diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
index ffa37adb76817f454505b32d010056dfc4d20dc8..333387f1f1fe66490cda8904a7d6c7aeb2d15287 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
@@ -3112,13 +3112,13 @@ static int bond_slave_netdev_event(unsigned long event,
 	case NETDEV_CHANGE:
 		/* For 802.3ad mode only:
 		 * Getting invalid Speed/Duplex values here will put slave
-		 * in weird state. So mark it as link-down for the time
+		 * in weird state. So mark it as link-fail for the time
 		 * being and let link-monitoring (miimon) set it right when
 		 * correct speeds/duplex are available.
 		 */
 		if (bond_update_speed_duplex(slave) &&
 		    BOND_MODE(bond) == BOND_MODE_8023AD)
-			slave->link = BOND_LINK_DOWN;
+			slave->link = BOND_LINK_FAIL;
 
 		if (BOND_MODE(bond) == BOND_MODE_8023AD)
 			bond_3ad_adapter_speed_duplex_changed(slave);