diff --git a/drivers/pwm/core.c b/drivers/pwm/core.c
index cf6d91f1a9e6..8acbcf5b6673 100644
--- a/drivers/pwm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/pwm/core.c
@@ -137,6 +137,25 @@ static void pwm_apply_debug(struct pwm_device *pwm,
 	}
 }
 
+static bool pwm_state_valid(const struct pwm_state *state)
+{
+	/*
+	 * For a disabled state all other state description is irrelevant and
+	 * and supposed to be ignored. So also ignore any strange values and
+	 * consider the state ok.
+	 */
+	if (state->enabled)
+		return true;
+
+	if (!state->period)
+		return false;
+
+	if (state->duty_cycle > state->period)
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * __pwm_apply() - atomically apply a new state to a PWM device
  * @pwm: PWM device
@@ -147,10 +166,26 @@ static int __pwm_apply(struct pwm_device *pwm, const struct pwm_state *state)
 	struct pwm_chip *chip;
 	int err;
 
-	if (!pwm || !state || !state->period ||
-	    state->duty_cycle > state->period)
+	if (!pwm || !state)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	if (!pwm_state_valid(state)) {
+		/*
+		 * Allow to transition from one invalid state to another.
+		 * This ensures that you can e.g. change the polarity while
+		 * the period is zero. (This happens on stm32 when the hardware
+		 * is in its poweron default state.) This greatly simplifies
+		 * working with the sysfs API where you can only change one
+		 * parameter at a time.
+		 */
+		if (!pwm_state_valid(&pwm->state)) {
+			pwm->state = *state;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	chip = pwm->chip;
 
 	if (state->period == pwm->state.period &&