diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_nvm.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_nvm.c
index 800bd55d0159c083c3d2267c5eda0289b1d6435c..154ba49c2c6f11cac9841468b532185786375a46 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_nvm.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_nvm.c
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ static i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_aq(struct i40e_hw *hw, u8 module_pointer,
  * @offset: offset of the Shadow RAM word to read (0x000000 - 0x001FFF)
  * @data: word read from the Shadow RAM
  *
- * Reads one 16 bit word from the Shadow RAM using the GLNVM_SRCTL register.
+ * Reads one 16 bit word from the Shadow RAM using the AdminQ
  **/
 static i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_word_aq(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
 					 u16 *data)
@@ -280,27 +280,49 @@ static i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_word_aq(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
 }
 
 /**
- * i40e_read_nvm_word - Reads Shadow RAM
+ * __i40e_read_nvm_word - Reads nvm word, assumes called does the locking
  * @hw: pointer to the HW structure
  * @offset: offset of the Shadow RAM word to read (0x000000 - 0x001FFF)
  * @data: word read from the Shadow RAM
  *
- * Reads one 16 bit word from the Shadow RAM using the GLNVM_SRCTL register.
+ * Reads one 16 bit word from the Shadow RAM.
+ *
+ * Do not use this function except in cases where the nvm lock is already
+ * taken via i40e_acquire_nvm().
+ **/
+static i40e_status __i40e_read_nvm_word(struct i40e_hw *hw,
+					u16 offset, u16 *data)
+{
+	i40e_status ret_code = 0;
+
+	if (hw->flags & I40E_HW_FLAG_AQ_SRCTL_ACCESS_ENABLE)
+		ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_word_aq(hw, offset, data);
+	else
+		ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_word_srctl(hw, offset, data);
+	return ret_code;
+}
+
+/**
+ * i40e_read_nvm_word - Reads nvm word and acquire lock if necessary
+ * @hw: pointer to the HW structure
+ * @offset: offset of the Shadow RAM word to read (0x000000 - 0x001FFF)
+ * @data: word read from the Shadow RAM
+ *
+ * Reads one 16 bit word from the Shadow RAM.
  **/
 i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_word(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
 			       u16 *data)
 {
-	enum i40e_status_code ret_code = 0;
+	i40e_status ret_code = 0;
 
 	ret_code = i40e_acquire_nvm(hw, I40E_RESOURCE_READ);
-	if (!ret_code) {
-		if (hw->flags & I40E_HW_FLAG_AQ_SRCTL_ACCESS_ENABLE) {
-			ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_word_aq(hw, offset, data);
-		} else {
-			ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_word_srctl(hw, offset, data);
-		}
-		i40e_release_nvm(hw);
-	}
+	if (ret_code)
+		return ret_code;
+
+	ret_code = __i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, offset, data);
+
+	i40e_release_nvm(hw);
+
 	return ret_code;
 }
 
@@ -393,31 +415,25 @@ static i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_buffer_aq(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
 }
 
 /**
- * i40e_read_nvm_buffer - Reads Shadow RAM buffer
+ * __i40e_read_nvm_buffer - Reads nvm buffer, caller must acquire lock
  * @hw: pointer to the HW structure
  * @offset: offset of the Shadow RAM word to read (0x000000 - 0x001FFF).
  * @words: (in) number of words to read; (out) number of words actually read
  * @data: words read from the Shadow RAM
  *
  * Reads 16 bit words (data buffer) from the SR using the i40e_read_nvm_srrd()
- * method. The buffer read is preceded by the NVM ownership take
- * and followed by the release.
+ * method.
  **/
-i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_buffer(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
-				 u16 *words, u16 *data)
+static i40e_status __i40e_read_nvm_buffer(struct i40e_hw *hw,
+					  u16 offset, u16 *words,
+					  u16 *data)
 {
-	enum i40e_status_code ret_code = 0;
+	i40e_status ret_code = 0;
 
-	if (hw->flags & I40E_HW_FLAG_AQ_SRCTL_ACCESS_ENABLE) {
-		ret_code = i40e_acquire_nvm(hw, I40E_RESOURCE_READ);
-		if (!ret_code) {
-			ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_buffer_aq(hw, offset, words,
-							   data);
-			i40e_release_nvm(hw);
-		}
-	} else {
+	if (hw->flags & I40E_HW_FLAG_AQ_SRCTL_ACCESS_ENABLE)
+		ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_buffer_aq(hw, offset, words, data);
+	else
 		ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_buffer_srctl(hw, offset, words, data);
-	}
 	return ret_code;
 }
 
