diff --git a/drivers/firmware/scmi/sandbox-scmi_devices.c b/drivers/firmware/scmi/sandbox-scmi_devices.c
index 96c2922b067..9f253b0fd40 100644
--- a/drivers/firmware/scmi/sandbox-scmi_devices.c
+++ b/drivers/firmware/scmi/sandbox-scmi_devices.c
@@ -163,4 +163,5 @@ U_BOOT_DRIVER(sandbox_scmi_devices) = {
 	.priv_auto = sizeof(struct sandbox_scmi_device_priv),
 	.remove = sandbox_scmi_devices_remove,
 	.probe = sandbox_scmi_devices_probe,
+	.flags = DM_FLAG_DEFAULT_PD_CTRL_OFF,
 };
diff --git a/drivers/power/domain/power-domain-uclass.c b/drivers/power/domain/power-domain-uclass.c
index 938bd8cbc9f..a6e5f9ed036 100644
--- a/drivers/power/domain/power-domain-uclass.c
+++ b/drivers/power/domain/power-domain-uclass.c
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
 #include <power-domain-uclass.h>
 #include <dm/device-internal.h>
 
+struct power_domain_priv {
+	int on_count;
+};
+
 static inline struct power_domain_ops *power_domain_dev_ops(struct udevice *dev)
 {
 	return (struct power_domain_ops *)dev->driver->ops;
@@ -107,22 +111,49 @@ int power_domain_free(struct power_domain *power_domain)
 	return ops->rfree ? ops->rfree(power_domain) : 0;
 }
 
-int power_domain_on(struct power_domain *power_domain)
+int power_domain_on_lowlevel(struct power_domain *power_domain)
 {
+	struct power_domain_priv *priv = dev_get_uclass_priv(power_domain->dev);
 	struct power_domain_ops *ops = power_domain_dev_ops(power_domain->dev);
+	int ret;
 
 	debug("%s(power_domain=%p)\n", __func__, power_domain);
 
-	return ops->on ? ops->on(power_domain) : 0;
+	if (priv->on_count++ > 0)
+		return -EALREADY;
+
+	ret = ops->on ? ops->on(power_domain) : 0;
+	if (ret) {
+		priv->on_count--;
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
-int power_domain_off(struct power_domain *power_domain)
+int power_domain_off_lowlevel(struct power_domain *power_domain)
 {
+	struct power_domain_priv *priv = dev_get_uclass_priv(power_domain->dev);
 	struct power_domain_ops *ops = power_domain_dev_ops(power_domain->dev);
+	int ret;
 
 	debug("%s(power_domain=%p)\n", __func__, power_domain);
 
-	return ops->off ? ops->off(power_domain) : 0;
+	if (priv->on_count <= 0) {
+		debug("Power domain %s already off.\n", power_domain->dev->name);
+		return -EALREADY;
+	}
+
+	if (priv->on_count-- > 1)
+		return -EBUSY;
+
+	ret = ops->off ? ops->off(power_domain) : 0;
+	if (ret) {
+		priv->on_count++;
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #if CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(OF_REAL)
@@ -180,4 +211,5 @@ int dev_power_domain_off(struct udevice *dev)
 UCLASS_DRIVER(power_domain) = {
 	.id		= UCLASS_POWER_DOMAIN,
 	.name		= "power_domain",
+	.per_device_auto = sizeof(struct power_domain_priv),
 };
diff --git a/drivers/power/domain/sandbox-power-domain-test.c b/drivers/power/domain/sandbox-power-domain-test.c
index 08c15ef342b..5b530974e94 100644
--- a/drivers/power/domain/sandbox-power-domain-test.c
+++ b/drivers/power/domain/sandbox-power-domain-test.c
@@ -51,4 +51,5 @@ U_BOOT_DRIVER(sandbox_power_domain_test) = {
 	.id = UCLASS_MISC,
 	.of_match = sandbox_power_domain_test_ids,
 	.priv_auto	= sizeof(struct sandbox_power_domain_test),
+	.flags = DM_FLAG_DEFAULT_PD_CTRL_OFF,
 };
diff --git a/include/power-domain.h b/include/power-domain.h
index 18525073e5e..ad33dea76ce 100644
--- a/include/power-domain.h
+++ b/include/power-domain.h
@@ -147,37 +147,81 @@ static inline int power_domain_free(struct power_domain *power_domain)
 #endif
 
