diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_devlink.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_devlink.c
index ed14164468a146e61c5f92c5aca66071ef175b35..273c889faaadd81c698654c11bb7a87104dc4414 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_devlink.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_devlink.c
@@ -77,12 +77,16 @@ int ionic_devlink_register(struct ionic *ionic)
 		return err;
 	}
 
+	/* don't register the mgmt_nic as a port */
+	if (ionic->is_mgmt_nic)
+		return 0;
+
 	devlink_port_attrs_set(&ionic->dl_port, DEVLINK_PORT_FLAVOUR_PHYSICAL,
 			       0, false, 0, NULL, 0);
 	err = devlink_port_register(dl, &ionic->dl_port, 0);
 	if (err)
 		dev_err(ionic->dev, "devlink_port_register failed: %d\n", err);
-	else if (!ionic->is_mgmt_nic)
+	else
 		devlink_port_type_eth_set(&ionic->dl_port,
 					  ionic->master_lif->netdev);
 
@@ -93,6 +97,7 @@ void ionic_devlink_unregister(struct ionic *ionic)
 {
 	struct devlink *dl = priv_to_devlink(ionic);
 
-	devlink_port_unregister(&ionic->dl_port);
+	if (ionic->dl_port.registered)
+		devlink_port_unregister(&ionic->dl_port);
 	devlink_unregister(dl);
 }