diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed.h
index e5604eec81bf..fcb8e9ba51d9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed.h
@@ -303,6 +303,9 @@ struct qed_hwfn {
 	bool				b_int_enabled;
 	bool				b_int_requested;
 
+	/* True if the driver requests for the link */
+	bool				b_drv_link_init;
+
 	struct qed_mcp_info		*mcp_info;
 
 	struct qed_hw_cid_data		*p_tx_cids;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed_mcp.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed_mcp.c
index f23ce734ab63..2bf98248c29e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed_mcp.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/qed/qed_mcp.c
@@ -390,7 +390,10 @@ static void qed_mcp_handle_link_change(struct qed_hwfn *p_hwfn,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	p_link->link_up = !!(status & LINK_STATUS_LINK_UP);
+	if (p_hwfn->b_drv_link_init)
+		p_link->link_up = !!(status & LINK_STATUS_LINK_UP);
+	else
+		p_link->link_up = false;
 
 	p_link->full_duplex = true;
 	switch ((status & LINK_STATUS_SPEED_AND_DUPLEX_MASK)) {
@@ -520,6 +523,8 @@ int qed_mcp_set_link(struct qed_hwfn *p_hwfn,
 		       offsetof(struct public_drv_mb, union_data) + i,
 		       ((u32 *)&phy_cfg)[i >> 2]);
 
+	p_hwfn->b_drv_link_init = b_up;
+
 	if (b_up) {
 		DP_VERBOSE(p_hwfn, NETIF_MSG_LINK,
 			   "Configuring Link: Speed 0x%08x, Pause 0x%08x, adv_speed 0x%08x, loopback 0x%08x, features 0x%08x\n",