diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene-v2/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene-v2/main.c
index 80399c8980bd..c7253ecc0fa5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene-v2/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene-v2/main.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ static int xge_get_resources(struct xge_pdata *pdata)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	if (!device_get_mac_address(dev, ndev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
+	if (device_get_mac_address(dev, ndev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
 		eth_hw_addr_random(ndev);
 
 	memcpy(ndev->perm_addr, ndev->dev_addr, ndev->addr_len);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene/xgene_enet_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene/xgene_enet_main.c
index 5f1fc6582d74..268e099aa5e1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene/xgene_enet_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/apm/xgene/xgene_enet_main.c
@@ -1731,7 +1731,7 @@ static int xgene_enet_get_resources(struct xgene_enet_pdata *pdata)
 		xgene_get_port_id_acpi(dev, pdata);
 #endif
 
-	if (!device_get_mac_address(dev, ndev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
+	if (device_get_mac_address(dev, ndev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
 		eth_hw_addr_random(ndev);
 
 	memcpy(ndev->perm_addr, ndev->dev_addr, ndev->addr_len);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/genet/bcmgenet.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/genet/bcmgenet.c
index 02fe98cbabb0..30c5dcaea802 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/genet/bcmgenet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/genet/bcmgenet.c
@@ -4084,7 +4084,7 @@ static int bcmgenet_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	if (pd && !IS_ERR_OR_NULL(pd->mac_address))
 		eth_hw_addr_set(dev, pd->mac_address);
 	else
-		if (!device_get_mac_address(&pdev->dev, dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
+		if (device_get_mac_address(&pdev->dev, dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
 			if (has_acpi_companion(&pdev->dev))
 				bcmgenet_get_hw_addr(priv, dev->dev_addr);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c
index db66d4beb28a..77ce81633cdc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/thunder/thunder_bgx.c
@@ -1387,10 +1387,10 @@ static int acpi_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, struct acpi_device *adev,
 				u8 *dst)
 {
 	u8 mac[ETH_ALEN];
-	u8 *addr;
+	int ret;
 
-	addr = fwnode_get_mac_address(acpi_fwnode_handle(adev), mac, ETH_ALEN);
-	if (!addr) {
+	ret = fwnode_get_mac_address(acpi_fwnode_handle(adev), mac, ETH_ALEN);
+	if (ret) {
 		dev_err(dev, "MAC address invalid: %pM\n", mac);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c
index ab9267225573..8de9c99a18fb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c
@@ -182,10 +182,8 @@ static void ftgmac100_initial_mac(struct ftgmac100 *priv)
 	u8 mac[ETH_ALEN];
 	unsigned int m;
 	unsigned int l;
-	void *addr;
 
-	addr = device_get_mac_address(priv->dev, mac, ETH_ALEN);
-	if (addr) {
+	if (!device_get_mac_address(priv->dev, mac, ETH_ALEN)) {
 		eth_hw_addr_set(priv->netdev, mac);
 		dev_info(priv->dev, "Read MAC address %pM from device tree\n",
 			 mac);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hns_enet.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hns_enet.c
index 2c4801e49aa1..12b916399ba7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hns_enet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hns_enet.c
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ static void hns_init_mac_addr(struct net_device *ndev)
 {
 	struct hns_nic_priv *priv = netdev_priv(ndev);
 
-	if (!device_get_mac_address(priv->dev, ndev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN)) {
+	if (device_get_mac_address(priv->dev, ndev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN)) {
 		eth_hw_addr_random(ndev);
 		dev_warn(priv->dev, "No valid mac, use random mac %pM",
 			 ndev->dev_addr);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/mvpp2/mvpp2_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/mvpp2/mvpp2_main.c
index 3197526455d9..b84f8b6fe9f4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/mvpp2/mvpp2_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/mvpp2/mvpp2_main.c
@@ -6081,7 +6081,7 @@ static void mvpp2_port_copy_mac_addr(struct net_device *dev, struct mvpp2 *priv,
 	char hw_mac_addr[ETH_ALEN] = {0};
 	char fw_mac_addr[ETH_ALEN];
 
