diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
index baf2ff146f50..6af3325b7e40 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <sound/sof.h>
 #include "ext_manifest.h"
 #include "../ops.h"
+#include "../sof-priv.h"
 #include "hda.h"
 
 #define HDA_CL_STREAM_FORMAT 0x40
@@ -396,6 +397,7 @@ int hda_dsp_cl_boot_firmware(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	int ret, ret1, i;
 
 	if ((sdev->fw_ready.flags & SOF_IPC_INFO_D3_PERSISTENT) &&
+	    !(sof_debug_check_flag(SOF_DBG_IGNORE_D3_PERSISTENT)) &&
 	    !sdev->first_boot) {
 		dev_dbg(sdev->dev, "IMR restore supported, booting from IMR directly\n");
 		return hda_dsp_boot_imr(sdev);
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h b/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
index 087935192ce8..29bb56b7267a 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
 							* on primary core
 							*/
 #define SOF_DBG_PRINT_ALL_DUMPS		BIT(6) /* Print all ipc and dsp dumps */
+#define SOF_DBG_IGNORE_D3_PERSISTENT		BIT(7) /* ignore the DSP D3 persistent capability
+							* and always download firmware upon D3 exit
+							*/
 
 /* Flag definitions used for controlling the DSP dump behavior */
 #define SOF_DBG_DUMP_REGS		BIT(0)