diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.c b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.c
index 1ea556ef093bd3275ee13737dda7e3568d1bf716..ea7b371e911911e6291d4618d4b76f9f92eb2bc3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.c
@@ -452,6 +452,12 @@ e1000_set_mac_type(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	if (hw->mac_type >= e1000_82571)
 		hw->has_manc2h = TRUE;
 
+	/* In rare occasions, ESB2 systems would end up started without
+	 * the RX unit being turned on.
+	 */
+	if (hw->mac_type == e1000_80003es2lan)
+		hw->rx_needs_kicking = TRUE;
+
 	return E1000_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.h b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.h
index 18a4ae4549adfa4c37ff086672d9a9151db6e50e..f4d01e169c48faffebbd2615b5054d1bded390cc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.h
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_hw.h
@@ -1463,6 +1463,7 @@ struct e1000_hw {
 	boolean_t		kmrn_lock_loss_workaround_disabled;
 	boolean_t		bad_tx_carr_stats_fd;
 	boolean_t		has_manc2h;
+	boolean_t		rx_needs_kicking;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c
index 9c2494955bfca6310fa22efa994084836496cabe..343eb68fff7398d9633447631f1592c3bd9a248d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c
@@ -2579,6 +2579,13 @@ e1000_watchdog(unsigned long data)
 			netif_wake_queue(netdev);
 			mod_timer(&adapter->phy_info_timer, jiffies + 2 * HZ);
 			adapter->smartspeed = 0;
+		} else {
+			/* make sure the receive unit is started */
+			if (adapter->hw.rx_needs_kicking) {
+				struct e1000_hw *hw = &adapter->hw;
+				uint32_t rctl = E1000_READ_REG(hw, RCTL);
+				E1000_WRITE_REG(hw, RCTL, rctl | E1000_RCTL_EN);
+			}
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (netif_carrier_ok(netdev)) {