diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c
index 119301769ddabdd09959622e5e02cee2d4bbda49..44071176859d1b99a248a99a005a47542ea68427 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c
@@ -2277,20 +2277,27 @@ static int efx_ef10_ev_init(struct efx_channel *channel)
 
 	/* Successfully created event queue on channel 0 */
 	rc = efx_mcdi_get_workarounds(efx, &implemented, &enabled);
-	if (rc)
+	if (rc == -ENOSYS) {
+		/* GET_WORKAROUNDS was implemented before the bug26807
+		 * workaround, thus the latter must be unavailable in this fw
+		 */
+		nic_data->workaround_26807 = false;
+		rc = 0;
+	} else if (rc) {
 		goto fail;
-
-	nic_data->workaround_26807 =
-		!!(enabled & MC_CMD_GET_WORKAROUNDS_OUT_BUG26807);
-
-	if (implemented & MC_CMD_GET_WORKAROUNDS_OUT_BUG26807 &&
-	    !nic_data->workaround_26807) {
-		rc = efx_mcdi_set_workaround(efx, MC_CMD_WORKAROUND_BUG26807,
-					     true);
-		if (!rc)
-			nic_data->workaround_26807 = true;
-		else if (rc == -EPERM)
-			rc = 0;
+	} else {
+		nic_data->workaround_26807 =
+			!!(enabled & MC_CMD_GET_WORKAROUNDS_OUT_BUG26807);
+
+		if (implemented & MC_CMD_GET_WORKAROUNDS_OUT_BUG26807 &&
+		    !nic_data->workaround_26807) {
+			rc = efx_mcdi_set_workaround(efx, MC_CMD_WORKAROUND_BUG26807,
+						     true);
+			if (!rc)
+				nic_data->workaround_26807 = true;
+			else if (rc == -EPERM)
+				rc = 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (!rc)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c
index 81640f8bb811b099f6b2afb55cbb55f004c1096e..58232e78feaae49c22fc35e22c2b66913d58dc68 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c
@@ -1816,7 +1816,11 @@ int efx_mcdi_get_workarounds(struct efx_nic *efx, unsigned int *impl_out,
 	return 0;
 
 fail:
-	netif_err(efx, hw, efx->net_dev, "%s: failed rc=%d\n", __func__, rc);
+	/* Older firmware lacks GET_WORKAROUNDS and this isn't especially
+	 * terrifying.  The call site will have to deal with it though.
+	 */
+	netif_printk(efx, hw, rc == -ENOSYS ? KERN_DEBUG : KERN_ERR,
+		     efx->net_dev, "%s: failed rc=%d\n", __func__, rc);
 	return rc;
 }