diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index 57987f6546e8357bdfaeb3e657e0f07fe47d940a..378ad74518ec2f02b46c6b7b838026665631c368 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -837,8 +837,12 @@ bool mlx5e_is_uplink_rep(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 static bool mlx5e_is_vf_vport_rep(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 {
 	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = priv->ppriv;
-	struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep = rpriv->rep;
+	struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep;
 
+	if (!MLX5_CAP_GEN(priv->mdev, eswitch_flow_table))
+		return false;
+
+	rep = rpriv->rep;
 	if (rep && rep->vport != FDB_UPLINK_VPORT)
 		return true;