diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
index 36916cfa70f9a7d31f36b7d80135e61f854a499a..8a8a23030aff185f72b006734c03b58a93164ec0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
@@ -720,6 +720,10 @@ int be_fw_wait_ready(struct be_adapter *adapter)
 	}
 
 	do {
+		/* There's no means to poll POST state on BE2/3 VFs */
+		if (BEx_chip(adapter) && be_virtfn(adapter))
+			return 0;
+
 		stage = be_POST_stage_get(adapter);
 		if (stage == POST_STAGE_ARMFW_RDY)
 			return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
index 40c8f85dbd0d6ff4dc368813eb7d2b90ea04ed56..fda2e5dcd977a76193cc277777200a1b2fcbab3a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
@@ -5250,6 +5250,35 @@ static inline char *nic_name(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	}
 }
 
+/* Wait for the FW to be ready and perform the required initialization */
+static int be_func_init(struct be_adapter *adapter)
+{
+	int status;
+
+	status = be_fw_wait_ready(adapter);
+	if (status)
+		return status;
+
+	if (be_reset_required(adapter)) {
+		status = be_cmd_reset_function(adapter);
+		if (status)
+			return status;
+
+		/* Wait for interrupts to quiesce after an FLR */
+		msleep(100);
+	}
+
+	/* Tell FW we're ready to fire cmds */
+	status = be_cmd_fw_init(adapter);
+	if (status)
+		return status;
+
+	/* Allow interrupts for other ULPs running on NIC function */
+	be_intr_set(adapter, true);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int be_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *pdev_id)
 {
 	struct be_adapter *adapter;
@@ -5301,27 +5330,7 @@ static int be_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *pdev_id)
 	if (status)
 		goto unmap_bars;
 
-	/* sync up with fw's ready state */
-	if (be_physfn(adapter)) {
-		status = be_fw_wait_ready(adapter);
-		if (status)
-			goto drv_cleanup;
-	}
-
-	if (be_reset_required(adapter)) {
-		status = be_cmd_reset_function(adapter);
-		if (status)
-			goto drv_cleanup;
-
-		/* Wait for interrupts to quiesce after an FLR */
-		msleep(100);
-	}
-
-	/* Allow interrupts for other ULPs running on NIC function */
-	be_intr_set(adapter, true);
-
-	/* tell fw we're ready to fire cmds */
-	status = be_cmd_fw_init(adapter);
+	status = be_func_init(adapter);
 	if (status)
 		goto drv_cleanup;
 
@@ -5401,17 +5410,7 @@ static int be_resume(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	pci_set_power_state(pdev, PCI_D0);
 	pci_restore_state(pdev);
 
-	status = be_fw_wait_ready(adapter);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-
-	status = be_cmd_reset_function(adapter);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-
-	be_intr_set(adapter, true);
-	/* tell fw we're ready to fire cmds */
-	status = be_cmd_fw_init(adapter);
+	status = be_func_init(adapter);
 	if (status)
 		return status;
 
@@ -5529,18 +5528,7 @@ static void be_eeh_resume(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	pci_save_state(pdev);
 
-	status = be_cmd_reset_function(adapter);
-	if (status)
-		goto err;
-
-	/* On some BE3 FW versions, after a HW reset,
-	 * interrupts will remain disabled for each function.
-	 * So, explicitly enable interrupts
-	 */
-	be_intr_set(adapter, true);
-
-	/* tell fw we're ready to fire cmds */
-	status = be_cmd_fw_init(adapter);
+	status = be_func_init(adapter);
 	if (status)
 		goto err;