diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_a8k.mk b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_a8k.mk
index d8d4921933031d3ace36374a8533654a7cf507cb..315fc874133e286c1305ced2972d48f9bdb028a6 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_a8k.mk
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_a8k.mk
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ A8K_MSS_SOURCE		:=	$(PLAT_MARVELL)/a8k/common/mss
 BL2_SOURCES		+=	$(A8K_MSS_SOURCE)/mss_bl2_setup.c \
 				$(MARVELL_MOCHI_DRV)
 
-BL31_SOURCES		+=	$(A8K_MSS_SOURCE)/mss_pm_ipc.c
+BL31_SOURCES		+=	$(A8K_MSS_SOURCE)/mss_pm_ipc.c \
+				$(A8K_MSS_SOURCE)/mss_bl31_setup.c
 
 PLAT_INCLUDES		+=	-I$(A8K_MSS_SOURCE)
 
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl2_setup.c b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl2_setup.c
index 71fa2b86872959c150c6992051f8c0d408a9b35d..dee2d5b0ba95f75654628a5f02402e250605f885 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl2_setup.c
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl2_setup.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <armada_common.h>
 #include <marvell_plat_priv.h> /* timer functionality */
-
+#include "mss_defs.h"
 #include "mss_scp_bootloader.h"
 
 /* MSS windows configuration */
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@
 #define MSS_EXTERNAL_ADDR_MASK		0xfffffff
 #define MSS_INTERNAL_ACCESS_BIT		28
 
-#define MSS_AP_REGS_OFFSET		0x580000
-#define MSS_CP_SRAM_OFFSET		0x220000
-#define MSS_CP_REGS_OFFSET		0x280000
-
 struct addr_map_win ccu_mem_map[] = {
 	{MVEBU_CP_REGS_BASE(0), 0x4000000, IO_0_TID}
 };
@@ -130,11 +126,7 @@ uintptr_t bl2_plat_get_cp_mss_regs(int ap_idx, int cp_idx)
 
 uintptr_t bl2_plat_get_cp_mss_sram(int ap_idx, int cp_idx)
 {
-	if (is_secure()) {
-		return MVEBU_CP_REGS_BASE(cp_idx) + MSS_CP_SRAM_OFFSET;
-	}
-
-	return 0; /* SRAM will not be used */
+	return MVEBU_CP_REGS_BASE(cp_idx) + MSS_CP_SRAM_OFFSET;
 }
 
 uintptr_t bl2_plat_get_ap_mss_regs(int ap_idx)
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl31_setup.c b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl31_setup.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..52a892956df23ff1fc223a913ce38cfbdc14eb4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_bl31_setup.c
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Marvell International Ltd.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier:     BSD-3-Clause
+ * https://spdx.org/licenses
+ */
+
+#include <platform_def.h>
+
+#include <common/bl_common.h>
+#include <common/debug.h>
+#include <lib/mmio.h>
+
+#include <armada_common.h>
+
+#include "mss_defs.h"
+
+void mss_start_cp_cm3(int cp)
+{
+	uint32_t magic;
+	uintptr_t sram = MVEBU_CP_REGS_BASE(cp) + MSS_CP_SRAM_OFFSET;
+	uintptr_t regs = MVEBU_CP_REGS_BASE(cp) + MSS_CP_REGS_OFFSET;
+
+	magic = mmio_read_32(sram);
+
+	/* Make sure the FW was loaded */
+	if (magic != MSS_FW_READY_MAGIC) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	NOTICE("Starting CP%d MSS CPU\n", cp);
+	/* remove the magic */
+	mmio_write_32(sram, 0);
+	/* Release M3 from reset */
+	mmio_write_32(MSS_M3_RSTCR(regs),
+		      (MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFF << MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFFSET));
+}
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_defs.h b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_defs.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6956461a55aafd2a48aaf28a8d6b3bb17ce06006
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/mss/mss_defs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Marvell International Ltd.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier:     BSD-3-Clause
+ * https://spdx.org/licenses
+ */
+
+#ifndef MSS_DEFS_H
+#define MSS_DEFS_H
+
+#define MSS_DMA_SRCBR(base)		(base + 0xC0)
+#define MSS_DMA_DSTBR(base)		(base + 0xC4)
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR(base)		(base + 0xC8)
+#define MSS_M3_RSTCR(base)		(base + 0xFC)
+
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_SIZE_OFFSET	(0)
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_REQ_OFFSET	(15)
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_REQ_SET		(1)
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_ACK_OFFSET	(12)
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_ACK_MASK		(0x1)
+#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_ACK_READY		(1)
+#define MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFFSET		(0)
+#define MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFF		(1)
+
+#define MSS_FW_READY_MAGIC		0x46575144 /* FWRD */
+
+#define MSS_AP_REGS_OFFSET		0x00580000
+#define MSS_CP_SRAM_OFFSET		0x00220000
+#define MSS_CP_REGS_OFFSET		0x00280000
+
+void mss_start_cp_cm3(int cp);
+
+#endif /* MSS_DEFS_H */
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/plat_bl31_setup.c b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/plat_bl31_setup.c
index 50dcd28910ef8f98323bf40a5bce537cec0a090e..db85cce85d8d0e3761ebe2faa9c0cf75fd9372be 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/plat_bl31_setup.c
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/plat_bl31_setup.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #if MSS_SUPPORT
 #include <mss_ipc_drv.h>
 #include <mss_mem.h>
+#include <mss_defs.h>
 #endif
 
