diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/vmw_pvrdma/pvrdma_main.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/vmw_pvrdma/pvrdma_main.c
index faa1be2d7727..912933549dfb 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/vmw_pvrdma/pvrdma_main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/vmw_pvrdma/pvrdma_main.c
@@ -695,8 +695,12 @@ static int pvrdma_del_gid(const struct ib_gid_attr *attr, void **context)
 }
 
 static void pvrdma_netdevice_event_handle(struct pvrdma_dev *dev,
+					  struct net_device *ndev,
 					  unsigned long event)
 {
+	struct pci_dev *pdev_net;
+	unsigned int slot;
+
 	switch (event) {
 	case NETDEV_REBOOT:
 	case NETDEV_DOWN:
@@ -714,6 +718,24 @@ static void pvrdma_netdevice_event_handle(struct pvrdma_dev *dev,
 		else
 			pvrdma_dispatch_event(dev, 1, IB_EVENT_PORT_ACTIVE);
 		break;
+	case NETDEV_UNREGISTER:
+		dev_put(dev->netdev);
+		dev->netdev = NULL;
+		break;
+	case NETDEV_REGISTER:
+		/* vmxnet3 will have same bus, slot. But func will be 0 */
+		slot = PCI_SLOT(dev->pdev->devfn);
+		pdev_net = pci_get_slot(dev->pdev->bus,
+					PCI_DEVFN(slot, 0));
+		if ((dev->netdev == NULL) &&
+		    (pci_get_drvdata(pdev_net) == ndev)) {
+			/* this is our netdev */
+			dev->netdev = ndev;
+			dev_hold(ndev);
+		}
+		pci_dev_put(pdev_net);
+		break;
+
 	default:
 		dev_dbg(&dev->pdev->dev, "ignore netdevice event %ld on %s\n",
 			event, dev->ib_dev.name);
@@ -730,8 +752,11 @@ static void pvrdma_netdevice_event_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	mutex_lock(&pvrdma_device_list_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(dev, &pvrdma_device_list, device_link) {
-		if (dev->netdev == netdev_work->event_netdev) {
-			pvrdma_netdevice_event_handle(dev, netdev_work->event);
+		if ((netdev_work->event == NETDEV_REGISTER) ||
+		    (dev->netdev == netdev_work->event_netdev)) {
+			pvrdma_netdevice_event_handle(dev,
+						      netdev_work->event_netdev,
+						      netdev_work->event);
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -964,6 +989,7 @@ static int pvrdma_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 		ret = -ENODEV;
 		goto err_free_cq_ring;
 	}
+	dev_hold(dev->netdev);
 
 	dev_info(&pdev->dev, "paired device to %s\n", dev->netdev->name);
 
@@ -1036,6 +1062,10 @@ err_free_intrs:
 	pvrdma_free_irq(dev);
 	pci_free_irq_vectors(pdev);
 err_free_cq_ring:
+	if (dev->netdev) {
+		dev_put(dev->netdev);
+		dev->netdev = NULL;
+	}
 	pvrdma_page_dir_cleanup(dev, &dev->cq_pdir);
 err_free_async_ring:
 	pvrdma_page_dir_cleanup(dev, &dev->async_pdir);
@@ -1075,6 +1105,11 @@ static void pvrdma_pci_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	flush_workqueue(event_wq);
 
+	if (dev->netdev) {
+		dev_put(dev->netdev);
+		dev->netdev = NULL;
+	}
+
 	/* Unregister ib device */
 	ib_unregister_device(&dev->ib_dev);