diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c
index d7c98e807ca880ab3ba51758355e5cdf6526d0c0..0f86f1850de8133706d3153c0b8e661596699a3c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c
@@ -4153,7 +4153,8 @@ netdev_tx_t bnx2x_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 	wmb();
 
 	txdata->tx_db.data.prod += nbd;
-	barrier();
+	/* make sure descriptor update is observed by HW */
+	wmb();
 
 	DOORBELL(bp, txdata->cid, txdata->tx_db.raw);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_ethtool.c
index 1e33abde4a3e8c833386df176896ad9684c9dc10..39af4f85379d9698b6975cb1d47bdbc54d8b14cc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_ethtool.c
@@ -2591,7 +2591,8 @@ static int bnx2x_run_loopback(struct bnx2x *bp, int loopback_mode)
 	wmb();
 
 	txdata->tx_db.data.prod += 2;
-	barrier();
+	/* make sure descriptor update is observed by the HW */
+	wmb();
 	DOORBELL(bp, txdata->cid, txdata->tx_db.raw);
 
 	mmiowb();