diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_attr.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_attr.c
index eb33473cbc627719f72c4bcf5862183b23618b41..8eee39de15f78c729b3c9fe53fde497444ebc8db 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_attr.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_attr.c
@@ -1351,6 +1351,8 @@ lpfc_board_mode_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
 			goto board_mode_out;
 		}
 		wait_for_completion(&online_compl);
+		if (status)
+			status = -EIO;
 	} else if (strncmp(buf, "offline", sizeof("offline") - 1) == 0)
 		status = lpfc_do_offline(phba, LPFC_EVT_OFFLINE);
 	else if (strncmp(buf, "warm", sizeof("warm") - 1) == 0)