diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
index f4d81765221e..376a96bce33f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ struct xcast_addr_list {
 };
 
 struct nicvf_work {
-	struct delayed_work    work;
+	struct work_struct     work;
 	u8                     mode;
 	struct xcast_addr_list *mc;
 };
@@ -327,6 +327,8 @@ struct nicvf {
 	struct nicvf_work       rx_mode_work;
 	/* spinlock to protect workqueue arguments from concurrent access */
 	spinlock_t              rx_mode_wq_lock;
+	/* workqueue for handling kernel ndo_set_rx_mode() calls */
+	struct workqueue_struct *nicvf_rx_mode_wq;
 
 	/* PTP timestamp */
 	struct cavium_ptp	*ptp_clock;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
index 88f8a8fa93cd..abf24e7dff2d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
@@ -68,9 +68,6 @@ module_param(cpi_alg, int, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(cpi_alg,
 		 "PFC algorithm (0=none, 1=VLAN, 2=VLAN16, 3=IP Diffserv)");
 
-/* workqueue for handling kernel ndo_set_rx_mode() calls */
-static struct workqueue_struct *nicvf_rx_mode_wq;
-
 static inline u8 nicvf_netdev_qidx(struct nicvf *nic, u8 qidx)
 {
 	if (nic->sqs_mode)
@@ -1311,6 +1308,9 @@ int nicvf_stop(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct nicvf_cq_poll *cq_poll = NULL;
 	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
 
+	/* wait till all queued set_rx_mode tasks completes */
+	drain_workqueue(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq);
+
 	mbx.msg.msg = NIC_MBOX_MSG_SHUTDOWN;
 	nicvf_send_msg_to_pf(nic, &mbx);
 
@@ -1418,6 +1418,9 @@ int nicvf_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct nicvf_cq_poll *cq_poll = NULL;
 	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
 
+	/* wait till all queued set_rx_mode tasks completes if any */
+	drain_workqueue(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq);
+
 	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 
 	err = nicvf_register_misc_interrupt(nic);
@@ -1973,7 +1976,7 @@ static void __nicvf_set_rx_mode_task(u8 mode, struct xcast_addr_list *mc_addrs,
 static void nicvf_set_rx_mode_task(struct work_struct *work_arg)
 {
 	struct nicvf_work *vf_work = container_of(work_arg, struct nicvf_work,
-						  work.work);
+						  work);
 	struct nicvf *nic = container_of(vf_work, struct nicvf, rx_mode_work);
 	u8 mode;
 	struct xcast_addr_list *mc;
@@ -2030,7 +2033,7 @@ static void nicvf_set_rx_mode(struct net_device *netdev)
 	kfree(nic->rx_mode_work.mc);
 	nic->rx_mode_work.mc = mc_list;
 	nic->rx_mode_work.mode = mode;
-	queue_delayed_work(nicvf_rx_mode_wq, &nic->rx_mode_work.work, 0);
+	queue_work(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq, &nic->rx_mode_work.work);
 	spin_unlock(&nic->rx_mode_wq_lock);
 }
 
@@ -2187,7 +2190,10 @@ static int nicvf_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 
 	INIT_WORK(&nic->reset_task, nicvf_reset_task);
 
-	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&nic->rx_mode_work.work, nicvf_set_rx_mode_task);
+	nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq = alloc_ordered_workqueue("nicvf_rx_mode_wq_VF%d",
+							WQ_MEM_RECLAIM,
+							nic->vf_id);
+	INIT_WORK(&nic->rx_mode_work.work, nicvf_set_rx_mode_task);
 	spin_lock_init(&nic->rx_mode_wq_lock);
 
 	err = register_netdev(netdev);
@@ -2228,13 +2234,15 @@ static void nicvf_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	nic = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	pnetdev = nic->pnicvf->netdev;
 
-	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&nic->rx_mode_work.work);
-
 	/* Check if this Qset is assigned to different VF.
 	 * If yes, clean primary and all secondary Qsets.
 	 */
 	if (pnetdev && (pnetdev->reg_state == NETREG_REGISTERED))
 		unregister_netdev(pnetdev);
+	if (nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq) {
+		destroy_workqueue(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq);
+		nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq = NULL;
+	}
 	nicvf_unregister_interrupts(nic);
 	pci_set_drvdata(pdev, NULL);
 	if (nic->drv_stats)
@@ -2261,17 +2269,11 @@ static struct pci_driver nicvf_driver = {
 static int __init nicvf_init_module(void)
 {
 	pr_info("%s, ver %s\n", DRV_NAME, DRV_VERSION);
-	nicvf_rx_mode_wq = alloc_ordered_workqueue("nicvf_generic",
-						   WQ_MEM_RECLAIM);
 	return pci_register_driver(&nicvf_driver);
 }
 
 static void __exit nicvf_cleanup_module(void)
 {
-	if (nicvf_rx_mode_wq) {
-		destroy_workqueue(nicvf_rx_mode_wq);
-		nicvf_rx_mode_wq = NULL;
-	}
 	pci_unregister_driver(&nicvf_driver);
 }