diff --git a/drivers/base/core.c b/drivers/base/core.c
index 9019b81405bf..816b0288579f 100644
--- a/drivers/base/core.c
+++ b/drivers/base/core.c
@@ -271,6 +271,12 @@ static bool device_is_ancestor(struct device *dev, struct device *target)
 	return false;
 }
 
+static inline bool device_link_flag_is_sync_state_only(u32 flags)
+{
+	return (flags & ~(DL_FLAG_INFERRED | DL_FLAG_CYCLE)) ==
+		(DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED);
+}
+
 /**
  * device_is_dependent - Check if one device depends on another one
  * @dev: Device to check dependencies for.
@@ -297,8 +303,7 @@ int device_is_dependent(struct device *dev, void *target)
 		return ret;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(link, &dev->links.consumers, s_node) {
-		if ((link->flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) ==
-		    (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
+		if (device_link_flag_is_sync_state_only(link->flags))
 			continue;
 
 		if (link->consumer == target)
@@ -371,8 +376,7 @@ static int device_reorder_to_tail(struct device *dev, void *not_used)
 
 	device_for_each_child(dev, NULL, device_reorder_to_tail);
 	list_for_each_entry(link, &dev->links.consumers, s_node) {
-		if ((link->flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) ==
-		    (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
+		if (device_link_flag_is_sync_state_only(link->flags))
 			continue;
 		device_reorder_to_tail(link->consumer, NULL);
 	}
@@ -633,7 +637,8 @@ postcore_initcall(devlink_class_init);
 			       DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_SUPPLIER | \
 			       DL_FLAG_AUTOPROBE_CONSUMER  | \
 			       DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | \
-			       DL_FLAG_INFERRED)
+			       DL_FLAG_INFERRED | \
+			       DL_FLAG_CYCLE)
 
 #define DL_ADD_VALID_FLAGS (DL_MANAGED_LINK_FLAGS | DL_FLAG_STATELESS | \
 			    DL_FLAG_PM_RUNTIME | DL_FLAG_RPM_ACTIVE)
@@ -702,8 +707,6 @@ struct device_link *device_link_add(struct device *consumer,
 	if (!consumer || !supplier || consumer == supplier ||
 	    flags & ~DL_ADD_VALID_FLAGS ||
 	    (flags & DL_FLAG_STATELESS && flags & DL_MANAGED_LINK_FLAGS) ||
-	    (flags & DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY &&
-	     (flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) != DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY) ||
 	    (flags & DL_FLAG_AUTOPROBE_CONSUMER &&
 	     flags & (DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_CONSUMER |
 		      DL_FLAG_AUTOREMOVE_SUPPLIER)))
@@ -719,6 +722,10 @@ struct device_link *device_link_add(struct device *consumer,
 	if (!(flags & DL_FLAG_STATELESS))
 		flags |= DL_FLAG_MANAGED;
 
+	if (flags & DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY &&
+	    !device_link_flag_is_sync_state_only(flags))
+		return NULL;
+
 	device_links_write_lock();
 	device_pm_lock();
 
@@ -1671,7 +1678,7 @@ static void fw_devlink_relax_link(struct device_link *link)
 	if (!(link->flags & DL_FLAG_INFERRED))
 		return;
 
-	if (link->flags == (DL_FLAG_MANAGED | FW_DEVLINK_FLAGS_PERMISSIVE))
+	if (device_link_flag_is_sync_state_only(link->flags))
 		return;
 
 	pm_runtime_drop_link(link);
@@ -1795,8 +1802,8 @@ static int fw_devlink_relax_cycle(struct device *con, void *sup)
 		return ret;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(link, &con->links.consumers, s_node) {
-		if ((link->flags & ~DL_FLAG_INFERRED) ==
-		    (DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY | DL_FLAG_MANAGED))
+		if (!(link->flags & DL_FLAG_CYCLE) &&
+		    device_link_flag_is_sync_state_only(link->flags))
 			continue;
 
 		if (!fw_devlink_relax_cycle(link->consumer, sup))
@@ -1805,6 +1812,7 @@ static int fw_devlink_relax_cycle(struct device *con, void *sup)
 		ret = 1;
 
 		fw_devlink_relax_link(link);
+		link->flags |= DL_FLAG_CYCLE;
 	}
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/device.h b/include/linux/device.h
index 424b55df0272..7cf24330d681 100644
--- a/include/linux/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/device.h
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ enum device_link_state {
 #define DL_FLAG_MANAGED			BIT(6)
 #define DL_FLAG_SYNC_STATE_ONLY		BIT(7)
 #define DL_FLAG_INFERRED		BIT(8)
+#define DL_FLAG_CYCLE			BIT(9)
 
 /**
  * enum dl_dev_state - Device driver presence tracking information.