diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_send.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_send.c
index ef19a66f523357c6834e8eefadece90a8920ed9c..6ad026123b161657fb3e6f40ce01aeee4fff400a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_send.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/dr_send.c
@@ -78,8 +78,15 @@ static int dr_cq_poll_one(struct mlx5dr_cq *dr_cq)
 	int err;
 
 	cqe64 = mlx5_cqwq_get_cqe(&dr_cq->wq);
-	if (!cqe64)
+	if (!cqe64) {
+		if (unlikely(dr_cq->mdev->state ==
+			     MLX5_DEVICE_STATE_INTERNAL_ERROR)) {
+			mlx5_core_dbg_once(dr_cq->mdev,
+					   "Polling CQ while device is shutting down\n");
+			return CQ_POLL_ERR;
+		}
 		return CQ_EMPTY;
+	}
 
 	mlx5_cqwq_pop(&dr_cq->wq);
 	err = dr_parse_cqe(dr_cq, cqe64);
@@ -833,6 +840,7 @@ static struct mlx5dr_cq *dr_create_cq(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
 
 	cq->mcq.vector = 0;
 	cq->mcq.uar = uar;
+	cq->mdev = mdev;
 
 	return cq;