diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c
index 6c8dcb65ff031d230303604c2071797027bf11a4..90497a27df184892d81b9365759a8f841976c860 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ static void nic_handle_mbx_intr(struct nicpf *nic, int vf)
 	case NIC_MBOX_MSG_CFG_DONE:
 		/* Last message of VF config msg sequence */
 		nic_enable_vf(nic, vf, true);
-		goto unlock;
+		break;
 	case NIC_MBOX_MSG_SHUTDOWN:
 		/* First msg in VF teardown sequence */
 		if (vf >= nic->num_vf_en)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
index abf24e7dff2d48fa8ea7a84a4a204dd8dada5772..19b58fc3ca41c22f6ba8773f21d07158f3ce97c9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
@@ -169,6 +169,17 @@ static int nicvf_check_pf_ready(struct nicvf *nic)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+static void nicvf_send_cfg_done(struct nicvf *nic)
+{
+	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
+
+	mbx.msg.msg = NIC_MBOX_MSG_CFG_DONE;
+	if (nicvf_send_msg_to_pf(nic, &mbx)) {
+		netdev_err(nic->netdev,
+			   "PF didn't respond to CFG DONE msg\n");
+	}
+}
+
 static void nicvf_read_bgx_stats(struct nicvf *nic, struct bgx_stats_msg *bgx)
 {
 	if (bgx->rx)
@@ -1416,7 +1427,6 @@ int nicvf_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct nicvf *nic = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	struct queue_set *qs = nic->qs;
 	struct nicvf_cq_poll *cq_poll = NULL;
-	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
 
 	/* wait till all queued set_rx_mode tasks completes if any */
 	drain_workqueue(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq);
@@ -1515,8 +1525,7 @@ int nicvf_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 		nicvf_enable_intr(nic, NICVF_INTR_RBDR, qidx);
 
 	/* Send VF config done msg to PF */
-	mbx.msg.msg = NIC_MBOX_MSG_CFG_DONE;
-	nicvf_write_to_mbx(nic, &mbx);
+	nicvf_send_cfg_done(nic);
 
 	return 0;
 cleanup: