diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
index 55abd83c38b611c55fce69f55cac7429d2c2247f..0ac11b1221b74209b6ca226751975cb4bb8c4755 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
@@ -181,6 +181,15 @@ int cvm_oct_phy_setup_device(struct net_device *dev)
 		goto no_phy;
 
 	phy_node = of_parse_phandle(priv->of_node, "phy-handle", 0);
+	if (!phy_node && of_phy_is_fixed_link(priv->of_node)) {
+		int rc;
+
+		rc = of_phy_register_fixed_link(priv->of_node);
+		if (rc)
+			return rc;
+
+		phy_node = of_node_get(priv->of_node);
+	}
 	if (!phy_node)
 		goto no_phy;