diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c
index ac00ddcd32fa9ac54fb2a8b368c34365b5b76a3f..c4daee1b72865180c33c96e906d55f8232f060bf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c
@@ -1875,14 +1875,12 @@ irqreturn_t bnx2x_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_instance)
 		if (status & (mask | 0x1)) {
 			struct cnic_ops *c_ops = NULL;
 
-			if (likely(bp->state == BNX2X_STATE_OPEN)) {
-				rcu_read_lock();
-				c_ops = rcu_dereference(bp->cnic_ops);
-				if (c_ops)
-					c_ops->cnic_handler(bp->cnic_data,
-							    NULL);
-				rcu_read_unlock();
-			}
+			rcu_read_lock();
+			c_ops = rcu_dereference(bp->cnic_ops);
+			if (c_ops && (bp->cnic_eth_dev.drv_state &
+				      CNIC_DRV_STATE_HANDLES_IRQ))
+				c_ops->cnic_handler(bp->cnic_data, NULL);
+			rcu_read_unlock();
 
 			status &= ~mask;
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic.c
index df8c30d1a52cc4d1fc35e6fb8f7cf6c1b73d31c3..1c4dadc7ebbb75bdd9b76ec4264ea9c8e4280f7f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic.c
@@ -4816,6 +4816,8 @@ static int cnic_start_bnx2_hw(struct cnic_dev *dev)
 		return err;
 	}
 
+	ethdev->drv_state |= CNIC_DRV_STATE_HANDLES_IRQ;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -5136,6 +5138,7 @@ static int cnic_start_bnx2x_hw(struct cnic_dev *dev)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
+	ethdev->drv_state |= CNIC_DRV_STATE_HANDLES_IRQ;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -5387,6 +5390,7 @@ static void cnic_stop_hw(struct cnic_dev *dev)
 		}
 		cnic_shutdown_rings(dev);
 		cp->stop_cm(dev);
+		cp->ethdev->drv_state &= ~CNIC_DRV_STATE_HANDLES_IRQ;
 		clear_bit(CNIC_F_CNIC_UP, &dev->flags);
 		RCU_INIT_POINTER(cp->ulp_ops[CNIC_ULP_L4], NULL);
 		synchronize_rcu();
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic_if.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic_if.h
index 2a35436f90956744a2efa443062001a4acde1727..0c9367a0f57d92ef56c5f0f89dea166e0e00b180 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic_if.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/cnic_if.h
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ struct cnic_eth_dev {
 #define CNIC_DRV_STATE_NO_ISCSI_OOO	0x00000004
 #define CNIC_DRV_STATE_NO_ISCSI		0x00000008
 #define CNIC_DRV_STATE_NO_FCOE		0x00000010
+#define CNIC_DRV_STATE_HANDLES_IRQ	0x00000020
 	u32		chip_id;
 	u32		max_kwqe_pending;
 	struct pci_dev	*pdev;