diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c
index d35eeba86bacc92811aa8a2533af9c538d0c1252..e12353a7c83ce5fa37e7cb70eeba016188431bdd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c
@@ -2233,11 +2233,6 @@ static int nfp_net_netdev_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct nfp_net *nn = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	int err, r;
 
-	if (nn->dp.ctrl & NFP_NET_CFG_CTRL_ENABLE) {
-		nn_err(nn, "Dev is already enabled: 0x%08x\n", nn->dp.ctrl);
-		return -EBUSY;
-	}
-
 	/* Step 1: Allocate resources for rings and the like
 	 * - Request interrupts
 	 * - Allocate RX and TX ring resources
@@ -2368,11 +2363,6 @@ static int nfp_net_netdev_close(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
 	struct nfp_net *nn = netdev_priv(netdev);
 
-	if (!(nn->dp.ctrl & NFP_NET_CFG_CTRL_ENABLE)) {
-		nn_err(nn, "Dev is not up: 0x%08x\n", nn->dp.ctrl);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	/* Step 1: Disable RX and TX rings from the Linux kernel perspective
 	 */
 	nfp_net_close_stack(nn);