diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index 2fc3832bc2f3e697f9aa9a375fc71a5bd098172e..7c512a4c6d5c21892ca5b5d79468957380abddc1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -2682,6 +2682,8 @@ int mlx5e_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 
 	mutex_lock(&priv->state_lock);
 	err = mlx5e_open_locked(netdev);
+	if (!err)
+		mlx5_set_port_admin_status(priv->mdev, MLX5_PORT_UP);
 	mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
 
 	return err;
@@ -2716,6 +2718,7 @@ int mlx5e_close(struct net_device *netdev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	mutex_lock(&priv->state_lock);
+	mlx5_set_port_admin_status(priv->mdev, MLX5_PORT_DOWN);
 	err = mlx5e_close_locked(netdev);
 	mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
 
@@ -4187,6 +4190,10 @@ static void mlx5e_nic_enable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 
 	mlx5e_init_l2_addr(priv);
 
+	/* Marking the link as currently not needed by the Driver */
+	if (!netif_running(netdev))
+		mlx5_set_port_admin_status(mdev, MLX5_PORT_DOWN);
+
 	/* MTU range: 68 - hw-specific max */
 	netdev->min_mtu = ETH_MIN_MTU;
 	mlx5_query_port_max_mtu(priv->mdev, &max_mtu, 1);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index 7a9f53f74976111af057a401a35eb5606e8ba03d..45c088c10ee1654ae18e593a6dfd2520d37d8d01 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -613,15 +613,18 @@ static int mlx5e_rep_open(struct net_device *dev)
 	struct mlx5_eswitch *esw = priv->mdev->priv.eswitch;
 	int err;
 
-	err = mlx5e_open(dev);
+	mutex_lock(&priv->state_lock);
+	err = mlx5e_open_locked(dev);
 	if (err)
-		return err;
+		goto unlock;
 
-	err = mlx5_eswitch_set_vport_state(esw, rep->vport, MLX5_ESW_VPORT_ADMIN_STATE_UP);
-	if (!err)
+	if (!mlx5_eswitch_set_vport_state(esw, rep->vport,
+					  MLX5_ESW_VPORT_ADMIN_STATE_UP))
 		netif_carrier_on(dev);
 
-	return 0;
+unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static int mlx5e_rep_close(struct net_device *dev)
@@ -630,10 +633,13 @@ static int mlx5e_rep_close(struct net_device *dev)
 	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = priv->ppriv;
 	struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep = rpriv->rep;
 	struct mlx5_eswitch *esw = priv->mdev->priv.eswitch;
+	int ret;
 
+	mutex_lock(&priv->state_lock);
 	(void)mlx5_eswitch_set_vport_state(esw, rep->vport, MLX5_ESW_VPORT_ADMIN_STATE_DOWN);
-
-	return mlx5e_close(dev);
+	ret = mlx5e_close_locked(dev);
+	mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int mlx5e_rep_get_phys_port_name(struct net_device *dev,