@@ -499,15 +515,15 @@ static i40e_status i40e_calc_nvm_checksum(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 	data = (u16 *)vmem.va;
 
 	/* read pointer to VPD area */
-	ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, I40E_SR_VPD_PTR, &vpd_module);
+	ret_code = __i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, I40E_SR_VPD_PTR, &vpd_module);
 	if (ret_code) {
 		ret_code = I40E_ERR_NVM_CHECKSUM;
 		goto i40e_calc_nvm_checksum_exit;
 	}
 
 	/* read pointer to PCIe Alt Auto-load module */
-	ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, I40E_SR_PCIE_ALT_AUTO_LOAD_PTR,
-				      &pcie_alt_module);
+	ret_code = __i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, I40E_SR_PCIE_ALT_AUTO_LOAD_PTR,
+					&pcie_alt_module);
 	if (ret_code) {
 		ret_code = I40E_ERR_NVM_CHECKSUM;
 		goto i40e_calc_nvm_checksum_exit;
@@ -521,7 +537,7 @@ static i40e_status i40e_calc_nvm_checksum(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 		if ((i % I40E_SR_SECTOR_SIZE_IN_WORDS) == 0) {
 			u16 words = I40E_SR_SECTOR_SIZE_IN_WORDS;
 
-			ret_code = i40e_read_nvm_buffer(hw, i, &words, data);
+			ret_code = __i40e_read_nvm_buffer(hw, i, &words, data);
 			if (ret_code) {
 				ret_code = I40E_ERR_NVM_CHECKSUM;
 				goto i40e_calc_nvm_checksum_exit;
@@ -593,14 +609,19 @@ i40e_status i40e_validate_nvm_checksum(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 	u16 checksum_sr = 0;
 	u16 checksum_local = 0;
 
+	/* We must acquire the NVM lock in order to correctly synchronize the
+	 * NVM accesses across multiple PFs. Without doing so it is possible
+	 * for one of the PFs to read invalid data potentially indicating that
+	 * the checksum is invalid.
+	 */
+	ret_code = i40e_acquire_nvm(hw, I40E_RESOURCE_READ);
+	if (ret_code)
+		return ret_code;
 	ret_code = i40e_calc_nvm_checksum(hw, &checksum_local);
+	__i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, I40E_SR_SW_CHECKSUM_WORD, &checksum_sr);
+	i40e_release_nvm(hw);
 	if (ret_code)
-		goto i40e_validate_nvm_checksum_exit;
-
-	/* Do not use i40e_read_nvm_word() because we do not want to take
-	 * the synchronization semaphores twice here.
-	 */
-	i40e_read_nvm_word(hw, I40E_SR_SW_CHECKSUM_WORD, &checksum_sr);
+		return ret_code;
 
 	/* Verify read checksum from EEPROM is the same as
 	 * calculated checksum
@@ -612,7 +633,6 @@ i40e_status i40e_validate_nvm_checksum(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 	if (checksum)
 		*checksum = checksum_local;
 
-i40e_validate_nvm_checksum_exit:
 	return ret_code;
 }
 
@@ -997,6 +1017,7 @@ static i40e_status i40e_nvmupd_state_writing(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 		break;
 
 	case I40E_NVMUPD_CSUM_CON:
+		/* Assumes the caller has acquired the nvm */
 		status = i40e_update_nvm_checksum(hw);
 		if (status) {
 			*perrno = hw->aq.asq_last_status ?
@@ -1011,6 +1032,7 @@ static i40e_status i40e_nvmupd_state_writing(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 		break;
 
 	case I40E_NVMUPD_CSUM_LCB:
+		/* Assumes the caller has acquired the nvm */
 		status = i40e_update_nvm_checksum(hw);
 		if (status) {
 			*perrno = hw->aq.asq_last_status ?
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_prototype.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_prototype.h
index df613ea40313e31d7b56073c218a3bb84fbd5fdc..a39b131978915b71a9be2b5e74dc2116d1f3fbca 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_prototype.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_prototype.h
@@ -311,8 +311,6 @@ i40e_status i40e_acquire_nvm(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 void i40e_release_nvm(struct i40e_hw *hw);
 i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_word(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
 					 u16 *data);
-i40e_status i40e_read_nvm_buffer(struct i40e_hw *hw, u16 offset,
-					   u16 *words, u16 *data);
 i40e_status i40e_update_nvm_checksum(struct i40e_hw *hw);
 i40e_status i40e_validate_nvm_checksum(struct i40e_hw *hw,
 						 u16 *checksum);