diff --git a/drivers/base/power/domain.c b/drivers/base/power/domain.c
index 792fbab3dfc4..c71a7ef08b05 100644
--- a/drivers/base/power/domain.c
+++ b/drivers/base/power/domain.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ static const struct genpd_lock_ops genpd_spin_ops = {
 
 #define genpd_status_on(genpd)		(genpd->status == GPD_STATE_ACTIVE)
 #define genpd_is_irq_safe(genpd)	(genpd->flags & GENPD_FLAG_IRQ_SAFE)
+#define genpd_is_always_on(genpd)	(genpd->flags & GENPD_FLAG_ALWAYS_ON)
 
 static inline bool irq_safe_dev_in_no_sleep_domain(struct device *dev,
 		struct generic_pm_domain *genpd)
@@ -300,7 +301,12 @@ static int genpd_power_off(struct generic_pm_domain *genpd, bool one_dev_on,
 	if (!genpd_status_on(genpd) || genpd->prepared_count > 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (atomic_read(&genpd->sd_count) > 0)
+	/*
+	 * Abort power off for the PM domain in the following situations:
+	 * (1) The domain is configured as always on.
+	 * (2) When the domain has a subdomain being powered on.
+	 */
+	if (genpd_is_always_on(genpd) || atomic_read(&genpd->sd_count) > 0)
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(pdd, &genpd->dev_list, list_node) {
@@ -752,7 +758,7 @@ static void genpd_sync_power_off(struct generic_pm_domain *genpd, bool use_lock,
 {
 	struct gpd_link *link;
 
-	if (!genpd_status_on(genpd))
+	if (!genpd_status_on(genpd) || genpd_is_always_on(genpd))
 		return;
 
 	if (genpd->suspended_count != genpd->device_count
@@ -1491,6 +1497,10 @@ int pm_genpd_init(struct generic_pm_domain *genpd,
 		genpd->dev_ops.start = pm_clk_resume;
 	}
 
+	/* Always-on domains must be powered on at initialization. */
+	if (genpd_is_always_on(genpd) && !genpd_status_on(genpd))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	/* Use only one "off" state if there were no states declared */
 	if (genpd->state_count == 0) {
 		ret = genpd_set_default_power_state(genpd);
diff --git a/include/linux/pm_domain.h b/include/linux/pm_domain.h
index 5339ed5bd6f9..9b6abe632587 100644
--- a/include/linux/pm_domain.h
+++ b/include/linux/pm_domain.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 /* Defines used for the flags field in the struct generic_pm_domain */
 #define GENPD_FLAG_PM_CLK	(1U << 0) /* PM domain uses PM clk */
 #define GENPD_FLAG_IRQ_SAFE	(1U << 1) /* PM domain operates in atomic */
+#define GENPD_FLAG_ALWAYS_ON	(1U << 2) /* PM domain is always powered on */
 
 enum gpd_status {
 	GPD_STATE_ACTIVE = 0,	/* PM domain is active */