diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
index a0be076eba83ad2a1cf3283e740e35fe1728562c..8aee250904ec83de7b230bf186c3835e0957f46a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nic.h
@@ -125,6 +125,15 @@
  */
 #define NICPF_CLK_PER_INT_TICK		2
 
+/* Time to wait before we decide that a SQ is stuck.
+ *
+ * Since both pkt rx and tx notifications are done with same CQ,
+ * when packets are being received at very high rate (eg: L2 forwarding)
+ * then freeing transmitted skbs will be delayed and watchdog
+ * will kick in, resetting interface. Hence keeping this value high.
+ */
+#define	NICVF_TX_TIMEOUT		(50 * HZ)
+
 struct nicvf_cq_poll {
 	u8	cq_idx;		/* Completion queue index */
 	struct	napi_struct napi;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
index 422d46ec509d2067f7d7651beb1a2e9a67e766f2..abee2d7cedb5da28a3c11c6c5eaa1eea33030ffa 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/nicvf_main.c
@@ -1293,6 +1293,7 @@ static int nicvf_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 	netdev->hw_features = netdev->features;
 
 	netdev->netdev_ops = &nicvf_netdev_ops;
+	netdev->watchdog_timeo = NICVF_TX_TIMEOUT;
 
 	INIT_WORK(&nic->reset_task, nicvf_reset_task);