diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
index 4e7a4e9dcf4d..2da05fa37aec 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
@@ -361,6 +361,30 @@ int tty_insert_flip_string_flags(struct tty_port *port,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(tty_insert_flip_string_flags);
 
+/**
+ *	__tty_insert_flip_char   -	Add one character to the tty buffer
+ *	@port: tty port
+ *	@ch: character
+ *	@flag: flag byte
+ *
+ *	Queue a single byte to the tty buffering, with an optional flag.
+ *	This is the slow path of tty_insert_flip_char.
+ */
+int __tty_insert_flip_char(struct tty_port *port, unsigned char ch, char flag)
+{
+	struct tty_buffer *tb = port->buf.tail;
+	int flags = (flag == TTY_NORMAL) ? TTYB_NORMAL : 0;
+
+	if (!tty_buffer_request_room(port, 1))
+		return 0;
+
+	*flag_buf_ptr(tb, tb->used) = flag;
+	*char_buf_ptr(tb, tb->used++) = ch;
+
+	return 1;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(__tty_insert_flip_char);
+
 /**
  *	tty_schedule_flip	-	push characters to ldisc
  *	@port: tty port to push from
diff --git a/include/linux/tty_flip.h b/include/linux/tty_flip.h
index c28dd523f96e..d43837f2ce3a 100644
--- a/include/linux/tty_flip.h
+++ b/include/linux/tty_flip.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ extern int tty_prepare_flip_string(struct tty_port *port,
 		unsigned char **chars, size_t size);
 extern void tty_flip_buffer_push(struct tty_port *port);
 void tty_schedule_flip(struct tty_port *port);
+int __tty_insert_flip_char(struct tty_port *port, unsigned char ch, char flag);
 
 static inline int tty_insert_flip_char(struct tty_port *port,
 					unsigned char ch, char flag)
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ static inline int tty_insert_flip_char(struct tty_port *port,
 		*char_buf_ptr(tb, tb->used++) = ch;
 		return 1;
 	}
-	return tty_insert_flip_string_flags(port, &ch, &flag, 1);
+	return __tty_insert_flip_char(port, ch, flag);
 }
 
 static inline int tty_insert_flip_string(struct tty_port *port,