diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
index 6ae45931d1b29c3a5e274252d90749902851bfa0..6508e0b2ea726de486a374d18e9b9cc6ed26f1af 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
@@ -1096,6 +1096,14 @@ void bond_change_active_slave(struct bonding *bond, struct slave *new_active)
 		if (new_active) {
 			bond_set_slave_active_flags(new_active);
 		}
+
+		/* when bonding does not set the slave MAC address, the bond MAC
+		 * address is the one of the active slave.
+		 */
+		if (new_active && !bond->do_set_mac_addr)
+			memcpy(bond->dev->dev_addr,  new_active->dev->dev_addr,
+				new_active->dev->addr_len);
+
 		bond_send_gratuitous_arp(bond);
 	}
 }
@@ -1346,13 +1354,22 @@ int bond_enslave(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	}
 
 	if (slave_dev->set_mac_address == NULL) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR DRV_NAME
-			": %s: Error: The slave device you specified does "
-			"not support setting the MAC address. "
-			"Your kernel likely does not support slave "
-			"devices.\n", bond_dev->name);
-  		res = -EOPNOTSUPP;
-		goto err_undo_flags;
+		if (bond->slave_cnt == 0) {
+			printk(KERN_WARNING DRV_NAME
+				": %s: Warning: The first slave device you "
+				"specified does not support setting the MAC "
+				"address. This bond MAC address would be that "
+				"of the active slave.\n", bond_dev->name);
+			bond->do_set_mac_addr = 0;
+		} else if (bond->do_set_mac_addr) {
+			printk(KERN_ERR DRV_NAME
+				": %s: Error: The slave device you specified "
+				"does not support setting the MAC addres,."
+				"but this bond uses this practice. \n"
+				, bond_dev->name);
+			res = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+			goto err_undo_flags;
+		}
 	}
 
 	new_slave = kzalloc(sizeof(struct slave), GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -1373,16 +1390,18 @@ int bond_enslave(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	 */
 	memcpy(new_slave->perm_hwaddr, slave_dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN);
 
-	/*
-	 * Set slave to master's mac address.  The application already
-	 * set the master's mac address to that of the first slave
-	 */
-	memcpy(addr.sa_data, bond_dev->dev_addr, bond_dev->addr_len);
-	addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
-	res = dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
-	if (res) {
-		dprintk("Error %d calling set_mac_address\n", res);
-		goto err_free;
+	if (bond->do_set_mac_addr) {
+		/*
+		 * Set slave to master's mac address.  The application already
+		 * set the master's mac address to that of the first slave
+		 */
+		memcpy(addr.sa_data, bond_dev->dev_addr, bond_dev->addr_len);
+		addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
+		res = dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+		if (res) {
+			dprintk("Error %d calling set_mac_address\n", res);
+			goto err_free;
+		}
 	}
 
 	res = netdev_set_master(slave_dev, bond_dev);
@@ -1607,9 +1626,11 @@ int bond_enslave(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	dev_close(slave_dev);
 
 err_restore_mac:
-	memcpy(addr.sa_data, new_slave->perm_hwaddr, ETH_ALEN);
-	addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
-	dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+	if (bond->do_set_mac_addr) {
+		memcpy(addr.sa_data, new_slave->perm_hwaddr, ETH_ALEN);
+		addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
+		dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+	}
 
 err_free:
 	kfree(new_slave);
@@ -1782,10 +1803,12 @@ int bond_release(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct net_device *slave_dev)
 	/* close slave before restoring its mac address */
 	dev_close(slave_dev);
 
-	/* restore original ("permanent") mac address */
-	memcpy(addr.sa_data, slave->perm_hwaddr, ETH_ALEN);
-	addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
-	dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+	if (bond->do_set_mac_addr) {
+		/* restore original ("permanent") mac address */
+		memcpy(addr.sa_data, slave->perm_hwaddr, ETH_ALEN);
+		addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
+		dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+	}
 
 	slave_dev->priv_flags &= ~(IFF_MASTER_8023AD | IFF_MASTER_ALB |
 				   IFF_SLAVE_INACTIVE | IFF_BONDING |
@@ -1872,10 +1895,12 @@ static int bond_release_all(struct net_device *bond_dev)
 		/* close slave before restoring its mac address */
 		dev_close(slave_dev);
 
-		/* restore original ("permanent") mac address*/
-		memcpy(addr.sa_data, slave->perm_hwaddr, ETH_ALEN);
-		addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
-		dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+		if (bond->do_set_mac_addr) {
+			/* restore original ("permanent") mac address*/
+			memcpy(addr.sa_data, slave->perm_hwaddr, ETH_ALEN);
+			addr.sa_family = slave_dev->type;
+			dev_set_mac_address(slave_dev, &addr);
+		}
 
 		slave_dev->priv_flags &= ~(IFF_MASTER_8023AD | IFF_MASTER_ALB |
 					   IFF_SLAVE_INACTIVE);
@@ -3913,6 +3938,9 @@ static int bond_set_mac_address(struct net_device *bond_dev, void *addr)
 
 	dprintk("bond=%p, name=%s\n", bond, (bond_dev ? bond_dev->name : "None"));
 
+	if (!bond->do_set_mac_addr)
+		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
 	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(sa->sa_data)) {
 		return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 	}
@@ -4299,6 +4327,9 @@ static int bond_init(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct bond_params *params)
 	bond_create_proc_entry(bond);
 #endif
 
+	/* set do_set_mac_addr to true on startup */
+	bond->do_set_mac_addr = 1;
+
 	list_add_tail(&bond->bond_list, &bond_dev_list);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h b/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h
index 2a6af7d23728357c1d60f091b6a6864bb26593be..5011ba9e466109b78f7dac7961a2c05f4226eb8c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bonding.h
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ struct bonding {
 	struct   timer_list mii_timer;
 	struct   timer_list arp_timer;
 	s8       kill_timers;
+	s8       do_set_mac_addr;
 	struct   net_device_stats stats;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
 	struct   proc_dir_entry *proc_entry;