diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ptp.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ptp.c
index 1a88609d2b584350b71b960f1e26db17299d14fd..5a75dd5c6198183b82a1828cc2d767d3d7e63cd8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ptp.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ptp.c
@@ -570,9 +570,9 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_get_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
 }
 
 /**
- * ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config - control hardware time stamping
- * @adapter: pointer to adapter struct
- * @ifreq: ioctl data
+ * ixgbe_ptp_set_timestamp_mode - setup the hardware for the requested mode
+ * @adapter: the private ixgbe adapter structure
+ * @config: the hwtstamp configuration requested
  *
  * Outgoing time stamping can be enabled and disabled. Play nice and
  * disable it when requested, although it shouldn't cause any overhead
@@ -590,25 +590,25 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_get_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
  * packets, regardless of the type specified in the register, only use V2
  * Event mode. This more accurately tells the user what the hardware is going
  * to do anyways.
+ *
+ * Note: this may modify the hwtstamp configuration towards a more general
+ * mode, if required to support the specifically requested mode.
  */
-int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
+static int ixgbe_ptp_set_timestamp_mode(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter,
+				 struct hwtstamp_config *config)
 {
 	struct ixgbe_hw *hw = &adapter->hw;
-	struct hwtstamp_config config;
 	u32 tsync_tx_ctl = IXGBE_TSYNCTXCTL_ENABLED;
 	u32 tsync_rx_ctl = IXGBE_TSYNCRXCTL_ENABLED;
 	u32 tsync_rx_mtrl = PTP_EV_PORT << 16;
 	bool is_l2 = false;
 	u32 regval;
 
-	if (copy_from_user(&config, ifr->ifr_data, sizeof(config)))
-		return -EFAULT;
-
 	/* reserved for future extensions */
-	if (config.flags)
+	if (config->flags)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	switch (config.tx_type) {
+	switch (config->tx_type) {
 	case HWTSTAMP_TX_OFF:
 		tsync_tx_ctl = 0;
 	case HWTSTAMP_TX_ON:
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
 		return -ERANGE;
 	}
 
-	switch (config.rx_filter) {
+	switch (config->rx_filter) {
 	case HWTSTAMP_FILTER_NONE:
 		tsync_rx_ctl = 0;
 		tsync_rx_mtrl = 0;
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
 	case HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_L4_DELAY_REQ:
 		tsync_rx_ctl |= IXGBE_TSYNCRXCTL_TYPE_EVENT_V2;
 		is_l2 = true;
-		config.rx_filter = HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_EVENT;
+		config->rx_filter = HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_EVENT;
 		break;
 	case HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V1_L4_EVENT:
 	case HWTSTAMP_FILTER_ALL:
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
 		 * Delay_Req messages and hardware does not support
 		 * timestamping all packets => return error
 		 */
-		config.rx_filter = HWTSTAMP_FILTER_NONE;
+		config->rx_filter = HWTSTAMP_FILTER_NONE;
 		return -ERANGE;
 	}
 
@@ -671,7 +671,6 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
 	else
 		IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_ETQF(IXGBE_ETQF_FILTER_1588), 0);
 
-
 	/* enable/disable TX */
 	regval = IXGBE_READ_REG(hw, IXGBE_TSYNCTXCTL);
 	regval &= ~IXGBE_TSYNCTXCTL_ENABLED;
@@ -693,6 +692,29 @@ int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
 	regval = IXGBE_READ_REG(hw, IXGBE_TXSTMPH);
 	regval = IXGBE_READ_REG(hw, IXGBE_RXSTMPH);
 
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config - user entry point for timestamp mode
+ * @adapter: pointer to adapter struct
+ * @ifreq: ioctl data
+ *
+ * Set hardware to requested mode. If unsupported, return an error with no
+ * changes. Otherwise, store the mode for future reference.
+ */
+int ixgbe_ptp_set_ts_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, struct ifreq *ifr)
+{
+	struct hwtstamp_config config;
+	int err;
+
+	if (copy_from_user(&config, ifr->ifr_data, sizeof(config)))
+		return -EFAULT;
+
+	err = ixgbe_ptp_set_timestamp_mode(adapter, &config);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
 	/* save these settings for future reference */
 	memcpy(&adapter->tstamp_config, &config,
 	       sizeof(adapter->tstamp_config));