconds to wait for lock after a tune attempt");
 module_param(dvb_powerdown_on_sleep, int, 0644);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(dvb_powerdown_on_sleep, "0: do not power down, 1: turn LNB voltage off on sleep (default)");
+module_param(dvb_mfe_wait_time, int, 0644);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(dvb_mfe_wait_time, "Wait up to <mfe_wait_time> seconds on open() for multi-frontend to become available (default:5 seconds)");
 
 #define dprintk if (dvb_frontend_debug) printk
 
@@ -1706,13 +1709,46 @@ static int dvb_frontend_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	struct dvb_device *dvbdev = file->private_data;
 	struct dvb_frontend *fe = dvbdev->priv;
 	struct dvb_frontend_private *fepriv = fe->frontend_priv;
+	struct dvb_adapter *adapter = fe->dvb;
+	struct dvb_device *mfedev;
+	struct dvb_frontend *mfe;
+	struct dvb_frontend_private *mfepriv;
+	int mferetry;
 	int ret;
 
 	dprintk ("%s\n", __func__);
 
+	if (adapter->mfe_shared) {
+		mutex_lock (&adapter->mfe_lock);
+		if (adapter->mfe_dvbdev != dvbdev) {
+			if (adapter->mfe_dvbdev) {
+				mfedev = adapter->mfe_dvbdev;
+				mfe = mfedev->priv;
+				mfepriv = mfe->frontend_priv;
+				mutex_unlock (&adapter->mfe_lock);
+				mferetry = (dvb_mfe_wait_time << 1);
+				while (mferetry-- && (mfedev->users != -1 || mfepriv->thread != NULL)) {
+					if(msleep_interruptible(500)) {
+						if(signal_pending(current))
+							return -EINTR;
+					}
+				}
+				mutex_lock (&adapter->mfe_lock);
+				mfedev = adapter->mfe_dvbdev;
+				mfe = mfedev->priv;
+				mfepriv = mfe->frontend_priv;
+				if (mfedev->users != -1 || mfepriv->thread != NULL) {
+					ret = -EBUSY;
+					goto err0;
+				}
+			}
+			adapter->mfe_dvbdev = dvbdev;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (dvbdev->users == -1 && fe->ops.ts_bus_ctrl) {
 		if ((ret = fe->ops.ts_bus_ctrl(fe, 1)) < 0)
-			return ret;
+			goto err0;
 	}
 
 	if ((ret = dvb_generic_open (inode, file)) < 0)
@@ -1732,6 +1768,8 @@ static int dvb_frontend_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		fepriv->events.eventr = fepriv->events.eventw = 0;
 	}
 
+	if (adapter->mfe_shared)
+		mutex_unlock (&adapter->mfe_lock);
 	return ret;
 
 err2:
@@ -1739,6 +1777,9 @@ err2:
 err1:
 	if (dvbdev->users == -1 && fe->ops.ts_bus_ctrl)
 		fe->ops.ts_bus_ctrl(fe, 0);
+err0:
+	if (adapter->mfe_shared)
+		mutex_unlock (&adapter->mfe_lock);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.c b/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.c
index 665776d72a48..a113744a56cc 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.c
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.c
@@ -326,6 +326,9 @@ int dvb_register_adapter(struct dvb_adapter *adap, const char *name,
 	adap->name = name;
 	adap->module = module;
 	adap->device = device;
+	adap->mfe_shared = 0;
+	adap->mfe_dvbdev = NULL;
+	mutex_init (&adap->mfe_lock);
 
 	list_add_tail (&adap->list_head, &dvb_adapter_list);
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.h b/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.h
index 89d12dc477a7..574e336bac35 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.h
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvbdev.h
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ struct dvb_adapter {
 	struct device *device;
 
 	struct module *module;
+
+	int mfe_shared;			/* indicates mutually exclusive frontends */
+	struct dvb_device *mfe_dvbdev;	/* frontend device in use */
+	struct mutex mfe_lock;		/* access lock for thread creation */
 };
 
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx23885/cx23885-dvb.c b/drivers/media/video/cx23885/cx23885-dvb.c
index c14878f74bcc..78851526db68 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx23885/cx23885-dvb.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx23885/cx23885-dvb.c
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ static int dvb_register(struct cx23885_tsport *port)
 
 	/* register everything */
 	return videobuf_dvb_register_bus(&port->frontends, THIS_MODULE, port,
-				     &dev->pci->dev, adapter_nr);
+		&dev->pci->dev, adapter_nr, 0);
 
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c
index 9bb7bee0da6d..0dd0ff9227fb 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx88/cx88-dvb.c
@@ -594,14 +594,9 @@ static struct stv0288_config tevii_tuner_earda_config = {
 
 static int dvb_register(struct cx8802_dev *dev)
 {
-	//struct cx88_core *core = dev->core;
-
-	///* init struct videobuf_dvb */
-	//fe->dvb.name = core->name;
-	//dev->ts_gen_cntrl = 0x0c;
-
 	struct cx88_core *core = dev->core;
 	struct videobuf_dvb_frontend *fe0, *fe1 = NULL;
+	int mfe_shared = 0; /* bus not shared by default */
 
