diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c
index 98efb5842fca326b47a03e79dd82a96baa7bba25..048fca0ca9a468bb549800889abf52f12603dc22 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c
@@ -1597,6 +1597,9 @@ int mlx4_en_start_port(struct net_device *dev)
 	}
 	mdev->mac_removed[priv->port] = 0;
 
+	priv->counter_index =
+			mlx4_get_default_counter_index(mdev->dev, priv->port);
+
 	err = mlx4_en_config_rss_steer(priv);
 	if (err) {
 		en_err(priv, "Failed configuring rss steering\n");
@@ -1755,6 +1758,7 @@ void mlx4_en_stop_port(struct net_device *dev, int detach)
 
 	/* Set port as not active */
 	priv->port_up = false;
+	priv->counter_index = MLX4_SINK_COUNTER_INDEX(mdev->dev);
 
 	/* Promsicuous mode */
 	if (mdev->dev->caps.steering_mode ==
@@ -2778,6 +2782,7 @@ int mlx4_en_init_netdev(struct mlx4_en_dev *mdev, int port,
 
 	priv = netdev_priv(dev);
 	memset(priv, 0, sizeof(struct mlx4_en_priv));
+	priv->counter_index = MLX4_SINK_COUNTER_INDEX(mdev->dev);
 	spin_lock_init(&priv->stats_lock);
 	INIT_WORK(&priv->rx_mode_task, mlx4_en_do_set_rx_mode);
 	INIT_WORK(&priv->watchdog_task, mlx4_en_restart);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_resources.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_resources.c
index 97bcb9135f8db0792a9f203750a62f2f71b6a600..e482fa1bb7410e2eff0f2ed59948bd5fbd7decd8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_resources.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_resources.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ void mlx4_en_fill_qp_context(struct mlx4_en_priv *priv, int size, int stride,
 		context->pri_path.sched_queue |= user_prio << 3;
 		context->pri_path.feup = MLX4_FEUP_FORCE_ETH_UP;
 	}
-	context->pri_path.counter_index = MLX4_SINK_COUNTER_INDEX(mdev->dev);
+	context->pri_path.counter_index = priv->counter_index;
 	context->cqn_send = cpu_to_be32(cqn);
 	context->cqn_recv = cpu_to_be32(cqn);
 	context->db_rec_addr = cpu_to_be64(priv->res.db.dma << 2);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
index 8b27bfcf809d94c7a459e04fec4e051665bf2187..4e69cf52a57969eae261454b87f999a83003832a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
@@ -2219,6 +2219,47 @@ static void mlx4_cleanup_counters_table(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 	mlx4_bitmap_cleanup(&mlx4_priv(dev)->counters_bitmap);
 }
 
+static void mlx4_cleanup_default_counters(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
+{
+	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
+	int port;
+
+	for (port = 0; port < dev->caps.num_ports; port++)
+		if (priv->def_counter[port] != -1)
+			mlx4_counter_free(dev,  priv->def_counter[port]);
+}
+
+static int mlx4_allocate_default_counters(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
+{
+	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
+	int port, err = 0;
+	u32 idx;
+
+	for (port = 0; port < dev->caps.num_ports; port++)
+		priv->def_counter[port] = -1;
+
+	for (port = 0; port < dev->caps.num_ports; port++) {
+		err = mlx4_counter_alloc(dev, &idx);
+
+		if (!err || err == -ENOSPC) {
+			priv->def_counter[port] = idx;
+		} else if (err == -ENOENT) {
+			err = 0;
+			continue;
+		} else {
+			mlx4_err(dev, "%s: failed to allocate default counter port %d err %d\n",
+				 __func__, port + 1, err);
+			mlx4_cleanup_default_counters(dev);
+			return err;
+		}
+
+		mlx4_dbg(dev, "%s: default counter index %d for port %d\n",
+			 __func__, priv->def_counter[port], port + 1);
+	}
+
+	return err;
+}
+
 int __mlx4_counter_alloc(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 *idx)
 {
 	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
@@ -2227,8 +2268,10 @@ int __mlx4_counter_alloc(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 *idx)
 		return -ENOENT;
 