 /**
- * power_domain_on - Enable power to a power domain.
+ * power_domain_on_lowlevel - Enable power to a power domain (with refcounting)
  *
  * @power_domain:	A power domain struct that was previously successfully
  *		requested by power_domain_get().
- * Return: 0 if OK, or a negative error code.
+ * Return: 0 if the transition has been performed correctly,
+ *         -EALREADY if the domain is already on,
+ *         a negative error code otherwise.
  */
 #if CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(POWER_DOMAIN)
-int power_domain_on(struct power_domain *power_domain);
+int power_domain_on_lowlevel(struct power_domain *power_domain);
 #else
-static inline int power_domain_on(struct power_domain *power_domain)
+static inline int power_domain_on_lowlevel(struct power_domain *power_domain)
 {
 	return -ENOSYS;
 }
 #endif
 
 /**
- * power_domain_off - Disable power to a power domain.
+ * power_domain_on - Enable power to a power domain (ignores the actual state
+ *		      of the power domain)
  *
  * @power_domain:	A power domain struct that was previously successfully
  *		requested by power_domain_get().
- * Return: 0 if OK, or a negative error code.
+ * Return: a negative error code upon error during the transition, 0 otherwise.
+ */
+static inline int power_domain_on(struct power_domain *power_domain)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = power_domain_on_lowlevel(power_domain);
+	if (ret == -EALREADY)
+		ret = 0;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+/**
+ * power_domain_off_lowlevel - Disable power to a power domain (with refcounting)
+ *
+ * @power_domain:	A power domain struct that was previously successfully
+ *		requested by power_domain_get().
+ * Return: 0 if the transition has been performed correctly,
+ *         -EALREADY if the domain is already off,
+ *         -EBUSY if another device is keeping the domain on (but the refcounter
+ *         is decremented),
+ *         a negative error code otherwise.
  */
 #if CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(POWER_DOMAIN)
-int power_domain_off(struct power_domain *power_domain);
+int power_domain_off_lowlevel(struct power_domain *power_domain);
 #else
-static inline int power_domain_off(struct power_domain *power_domain)
+static inline int power_domain_off_lowlevel(struct power_domain *power_domain)
 {
 	return -ENOSYS;
 }
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * power_domain_off - Disable power to a power domain (ignores the actual state
+ *		      of the power domain)
+ *
+ * @power_domain:	A power domain struct that was previously successfully
+ *		requested by power_domain_get().
+ * Return: a negative error code upon error during the transition, 0 otherwise.
+ */
+static inline int power_domain_off(struct power_domain *power_domain)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = power_domain_off_lowlevel(power_domain);
+	if (ret == -EALREADY || ret == -EBUSY)
+		ret = 0;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /**
  * dev_power_domain_on - Enable power domains for a device .
  *
diff --git a/test/dm/power-domain.c b/test/dm/power-domain.c
index 896cf5b2ae9..8a95f6bdb90 100644
--- a/test/dm/power-domain.c
+++ b/test/dm/power-domain.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static int dm_test_power_domain(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 
 	ut_assertok(uclass_get_device_by_name(UCLASS_MISC, "power-domain-test",
 					      &dev_test));
-	ut_asserteq(1, sandbox_power_domain_query(dev_power_domain,
+	ut_asserteq(0, sandbox_power_domain_query(dev_power_domain,
 						  TEST_POWER_DOMAIN));
 	ut_assertok(sandbox_power_domain_test_get(dev_test));