 	/* Get the first frontend */
 	fe0 = videobuf_dvb_get_frontend(&dev->frontends, 1);
@@ -669,6 +664,7 @@ static int dvb_register(struct cx8802_dev *dev)
 		fe1 = videobuf_dvb_get_frontend(&dev->frontends, 2);
 		if (fe1) {
 			dev->frontends.gate = 2;
+			mfe_shared = 1;
 			fe1->dvb.frontend = dvb_attach(cx22702_attach,
 				&hauppauge_hvr_config,
 				&dev->core->i2c_adap);
@@ -1013,6 +1009,7 @@ static int dvb_register(struct cx8802_dev *dev)
 		fe1 = videobuf_dvb_get_frontend(&dev->frontends, 2);
 		if (fe1) {
 			dev->frontends.gate = 2;
+			mfe_shared = 1;
 			fe1->dvb.frontend = dvb_attach(cx22702_attach,
 				&hauppauge_hvr_config,
 				&dev->core->i2c_adap);
@@ -1110,7 +1107,7 @@ static int dvb_register(struct cx8802_dev *dev)
 
 	/* register everything */
 	return videobuf_dvb_register_bus(&dev->frontends, THIS_MODULE, dev,
-		&dev->pci->dev, adapter_nr);
+		&dev->pci->dev, adapter_nr, mfe_shared);
 
 frontend_detach:
 	if (fe0->dvb.frontend) {
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/saa7134/saa7134-dvb.c b/drivers/media/video/saa7134/saa7134-dvb.c
index 30ae0cbe78a0..d2d238912fbf 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/saa7134/saa7134-dvb.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/saa7134/saa7134-dvb.c
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ static int dvb_init(struct saa7134_dev *dev)
 
 	/* register everything else */
 	ret = videobuf_dvb_register_bus(&dev->frontends, THIS_MODULE, dev,
-		&dev->pci->dev, adapter_nr);
+		&dev->pci->dev, adapter_nr, 0);
 
 	/* this sequence is necessary to make the tda1004x load its firmware
 	 * and to enter analog mode of hybrid boards
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/videobuf-dvb.c b/drivers/media/video/videobuf-dvb.c
index a0a80e1e79e3..af0b75cda6fd 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/videobuf-dvb.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/videobuf-dvb.c
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ int videobuf_dvb_register_bus(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *f,
 			  struct module *module,
 			  void *adapter_priv,
 			  struct device *device,
-			  short *adapter_nr) //NEW
+			  short *adapter_nr,
+			  int mfe_shared)
 {
 	struct list_head *list, *q;
 	struct videobuf_dvb_frontend *fe;
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ int videobuf_dvb_register_bus(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *f,
 	}
 
 	/* Bring up the adapter */
-	res = videobuf_dvb_register_adapter(f, module, adapter_priv, device, fe->dvb.name, adapter_nr); //NEW
+	res = videobuf_dvb_register_adapter(f, module, adapter_priv, device, fe->dvb.name, adapter_nr, mfe_shared);
 	if (res < 0) {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "videobuf_dvb_register_adapter failed (errno = %d)\n", res);
 		goto err;
@@ -181,7 +182,8 @@ int videobuf_dvb_register_adapter(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *fe,
 			  void *adapter_priv,
 			  struct device *device,
 			  char *adapter_name,
-			  short *adapter_nr) //NEW
+			  short *adapter_nr,
+			  int mfe_shared)
 {
 	int result;
 
@@ -194,6 +196,7 @@ int videobuf_dvb_register_adapter(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *fe,
 		       adapter_name, result);
 	}
 	fe->adapter.priv = adapter_priv;
+	fe->adapter.mfe_shared = mfe_shared;
 
 	return result;
 }
diff --git a/include/media/videobuf-dvb.h b/include/media/videobuf-dvb.h
index 47bc2c5e7ba9..1a401f7320b9 100644
--- a/include/media/videobuf-dvb.h
+++ b/include/media/videobuf-dvb.h
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ int videobuf_dvb_register_bus(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *f,
 			  struct module *module,
 			  void *adapter_priv,
 			  struct device *device,
-			  short *adapter_nr);   //NEW
+			  short *adapter_nr,
+			  int mfe_shared);
 
 void videobuf_dvb_unregister_bus(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *f);
 
@@ -52,7 +53,8 @@ int videobuf_dvb_register_adapter(struct videobuf_dvb_frontends *f,
 			  void *adapter_priv,
 			  struct device *device,
 			  char *adapter_name,
-			  short *adapter_nr);   //NEW
+			  short *adapter_nr,
+			  int mfe_shared);
 
 int videobuf_dvb_register_frontend(struct dvb_adapter *adapter, struct videobuf_dvb *dvb);