diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/alx/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/alx/main.c
index c8f525574d68c67cbed2899c8461ace4606a7515..7dcc907a449d60adcbeb27cf58434edb0442792b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/alx/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/alx/main.c
@@ -685,8 +685,6 @@ static int alx_alloc_rings(struct alx_priv *alx)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	alx_reinit_rings(alx);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -703,7 +701,7 @@ static void alx_free_rings(struct alx_priv *alx)
 	if (alx->qnapi[0] && alx->qnapi[0]->rxq)
 		kfree(alx->qnapi[0]->rxq->bufs);
 
-	if (!alx->descmem.virt)
+	if (alx->descmem.virt)
 		dma_free_coherent(&alx->hw.pdev->dev,
 				  alx->descmem.size,
 				  alx->descmem.virt,
@@ -984,6 +982,7 @@ static int alx_realloc_resources(struct alx_priv *alx)
 	alx_free_rings(alx);
 	alx_free_napis(alx);
 	alx_disable_advanced_intr(alx);
+	alx_init_intr(alx, false);
 
 	err = alx_alloc_napis(alx);
 	if (err)
@@ -1241,6 +1240,12 @@ static int __alx_open(struct alx_priv *alx, bool resume)
 	if (err)
 		goto out_free_rings;
 
+	/* must be called after alx_request_irq because the chip stops working
+	 * if we copy the dma addresses in alx_init_ring_ptrs twice when
+	 * requesting msi-x interrupts failed
+	 */
+	alx_reinit_rings(alx);
+
 	netif_set_real_num_tx_queues(alx->dev, alx->num_txq);
 	netif_set_real_num_rx_queues(alx->dev, alx->num_rxq);