diff --git a/Documentation/thermal/sysfs-api.txt b/Documentation/thermal/sysfs-api.txt
index a71bd5b90fe8..37c54863f611 100644
--- a/Documentation/thermal/sysfs-api.txt
+++ b/Documentation/thermal/sysfs-api.txt
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ temperature) and throttle appropriate devices.
     This is an optional feature where some platforms can choose not to
     provide this data.
     .governor_name: Name of the thermal governor used for this zone
+    .no_hwmon: a boolean to indicate if the thermal to hwmon sysfs interface
+               is required. when no_hwmon == false, a hwmon sysfs interface
+               will be created. when no_hwmon == true, nothing will be done.
+               In case the thermal_zone_params is NULL, the hwmon interface
+               will be created (for backward compatibility).
     .num_tbps: Number of thermal_bind_params entries for this zone
     .tbp: thermal_bind_params entries
 
diff --git a/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c b/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
index 247528bbf00c..51648bfb248d 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
@@ -1462,9 +1462,11 @@ struct thermal_zone_device *thermal_zone_device_register(const char *type,
 
 	mutex_unlock(&thermal_governor_lock);
 
-	result = thermal_add_hwmon_sysfs(tz);
-	if (result)
-		goto unregister;
+	if (!tz->tzp || !tz->tzp->no_hwmon) {
+		result = thermal_add_hwmon_sysfs(tz);
+		if (result)
+			goto unregister;
+	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&thermal_list_lock);
 	list_add_tail(&tz->node, &thermal_tz_list);
diff --git a/include/linux/thermal.h b/include/linux/thermal.h
index a386a1cbb6e1..b4a975f25be0 100644
--- a/include/linux/thermal.h
+++ b/include/linux/thermal.h
@@ -214,6 +214,14 @@ struct thermal_bind_params {
 /* Structure to define Thermal Zone parameters */
 struct thermal_zone_params {
 	char governor_name[THERMAL_NAME_LENGTH];
+
+	/*
+	 * a boolean to indicate if the thermal to hwmon sysfs interface
+	 * is required. when no_hwmon == false, a hwmon sysfs interface
+	 * will be created. when no_hwmon == true, nothing will be done
+	 */
+	bool no_hwmon;
+
 	int num_tbps;	/* Number of tbp entries */
 	struct thermal_bind_params *tbp;
 };