diff --git a/plugins/ata/fu-ata-device.c b/plugins/ata/fu-ata-device.c
index 256ed1195..f1c29303c 100644
--- a/plugins/ata/fu-ata-device.c
+++ b/plugins/ata/fu-ata-device.c
@@ -466,6 +466,26 @@ fu_ata_device_setup (FuDevice *device, GError **error)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+fu_ata_device_activate (FuDevice *device, GError **error)
+{
+	FuAtaDevice *self = FU_ATA_DEVICE (device);
+	struct ata_tf tf = { 0x0 };
+
+	tf.dev = 0xa0 | ATA_USING_LBA;
+	tf.command = ATA_OP_DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE;
+	tf.feat = ATA_SUBCMD_MICROCODE_ACTIVATE;
+	if (!fu_ata_device_command (self, &tf, SG_DXFER_TO_DEV,
+				    120 * 1000, /* a long time! */
+				    NULL, 0, error)) {
+		g_prefix_error (error, "failed to activate firmware: ");
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	/* success */
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 fu_ata_device_close (FuDevice *device, GError **error)
 {
@@ -578,6 +598,7 @@ fu_ata_device_write_firmware (FuDevice *device, GBytes *fw, GError **error)
 	}
 
 	/* success! */
+	fu_device_add_flag (device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_NEEDS_ACTIVATION);
 	fu_device_set_progress (device, 100);
 	return TRUE;
 }
@@ -654,6 +675,7 @@ fu_ata_device_class_init (FuAtaDeviceClass *klass)
 	klass_device->set_quirk_kv = fu_ata_device_set_quirk_kv;
 	klass_device->open = fu_ata_device_open;
 	klass_device->setup = fu_ata_device_setup;
+	klass_device->activate = fu_ata_device_activate;
 	klass_device->close = fu_ata_device_close;
 	klass_device->write_firmware = fu_ata_device_write_firmware;
 	klass_udev_device->probe = fu_ata_device_probe;
diff --git a/plugins/ata/fu-plugin-ata.c b/plugins/ata/fu-plugin-ata.c
index 9a8ab1c34..06abc4c0a 100644
--- a/plugins/ata/fu-plugin-ata.c
+++ b/plugins/ata/fu-plugin-ata.c
@@ -58,3 +58,13 @@ fu_plugin_update (FuPlugin *plugin,
 		return FALSE;
 	return fu_device_write_firmware (device, blob_fw, error);
 }
+
+gboolean
+fu_plugin_activate (FuPlugin *plugin, FuDevice *device, GError **error)
+{
+	g_autoptr(FuDeviceLocker) locker = NULL;
+	locker = fu_device_locker_new (device, error);
+	if (locker == NULL)
+		return FALSE;
+	return fu_device_activate (device, error);
+}