diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw.h
index b3825de6cdfb03b7f176e4b5a4cee00a20306982..ef8544252a9731dfc9ea3e5519bad0a2065c8410 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ struct aq_stats_s {
 #define AQ_HW_FLAG_ERRORS      (AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_HW | AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)
 
 struct aq_hw_s {
-	struct aq_obj_s header;
+	atomic_t flags;
 	struct aq_nic_cfg_s *aq_nic_cfg;
 	struct aq_pci_func_s *aq_pci_func;
 	void __iomem *mmio;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw_utils.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw_utils.c
index 5f13465995f65ac6d40a74d7c6bfe3f9842ad7a2..27e250d61da7f2061549018be7716a7fe0d66378 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw_utils.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_hw_utils.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ u32 aq_hw_read_reg(struct aq_hw_s *hw, u32 reg)
 	u32 value = readl(hw->mmio + reg);
 
 	if ((~0U) == value && (~0U) == readl(hw->mmio + hw->not_ff_addr))
-		aq_utils_obj_set(&hw->header.flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG);
+		aq_utils_obj_set(&hw->flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG);
 
 	return value;
 }
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ int aq_hw_err_from_flags(struct aq_hw_s *hw)
 {
 	int err = 0;
 
-	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&hw->header.flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)) {
+	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&hw->flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)) {
 		err = -ENXIO;
 		goto err_exit;
 	}
-	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&hw->header.flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_HW)) {
+	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&hw->flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_HW)) {
 		err = -EIO;
 		goto err_exit;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic.c
index 546dd8cc12f5bd8c29de975bb78c08693aae9f8b..35ca37f9cffb45864db2a77490dcd3075a4eb5b7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic.c
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ static int aq_nic_update_link_status(struct aq_nic_s *self)
 
 	self->link_status = self->aq_hw->aq_link_status;
 	if (!netif_carrier_ok(self->ndev) && self->link_status.mbps) {
-		aq_utils_obj_set(&self->header.flags,
+		aq_utils_obj_set(&self->flags,
 				 AQ_NIC_FLAG_STARTED);
-		aq_utils_obj_clear(&self->header.flags,
+		aq_utils_obj_clear(&self->flags,
 				   AQ_NIC_LINK_DOWN);
 		netif_carrier_on(self->ndev);
 		netif_tx_wake_all_queues(self->ndev);
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ static int aq_nic_update_link_status(struct aq_nic_s *self)
 	if (netif_carrier_ok(self->ndev) && !self->link_status.mbps) {
 		netif_carrier_off(self->ndev);
 		netif_tx_disable(self->ndev);
-		aq_utils_obj_set(&self->header.flags, AQ_NIC_LINK_DOWN);
+		aq_utils_obj_set(&self->flags, AQ_NIC_LINK_DOWN);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ static void aq_nic_service_timer_cb(struct timer_list *t)
 	int ctimer = AQ_CFG_SERVICE_TIMER_INTERVAL;
 	int err = 0;
 
-	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&self->header.flags, AQ_NIC_FLAGS_IS_NOT_READY))
+	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&self->flags, AQ_NIC_FLAGS_IS_NOT_READY))
 		goto err_exit;
 
 	err = aq_nic_update_link_status(self);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic_internal.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic_internal.h
index e7d2711dc165962703ff60027dc71e7879110ca6..265211c763caf9d083ea50b282c4fabd1c9b8f42 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_nic_internal.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #define AQ_NIC_INTERNAL_H
 
 struct aq_nic_s {
-	struct aq_obj_s header;
+	atomic_t flags;
 	struct aq_vec_s *aq_vec[AQ_CFG_VECS_MAX];
 	struct aq_ring_s *aq_ring_tx[AQ_CFG_VECS_MAX * AQ_CFG_TCS_MAX];
 	struct aq_hw_s *aq_hw;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_ring.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_ring.h
index 5844078764bd90463c632d94ba5d1c45e8a22c3d..2b051fdb67b7c1c95af6927019210b825a9e8f73 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_ring.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_ring.h
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ union aq_ring_stats_s {
 };
 
 struct aq_ring_s {
-	struct aq_obj_s header;
 	struct aq_ring_buff_s *buff_ring;
 	u8 *dx_ring;		/* descriptors ring, dma shared mem */
 	struct aq_nic_s *aq_nic;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_utils.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_utils.h
index 981633833f2f6ac827c346154eb0bfb518c857ba..786ea8187c69b7d5cfc0763880bd433a41c043dc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_utils.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_utils.h
@@ -14,10 +14,6 @@
 
 #include "aq_common.h"
 
-struct aq_obj_s {
-	atomic_t flags;
-};
-
 static inline void aq_utils_obj_set(atomic_t *flags, u32 mask)
 {
 	unsigned long flags_old, flags_new;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_vec.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_vec.c
index 5fecc9a099ef7fd34d3a36b9ee1eb9c01a3f9fcd..5477524dd429cf8e62e0560ccc6dd6edab3e01d2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_vec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/aq_vec.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 
 struct aq_vec_s {
-	struct aq_obj_s header;
 	struct aq_hw_ops *aq_hw_ops;
 	struct aq_hw_s *aq_hw;
 	struct aq_nic_s *aq_nic;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_a0.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_a0.c
index 97920ca37690ac368db44615e4e5d0ddbd392648..cee53cf3fc62452019bb01a2f138576831ee733f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_a0.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_a0.c
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ static int hw_atl_a0_hw_ring_tx_head_update(struct aq_hw_s *self,
 	int err = 0;
 	unsigned int hw_head_ = tdm_tx_desc_head_ptr_get(self, ring->idx);
 
-	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&self->header.flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)) {
+	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&self->flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)) {
 		err = -ENXIO;
 		goto err_exit;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_b0.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_b0.c
index 83006731d040004553b682f6502edbdcebc95db3..d1b3303637c9f2379bb3ad5e2bcee2003d3a87ba 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_b0.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/aquantia/atlantic/hw_atl/hw_atl_b0.c
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ static int hw_atl_b0_hw_ring_tx_head_update(struct aq_hw_s *self,
 	int err = 0;
 	unsigned int hw_head_ = tdm_tx_desc_head_ptr_get(self, ring->idx);
 
-	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&self->header.flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)) {
+	if (aq_utils_obj_test(&self->flags, AQ_HW_FLAG_ERR_UNPLUG)) {
 		err = -ENXIO;
 		goto err_exit;
 	}