diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c
index ad23018616095514c8582ddad659949021875fc4..4f9775f6126a078dcb46cbe32f8e48f25e320cdf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10.c
@@ -118,6 +118,13 @@ static int efx_ef10_init_datapath_caps(struct efx_nic *efx)
 	nic_data->datapath_caps =
 		MCDI_DWORD(outbuf, GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_FLAGS1);
 
+	/* record the DPCPU firmware IDs to determine VEB vswitching support.
+	 */
+	nic_data->rx_dpcpu_fw_id =
+		MCDI_WORD(outbuf, GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_RX_DPCPU_FW_ID);
+	nic_data->tx_dpcpu_fw_id =
+		MCDI_WORD(outbuf, GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_TX_DPCPU_FW_ID);
+
 	if (!(nic_data->datapath_caps &
 	      (1 << MC_CMD_GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_TX_TSO_LBN))) {
 		netif_err(efx, drv, efx->net_dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c
index 6502ada36d49fa2cad92be43b7516462cd96c6e0..6e0c7895872e74fae9bbd6696f5ddcd1e3af5cc5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi.c
@@ -1083,9 +1083,7 @@ void efx_mcdi_process_event(struct efx_channel *channel,
 
 void efx_mcdi_print_fwver(struct efx_nic *efx, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
-	MCDI_DECLARE_BUF(outbuf,
-			 max(MC_CMD_GET_VERSION_OUT_LEN,
-			     MC_CMD_GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_LEN));
+	MCDI_DECLARE_BUF(outbuf, MC_CMD_GET_VERSION_OUT_LEN);
 	size_t outlength;
 	const __le16 *ver_words;
 	size_t offset;
@@ -1110,19 +1108,11 @@ void efx_mcdi_print_fwver(struct efx_nic *efx, char *buf, size_t len)
 	 * single version.  Report which variants are running.
 	 */
 	if (efx_nic_rev(efx) >= EFX_REV_HUNT_A0) {
-		BUILD_BUG_ON(MC_CMD_GET_CAPABILITIES_IN_LEN != 0);
-		rc = efx_mcdi_rpc(efx, MC_CMD_GET_CAPABILITIES, NULL, 0,
-				  outbuf, sizeof(outbuf), &outlength);
-		if (rc || outlength < MC_CMD_GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_LEN)
-			offset += snprintf(
-				buf + offset, len - offset, " rx? tx?");
-		else
-			offset += snprintf(
-				buf + offset, len - offset, " rx%x tx%x",
-				MCDI_WORD(outbuf,
-					  GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_RX_DPCPU_FW_ID),
-				MCDI_WORD(outbuf,
-					  GET_CAPABILITIES_OUT_TX_DPCPU_FW_ID));
+		struct efx_ef10_nic_data *nic_data = efx->nic_data;
+
+		offset += snprintf(buf + offset, len - offset, " rx%x tx%x",
+				   nic_data->rx_dpcpu_fw_id,
+				   nic_data->tx_dpcpu_fw_id);
 
 		/* It's theoretically possible for the string to exceed 31
 		 * characters, though in practice the first three version
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/nic.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/nic.h
index 65dcbc7f3d83b0b6ba7dceaead9f59d4d4a611b0..17ee3ae9eb73f7f35f57353b3e9d432aa7145d5c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/nic.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/nic.h
@@ -491,6 +491,8 @@ enum {
  *	after MC reboot
  * @datapath_caps: Capabilities of datapath firmware (FLAGS1 field of
  *	%MC_CMD_GET_CAPABILITIES response)
+ * @rx_dpcpu_fw_id: Firmware ID of the RxDPCPU
+ * @tx_dpcpu_fw_id: Firmware ID of the TxDPCPU
  */
 struct efx_ef10_nic_data {
 	struct efx_buffer mcdi_buf;
@@ -509,6 +511,8 @@ struct efx_ef10_nic_data {
 	bool workaround_35388;
 	bool must_check_datapath_caps;
 	u32 datapath_caps;
+	unsigned int rx_dpcpu_fw_id;
+	unsigned int tx_dpcpu_fw_id;
 };
 
 int efx_init_sriov(void);