diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/flower/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/flower/main.c
index 63160e9754d4afb478f742bfee5364af9326a144..252d19236ad851430bc31b38604cceb15bf7aa74 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/flower/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/flower/main.c
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ nfp_flower_repr_netdev_open(struct nfp_app *app, struct nfp_repr *repr)
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	netif_carrier_on(repr->netdev);
 	netif_tx_wake_all_queues(repr->netdev);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -119,7 +118,6 @@ nfp_flower_repr_netdev_open(struct nfp_app *app, struct nfp_repr *repr)
 static int
 nfp_flower_repr_netdev_stop(struct nfp_app *app, struct nfp_repr *repr)
 {
-	netif_carrier_off(repr->netdev);
 	netif_tx_disable(repr->netdev);
 
 	return nfp_flower_cmsg_portmod(repr, false);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_repr.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_repr.c
index 78b36c67c232f661d5c2633034c5ada015bf1aeb..3c6cb381385de0cc966b7cca8033ce764186cd21 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_repr.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_repr.c
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ struct net_device *nfp_repr_alloc(struct nfp_app *app)
 	if (!netdev)
 		return NULL;
 
+	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
+
 	repr = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	repr->netdev = netdev;
 	repr->app = app;