diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c
index f00f233092e9fca917c2e63324b3f8b8649f85b6..1519dfb851d01a3628c3ad8411be96e3c2e0643e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.c
@@ -961,11 +961,25 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 	enum i40e_latency_range new_latency_range = rc->latency_range;
 	u32 new_itr = rc->itr;
 	int bytes_per_int;
-	int usecs;
+	unsigned int usecs, estimated_usecs;
 
 	if (rc->total_packets == 0 || !rc->itr)
 		return false;
 
+	usecs = (rc->itr << 1) * ITR_COUNTDOWN_START;
+	bytes_per_int = rc->total_bytes / usecs;
+
+	/* The calculations in this algorithm depend on interrupts actually
+	 * firing at the ITR rate. This may not happen if the packet rate is
+	 * really low, or if we've been napi polling. Check to make sure
+	 * that's not the case before we continue.
+	 */
+	estimated_usecs = jiffies_to_usecs(jiffies - rc->last_itr_update);
+	if (estimated_usecs > usecs) {
+		new_latency_range = I40E_LOW_LATENCY;
+		goto reset_latency;
+	}
+
 	/* simple throttlerate management
 	 *   0-10MB/s   lowest (50000 ints/s)
 	 *  10-20MB/s   low    (20000 ints/s)
@@ -977,9 +991,6 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 	 * are in 2 usec increments in the ITR registers, and make sure
 	 * to use the smoothed values that the countdown timer gives us.
 	 */
-	usecs = (rc->itr << 1) * ITR_COUNTDOWN_START;
-	bytes_per_int = rc->total_bytes / usecs;
-
 	switch (new_latency_range) {
 	case I40E_LOWEST_LATENCY:
 		if (bytes_per_int > 10)
@@ -998,6 +1009,7 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 		break;
 	}
 
+reset_latency:
 	rc->latency_range = new_latency_range;
 
 	switch (new_latency_range) {
@@ -1016,12 +1028,12 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 
 	rc->total_bytes = 0;
 	rc->total_packets = 0;
+	rc->last_itr_update = jiffies;
 
 	if (new_itr != rc->itr) {
 		rc->itr = new_itr;
 		return true;
 	}
-
 	return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.h
index e6456e8a899c9ef92ab304a70d2c308fc71e3a3c..2f848bc5e3912017e06ab9be2c2e6768d8c322e2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_txrx.h
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ struct i40e_ring_container {
 	struct i40e_ring *ring;
 	unsigned int total_bytes;	/* total bytes processed this int */
 	unsigned int total_packets;	/* total packets processed this int */
+	unsigned long last_itr_update;	/* jiffies of last ITR update */
 	u16 count;
 	enum i40e_latency_range latency_range;
 	u16 itr;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c
index 2f7d9f4a6746395b218ed84e870435bccfbba0ba..c32c62462c844a3cfe7f4449d886f084aa86dcf9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.c
@@ -359,11 +359,25 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 	enum i40e_latency_range new_latency_range = rc->latency_range;
 	u32 new_itr = rc->itr;
 	int bytes_per_int;
-	int usecs;
+	unsigned int usecs, estimated_usecs;
 
 	if (rc->total_packets == 0 || !rc->itr)
 		return false;
 
+	usecs = (rc->itr << 1) * ITR_COUNTDOWN_START;
+	bytes_per_int = rc->total_bytes / usecs;
+
+	/* The calculations in this algorithm depend on interrupts actually
+	 * firing at the ITR rate. This may not happen if the packet rate is
+	 * really low, or if we've been napi polling. Check to make sure
+	 * that's not the case before we continue.
+	 */
+	estimated_usecs = jiffies_to_usecs(jiffies - rc->last_itr_update);
+	if (estimated_usecs > usecs) {
+		new_latency_range = I40E_LOW_LATENCY;
+		goto reset_latency;
+	}
+
 	/* simple throttlerate management
 	 *   0-10MB/s   lowest (50000 ints/s)
 	 *  10-20MB/s   low    (20000 ints/s)
@@ -375,9 +389,6 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 	 * are in 2 usec increments in the ITR registers, and make sure
 	 * to use the smoothed values that the countdown timer gives us.
 	 */
-	usecs = (rc->itr << 1) * ITR_COUNTDOWN_START;
-	bytes_per_int = rc->total_bytes / usecs;
-
 	switch (new_latency_range) {
 	case I40E_LOWEST_LATENCY:
 		if (bytes_per_int > 10)
@@ -396,6 +407,7 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 		break;
 	}
 
+reset_latency:
 	rc->latency_range = new_latency_range;
 
 	switch (new_latency_range) {
@@ -414,12 +426,12 @@ static bool i40e_set_new_dynamic_itr(struct i40e_ring_container *rc)
 
 	rc->total_bytes = 0;
 	rc->total_packets = 0;
+	rc->last_itr_update = jiffies;
 
 	if (new_itr != rc->itr) {
 		rc->itr = new_itr;
 		return true;
 	}
-
 	return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.h
index fb506c9f5a6e691f785898472f57ab7c438d24c7..0d9f98bc07bdd265925cc86d98dd3b00d9b11667 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40evf/i40e_txrx.h
@@ -432,6 +432,7 @@ struct i40e_ring_container {
 	struct i40e_ring *ring;
 	unsigned int total_bytes;	/* total bytes processed this int */
 	unsigned int total_packets;	/* total packets processed this int */
+	unsigned long last_itr_update;	/* jiffies of last ITR update */
 	u16 count;
 	enum i40e_latency_range latency_range;
 	u16 itr;