 	*idx = mlx4_bitmap_alloc(&priv->counters_bitmap);
-	if (*idx == -1)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+	if (*idx == -1) {
+		*idx = MLX4_SINK_COUNTER_INDEX(dev);
+		return -ENOSPC;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -2275,6 +2318,9 @@ void __mlx4_counter_free(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 idx)
 	if (!(dev->caps.flags & MLX4_DEV_CAP_FLAG_COUNTERS))
 		return;
 
+	if (idx == MLX4_SINK_COUNTER_INDEX(dev))
+		return;
+
 	__mlx4_clear_if_stat(dev, idx);
 
 	mlx4_bitmap_free(&mlx4_priv(dev)->counters_bitmap, idx, MLX4_USE_RR);
@@ -2296,6 +2342,14 @@ void mlx4_counter_free(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 idx)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(mlx4_counter_free);
 
+int mlx4_get_default_counter_index(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int port)
+{
+	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
+
+	return priv->def_counter[port - 1];
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(mlx4_get_default_counter_index);
+
 void mlx4_set_admin_guid(struct mlx4_dev *dev, __be64 guid, int entry, int port)
 {
 	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
@@ -2439,6 +2493,12 @@ static int mlx4_setup_hca(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 		}
 	}
 
+	err = mlx4_allocate_default_counters(dev);
+	if (err) {
+		mlx4_err(dev, "Failed to allocate default counters, aborting\n");
+		goto err_counters_table_free;
+	}
+
 	if (!mlx4_is_slave(dev)) {
 		for (port = 1; port <= dev->caps.num_ports; port++) {
 			ib_port_default_caps = 0;
@@ -2470,13 +2530,16 @@ static int mlx4_setup_hca(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 			if (err) {
 				mlx4_err(dev, "Failed to set port %d, aborting\n",
 					 port);
-				goto err_counters_table_free;
+				goto err_default_countes_free;
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	return 0;
 
+err_default_countes_free:
+	mlx4_cleanup_default_counters(dev);
+
 err_counters_table_free:
 	if (!mlx4_is_slave(dev))
 		mlx4_cleanup_counters_table(dev);
@@ -3212,6 +3275,7 @@ static int mlx4_load_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, int pci_dev_data,
 	for (--port; port >= 1; --port)
 		mlx4_cleanup_port_info(&priv->port[port]);
 
+	mlx4_cleanup_default_counters(dev);
 	if (!mlx4_is_slave(dev))
 		mlx4_cleanup_counters_table(dev);
 	mlx4_cleanup_qp_table(dev);
@@ -3511,6 +3575,7 @@ static void mlx4_unload_one(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 		mlx4_free_resource_tracker(dev,
 					   RES_TR_FREE_SLAVES_ONLY);
 
+	mlx4_cleanup_default_counters(dev);
 	if (!mlx4_is_slave(dev))
 		mlx4_cleanup_counters_table(dev);
 	mlx4_cleanup_qp_table(dev);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
index 8d2d3594bf8f30094d5d982b34834543c6256c7f..e9e94bc0e75d173d486aedaa338881a9f2fe50a4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
@@ -876,6 +876,7 @@ struct mlx4_priv {
 	struct mlx4_qp_table	qp_table;
 	struct mlx4_mcg_table	mcg_table;
 	struct mlx4_bitmap	counters_bitmap;
+	int			def_counter[MLX4_MAX_PORTS];
 
 	struct mlx4_catas_err	catas_err;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4_en.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4_en.h
index edd8fd69ec9a8d2133fcb27c44cca13c73551fa1..f6c3e128cc0c3d4d31d80f898e1fcf2bf42e6249 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4_en.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4_en.h
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@ struct mlx4_en_priv {
 	int base_tx_qpn;
 	struct hlist_head mac_hash[MLX4_EN_MAC_HASH_SIZE];
 	struct hwtstamp_config hwtstamp_config;
+	u32 counter_index;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MLX4_EN_DCB
 	struct ieee_ets ets;
diff --git a/include/linux/mlx4/device.h b/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
index 312c50420dde08de308bfed6e666fe15f5c54dfd..4820080ac394b1a08d372549392d95ca6a2b9767 100644
--- a/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
@@ -1348,6 +1348,7 @@ int mlx4_wol_write(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u64 config, int port);
 
 int mlx4_counter_alloc(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 *idx);
 void mlx4_counter_free(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 idx);
+int mlx4_get_default_counter_index(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int port);
 
 void mlx4_set_admin_guid(struct mlx4_dev *dev, __be64 guid, int entry,
 			 int port);