diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.c
index 5c05d150f67b7b86601c7ddc17b8fa9523439196..09e9e97558b8c53d8f32fe7634a5b801f1ade680 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.c
@@ -2206,6 +2206,12 @@ static int b44_init_one(struct ssb_device *sdev,
 		goto err_out_powerdown;
 	}
 
+	if (bp->phy_addr == B44_PHY_ADDR_NO_PHY) {
+		dev_err(sdev->dev, "No PHY present on this MAC, aborting\n");
+		err = -ENODEV;
+		goto err_out_powerdown;
+	}
+
 	bp->mii_if.dev = dev;
 	bp->mii_if.mdio_read = b44_mii_read;
 	bp->mii_if.mdio_write = b44_mii_write;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.h
index 57e535768d25145180874c9504943ef0eb5a5454..4b0c5d2fa59816e1d1e2289bcc855ac31b4a2e40 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/b44.h
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ struct ring_info {
 
 #define B44_MCAST_TABLE_SIZE		32
 #define B44_PHY_ADDR_NO_LOCAL_PHY	30 /* no local phy regs */
+#define B44_PHY_ADDR_NO_PHY		31 /* no phy present at all */
 #define B44_MDC_RATIO			5000000
 
 #define	B44_STAT_REG_DECLARE		\