diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi_mac.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi_mac.c
index 4907062b24a227bad268758f18a580361d34897d..559d79861faffbbda10428214e096e370e959baa 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi_mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/mcdi_mac.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static int efx_mcdi_set_mac(struct efx_nic *efx)
 			    NULL, 0, NULL);
 }
 
-static int efx_mcdi_get_mac_faults(struct efx_nic *efx, u32 *faults)
+bool efx_mcdi_mac_check_fault(struct efx_nic *efx)
 {
 	u8 outbuf[MC_CMD_GET_LINK_OUT_LEN];
 	size_t outlength;
@@ -61,16 +61,13 @@ static int efx_mcdi_get_mac_faults(struct efx_nic *efx, u32 *faults)
 
 	rc = efx_mcdi_rpc(efx, MC_CMD_GET_LINK, NULL, 0,
 			  outbuf, sizeof(outbuf), &outlength);
-	if (rc)
-		goto fail;
-
-	*faults = MCDI_DWORD(outbuf, GET_LINK_OUT_MAC_FAULT);
-	return 0;
+	if (rc) {
+		netif_err(efx, hw, efx->net_dev, "%s: failed rc=%d\n",
+			  __func__, rc);
+		return true;
+	}
 
-fail:
-	netif_err(efx, hw, efx->net_dev, "%s: failed rc=%d\n",
-		  __func__, rc);
-	return rc;
+	return MCDI_DWORD(outbuf, GET_LINK_OUT_MAC_FAULT) != 0;
 }
 
 int efx_mcdi_mac_stats(struct efx_nic *efx, dma_addr_t dma_addr,
@@ -127,11 +124,3 @@ int efx_mcdi_mac_reconfigure(struct efx_nic *efx)
 
 	return 0;
 }
-
-
-bool efx_mcdi_mac_check_fault(struct efx_nic *efx)
-{
-	u32 faults;
-	int rc = efx_mcdi_get_mac_faults(efx, &faults);
-	return (rc != 0) || (faults != 0);
-}