 /* In Armada-8k family AP806/AP807, CP0 connected to PIDI
@@ -124,6 +125,11 @@ void bl31_plat_arch_setup(void)
 			   STREAM_ID_BASE + (cp * MAX_STREAM_ID_PER_CP));
 
 		marvell_bl31_mpp_init(cp);
+
+#if MSS_SUPPORT
+		/* Release CP MSS CPU from reset once the CP init is done */
+		mss_start_cp_cm3(cp);
+#endif
 	}
 
 	for (cp = 1; cp < CP_COUNT; cp++)
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/common/mss/mss_scp_bootloader.c b/plat/marvell/armada/common/mss/mss_scp_bootloader.c
index 72a304a80137d7e66fa090231ccd019c810a6808..fbede1b1a72b2dfcf5bfb20518fa42114d577e47 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/common/mss/mss_scp_bootloader.c
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/common/mss/mss_scp_bootloader.c
@@ -19,22 +19,9 @@
 #include <mss_scp_bootloader.h>
 #include <mss_ipc_drv.h>
 #include <mss_mem.h>
+#include <mss_defs.h>
 #include <mss_scp_bl2_format.h>
 
-#define MSS_DMA_SRCBR(base)		(base + 0xC0)
-#define MSS_DMA_DSTBR(base)		(base + 0xC4)
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR(base)		(base + 0xC8)
-#define MSS_M3_RSTCR(base)		(base + 0xFC)
-
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_SIZE_OFFSET	(0)
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_REQ_OFFSET	(15)
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_REQ_SET		(1)
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_ACK_OFFSET	(12)
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_ACK_MASK		(0x1)
-#define MSS_DMA_CTRLR_ACK_READY		(1)
-#define MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFFSET		(0)
-#define MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFF		(1)
-
 #define MSS_DMA_TIMEOUT			1000
 #define MSS_EXTERNAL_SPACE		0x50000000
 #define MSS_EXTERNAL_ADDR_MASK		0xfffffff
@@ -161,15 +148,20 @@ static int mss_image_load(uint32_t src_addr, uint32_t size,
 
 	bl2_plat_configure_mss_windows(mss_regs);
 
-	/* Wipe the MSS SRAM after using it as copy buffer */
-	if (sram) {
+	if (sram != 0) {
+		/* Wipe the MSS SRAM after using it as copy buffer */
 		memset((void *)sram, 0, MSS_SRAM_SIZE);
+		NOTICE("CP MSS startup is postponed\n");
+		/* FW loaded, but CPU startup postponed until final CP setup */
+		mmio_write_32(sram, MSS_FW_READY_MAGIC);
+		dsb();
+	} else {
+		/* Release M3 from reset */
+		mmio_write_32(MSS_M3_RSTCR(mss_regs),
+			      (MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFF <<
+			       MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFFSET));
 	}
 
-	/* Release M3 from reset */
-	mmio_write_32(MSS_M3_RSTCR(mss_regs),
-		     (MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFF << MSS_M3_RSTCR_RST_OFFSET));
-
 	NOTICE("Done\n");
 
 	return 0;