diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
index 86cda3f4b37bc3faa928d1182c24d0343d90cc68..62636c1ed14194977e1f5c548413088558045de2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ struct nicvf {
 	struct workqueue_struct *nicvf_rx_mode_wq;
 	/* mutex to protect VF's mailbox contents from concurrent access */
 	struct mutex            rx_mode_mtx;
-
+	struct delayed_work	link_change_work;
 	/* PTP timestamp */
 	struct cavium_ptp	*ptp_clock;
 	/* Inbound timestamping is on */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c
index 620dbe082ca0e53a3eb3d81df9073431e7b7a54a..8ab71dae39889181e2e16b8bdb1ee1497d7ae6eb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic_main.c
@@ -929,6 +929,35 @@ static void nic_config_timestamp(struct nicpf *nic, int vf, struct set_ptp *ptp)
 	nic_reg_write(nic, NIC_PF_PKIND_0_15_CFG | (pkind_idx << 3), pkind_val);
 }
 
+static void nic_link_status_get(struct nicpf *nic, u8 vf)
+{
+	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
+	struct bgx_link_status link;
+	u8 bgx, lmac;
+
+	mbx.link_status.msg = NIC_MBOX_MSG_BGX_LINK_CHANGE;
+
+	/* Get BGX, LMAC indices for the VF */
+	bgx = NIC_GET_BGX_FROM_VF_LMAC_MAP(nic->vf_lmac_map[vf]);
+	lmac = NIC_GET_LMAC_FROM_VF_LMAC_MAP(nic->vf_lmac_map[vf]);
+
+	/* Get interface link status */
+	bgx_get_lmac_link_state(nic->node, bgx, lmac, &link);
+
+	nic->link[vf] = link.link_up;
+	nic->duplex[vf] = link.duplex;
+	nic->speed[vf] = link.speed;
+
+	/* Send a mbox message to VF with current link status */
+	mbx.link_status.link_up = link.link_up;
+	mbx.link_status.duplex = link.duplex;
+	mbx.link_status.speed = link.speed;
+	mbx.link_status.mac_type = link.mac_type;
+
+	/* reply with link status */
+	nic_send_msg_to_vf(nic, vf, &mbx);
+}
+
 /* Interrupt handler to handle mailbox messages from VFs */
 static void nic_handle_mbx_intr(struct nicpf *nic, int vf)
 {
@@ -1108,6 +1137,13 @@ static void nic_handle_mbx_intr(struct nicpf *nic, int vf)
 		lmac = NIC_GET_LMAC_FROM_VF_LMAC_MAP(nic->vf_lmac_map[vf]);
 		bgx_set_xcast_mode(nic->node, bgx, lmac, mbx.xcast.mode);
 		break;
+	case NIC_MBOX_MSG_BGX_LINK_CHANGE:
+		if (vf >= nic->num_vf_en) {
+			ret = -1; /* NACK */
+			break;
+		}
+		nic_link_status_get(nic, vf);
+		goto unlock;
 	default:
 		dev_err(&nic->pdev->dev,
 			"Invalid msg from VF%d, msg 0x%x\n", vf, mbx.msg.msg);
@@ -1419,9 +1455,6 @@ static int nic_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		goto err_disable_sriov;
 	}
 
-	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&nic->dwork, nic_poll_for_link);
-	queue_delayed_work(nic->check_link, &nic->dwork, 0);
-
 	return 0;
 
 err_disable_sriov:
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
index 2332e3e95e0e1f72801f3ffe9fd5fba0bdc58a26..503cfadff4ace4c0c7858bba02a0322656550e82 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
@@ -242,21 +242,24 @@ static void  nicvf_handle_mbx_intr(struct nicvf *nic)
 		break;
 	case NIC_MBOX_MSG_BGX_LINK_CHANGE:
 		nic->pf_acked = true;
-		nic->link_up = mbx.link_status.link_up;
-		nic->duplex = mbx.link_status.duplex;
-		nic->speed = mbx.link_status.speed;
-		nic->mac_type = mbx.link_status.mac_type;
-		if (nic->link_up) {
-			netdev_info(nic->netdev, "Link is Up %d Mbps %s duplex\n",
-				    nic->speed,
-				    nic->duplex == DUPLEX_FULL ?
-				    "Full" : "Half");
-			netif_carrier_on(nic->netdev);
-			netif_tx_start_all_queues(nic->netdev);
-		} else {
-			netdev_info(nic->netdev, "Link is Down\n");
-			netif_carrier_off(nic->netdev);
-			netif_tx_stop_all_queues(nic->netdev);
+		if (nic->link_up != mbx.link_status.link_up) {
+			nic->link_up = mbx.link_status.link_up;
+			nic->duplex = mbx.link_status.duplex;
+			nic->speed = mbx.link_status.speed;
+			nic->mac_type = mbx.link_status.mac_type;
+			if (nic->link_up) {
+				netdev_info(nic->netdev,
+					    "Link is Up %d Mbps %s duplex\n",
+					    nic->speed,
+					    nic->duplex == DUPLEX_FULL ?
+					    "Full" : "Half");
+				netif_carrier_on(nic->netdev);
+				netif_tx_start_all_queues(nic->netdev);
+			} else {
+				netdev_info(nic->netdev, "Link is Down\n");
+				netif_carrier_off(nic->netdev);
+				netif_tx_stop_all_queues(nic->netdev);
+			}
 		}
 		break;
 	case NIC_MBOX_MSG_ALLOC_SQS:
@@ -1325,6 +1328,8 @@ int nicvf_stop(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct nicvf_cq_poll *cq_poll = NULL;
 	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
 
+	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&nic->link_change_work);
+
 	/* wait till all queued set_rx_mode tasks completes */
 	drain_workqueue(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq);
 
@@ -1427,6 +1432,18 @@ static int nicvf_update_hw_max_frs(struct nicvf *nic, int mtu)
 	return nicvf_send_msg_to_pf(nic, &mbx);
 }
 
+static void nicvf_link_status_check_task(struct work_struct *work_arg)
+{
+	struct nicvf *nic = container_of(work_arg,
+					 struct nicvf,
+					 link_change_work.work);
+	union nic_mbx mbx = {};
+	mbx.msg.msg = NIC_MBOX_MSG_BGX_LINK_CHANGE;
+	nicvf_send_msg_to_pf(nic, &mbx);
+	queue_delayed_work(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq,
+			   &nic->link_change_work, 2 * HZ);
+}
+
 int nicvf_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
 	int cpu, err, qidx;
@@ -1533,6 +1550,11 @@ int nicvf_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	/* Send VF config done msg to PF */
 	nicvf_send_cfg_done(nic);
 
+	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&nic->link_change_work,
+			  nicvf_link_status_check_task);
+	queue_delayed_work(nic->nicvf_rx_mode_wq,
+			   &nic->link_change_work, 0);
+
 	return 0;
 cleanup:
 	nicvf_disable_intr(nic, NICVF_INTR_MBOX, 0);