diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_ethtool.c
index af54c10945c25175e344ebf052e47e88c62219a3..a12b2e38cf61221fc4de44f6395eb60de76825a5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_ethtool.c
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@ static int nicvf_get_settings(struct net_device *netdev,
 
 	cmd->supported = 0;
 	cmd->transceiver = XCVR_EXTERNAL;
+
+	if (!nic->link_up) {
+		cmd->duplex = DUPLEX_UNKNOWN;
+		ethtool_cmd_speed_set(cmd, SPEED_UNKNOWN);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (nic->speed <= 1000) {
 		cmd->port = PORT_MII;
 		cmd->autoneg = AUTONEG_ENABLE;
@@ -125,6 +132,13 @@ static int nicvf_get_settings(struct net_device *netdev,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static u32 nicvf_get_link(struct net_device *netdev)
+{
+	struct nicvf *nic = netdev_priv(netdev);
+
+	return nic->link_up;
+}
+
 static void nicvf_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *netdev,
 			      struct ethtool_drvinfo *info)
 {
@@ -660,7 +674,7 @@ static int nicvf_set_channels(struct net_device *dev,
 
 static const struct ethtool_ops nicvf_ethtool_ops = {
 	.get_settings		= nicvf_get_settings,
-	.get_link		= ethtool_op_get_link,
+	.get_link		= nicvf_get_link,
 	.get_drvinfo		= nicvf_get_drvinfo,
 	.get_msglevel		= nicvf_get_msglevel,
 	.set_msglevel		= nicvf_set_msglevel,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
index 7f709cbdcd87d2f0a0beedd338437218ee0af094..dde8dc720cd3f3b7d513776662a4f05b1241486d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
@@ -1057,6 +1057,7 @@ int nicvf_stop(struct net_device *netdev)
 
 	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 	netif_tx_stop_all_queues(nic->netdev);
+	nic->link_up = false;
 
 	/* Teardown secondary qsets first */
 	if (!nic->sqs_mode) {
@@ -1211,9 +1212,6 @@ int nicvf_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	nic->drv_stats.txq_stop = 0;
 	nic->drv_stats.txq_wake = 0;
 
-	netif_carrier_on(netdev);
-	netif_tx_start_all_queues(netdev);
-
 	return 0;
 cleanup:
 	nicvf_disable_intr(nic, NICVF_INTR_MBOX, 0);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c
index 6534b73620911728edb120fbd8129864250f2684..d77e41a459b92eac6d42f90d050a307cd85d1c2b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c
@@ -612,6 +612,8 @@ static void bgx_poll_for_link(struct work_struct *work)
 		lmac->last_duplex = 1;
 	} else {
 		lmac->link_up = 0;
+		lmac->last_speed = SPEED_UNKNOWN;
+		lmac->last_duplex = DUPLEX_UNKNOWN;
 	}
 
 	if (lmac->last_link != lmac->link_up) {