diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_ethtool.c
index 2e253061460b76e8e3136586926b97f532566e52..53856af07d46396ddc3ee2d5dbe73fe792f70cb8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_ethtool.c
@@ -700,6 +700,13 @@ static void lio_set_msglevel(struct net_device *netdev, u32 msglvl)
 	lio->msg_enable = msglvl;
 }
 
+static void lio_vf_set_msglevel(struct net_device *netdev, u32 msglvl)
+{
+	struct lio *lio = GET_LIO(netdev);
+
+	lio->msg_enable = msglvl;
+}
+
 static void
 lio_get_pauseparam(struct net_device *netdev, struct ethtool_pauseparam *pause)
 {
@@ -2611,7 +2618,7 @@ static const struct ethtool_ops lio_vf_ethtool_ops = {
 	.get_regs_len		= lio_get_regs_len,
 	.get_regs		= lio_get_regs,
 	.get_msglevel		= lio_get_msglevel,
-	.set_msglevel		= lio_set_msglevel,
+	.set_msglevel		= lio_vf_set_msglevel,
 	.get_sset_count		= lio_vf_get_sset_count,
 	.get_coalesce		= lio_get_intr_coalesce,
 	.set_coalesce		= lio_set_intr_coalesce,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_vf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_vf_main.c
index 07124096db48b8bb399155003f7e23a8ff5098c4..1f7032614ae589ba9d2c6b7134af909e6b398cba 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_vf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_vf_main.c
@@ -2997,10 +2997,6 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
 			liquidio_set_feature(netdev, OCTNET_CMD_LRO_ENABLE,
 					     OCTNIC_LROIPV4 | OCTNIC_LROIPV6);
 
-		if ((debug != -1) && (debug & NETIF_MSG_HW))
-			liquidio_set_feature(netdev, OCTNET_CMD_VERBOSE_ENABLE,
-					     0);
-
 		if (setup_link_status_change_wq(netdev))
 			goto setup_nic_dev_fail;