diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c
index e2a80a283fd313e0e76fa87a8470c09b37415f27..1b69c2d6b4179b04b6bf83815573bcebf36430ce 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@
 #define I82579_EMI_ADDR         0x10
 #define I82579_EMI_DATA         0x11
 #define I82579_LPI_UPDATE_TIMER 0x4805	/* in 40ns units + 40 ns base value */
+#define I82579_MSE_THRESHOLD    0x084F	/* Mean Square Error Threshold */
+#define I82579_MSE_LINK_DOWN    0x2411	/* MSE count before dropping link */
 
 /* Strapping Option Register - RO */
 #define E1000_STRAP                     0x0000C
@@ -1669,6 +1671,26 @@ static s32 e1000_lv_phy_workarounds_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	/* Set MDIO slow mode before any other MDIO access */
 	ret_val = e1000_set_mdio_slow_mode_hv(hw);
 
+	ret_val = hw->phy.ops.acquire(hw);
+	if (ret_val)
+		goto out;
+	ret_val = hw->phy.ops.write_reg_locked(hw, I82579_EMI_ADDR,
+					       I82579_MSE_THRESHOLD);
+	if (ret_val)
+		goto release;
+	/* set MSE higher to enable link to stay up when noise is high */
+	ret_val = hw->phy.ops.write_reg_locked(hw, I82579_EMI_DATA, 0x0034);
+	if (ret_val)
+		goto release;
+	ret_val = hw->phy.ops.write_reg_locked(hw, I82579_EMI_ADDR,
+					       I82579_MSE_LINK_DOWN);
+	if (ret_val)
+		goto release;
+	/* drop link after 5 times MSE threshold was reached */
+	ret_val = hw->phy.ops.write_reg_locked(hw, I82579_EMI_DATA, 0x0005);
+release:
+	hw->phy.ops.release(hw);
+
 out:
 	return ret_val;
 }