-	if (fwnode_get_mac_address(fwnode, fw_mac_addr, ETH_ALEN)) {
+	if (!fwnode_get_mac_address(fwnode, fw_mac_addr, ETH_ALEN)) {
 		*mac_from = "firmware node";
 		eth_hw_addr_set(dev, fw_mac_addr);
 		return;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/enc28j60.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/enc28j60.c
index bf77e8adffbf..fa62311d326a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/enc28j60.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/microchip/enc28j60.c
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@ static int enc28j60_probe(struct spi_device *spi)
 		goto error_irq;
 	}
 
-	if (device_get_mac_address(&spi->dev, macaddr, sizeof(macaddr)))
+	if (!device_get_mac_address(&spi->dev, macaddr, sizeof(macaddr)))
 		eth_hw_addr_set(dev, macaddr);
 	else
 		eth_hw_addr_random(dev);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c
index fbfabfc5cc51..2e913508fbeb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ static int emac_probe_resources(struct platform_device *pdev,
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	/* get mac address */
-	if (device_get_mac_address(&pdev->dev, maddr, ETH_ALEN))
+	if (!device_get_mac_address(&pdev->dev, maddr, ETH_ALEN))
 		eth_hw_addr_set(netdev, maddr);
 	else
 		eth_hw_addr_random(netdev);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/socionext/netsec.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/socionext/netsec.c
index c7e56dc0a494..f8dd7fa5f632 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/socionext/netsec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/socionext/netsec.c
@@ -1978,10 +1978,10 @@ static int netsec_register_mdio(struct netsec_priv *priv, u32 phy_addr)
 static int netsec_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	struct resource *mmio_res, *eeprom_res, *irq_res;
-	u8 *mac, macbuf[ETH_ALEN];
 	struct netsec_priv *priv;
 	u32 hw_ver, phy_addr = 0;
 	struct net_device *ndev;
+	u8 macbuf[ETH_ALEN];
 	int ret;
 
 	mmio_res = platform_get_resource(pdev, IORESOURCE_MEM, 0);
@@ -2034,12 +2034,12 @@ static int netsec_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		goto free_ndev;
 	}
 
-	mac = device_get_mac_address(&pdev->dev, macbuf, sizeof(macbuf));
-	if (mac)
-		eth_hw_addr_set(ndev, mac);
+	ret = device_get_mac_address(&pdev->dev, macbuf, sizeof(macbuf));
+	if (!ret)
+		eth_hw_addr_set(ndev, macbuf);
 
 	if (priv->eeprom_base &&
-	    (!mac || !is_valid_ether_addr(ndev->dev_addr))) {
+	    (ret || !is_valid_ether_addr(ndev->dev_addr))) {
 		void __iomem *macp = priv->eeprom_base +
 					NETSEC_EEPROM_MAC_ADDRESS;
 
diff --git a/include/linux/etherdevice.h b/include/linux/etherdevice.h
index 39f0758274ae..8299f1cd9175 100644
--- a/include/linux/etherdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/etherdevice.h
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ struct fwnode_handle;
 int eth_platform_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, u8 *mac_addr);
 unsigned char *arch_get_platform_mac_address(void);
 int nvmem_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, void *addrbuf);
-void *device_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, char *addr, int alen);
-void *fwnode_get_mac_address(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
-			     char *addr, int alen);
+int device_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, char *addr, int alen);
+int fwnode_get_mac_address(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode, char *addr, int alen);
 
 u32 eth_get_headlen(const struct net_device *dev, const void *data, u32 len);
 __be16 eth_type_trans(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev);
diff --git a/net/ethernet/eth.c b/net/ethernet/eth.c
index 9ea45aae04ee..70692f5b514c 100644
--- a/net/ethernet/eth.c
+++ b/net/ethernet/eth.c
@@ -560,15 +560,21 @@ int nvmem_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, void *addrbuf)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(nvmem_get_mac_address);
 
-static void *fwnode_get_mac_addr(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
-				 const char *name, char *addr,
-				 int alen)
+static int fwnode_get_mac_addr(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
+			       const char *name, char *addr, int alen)
 {
-	int ret = fwnode_property_read_u8_array(fwnode, name, addr, alen);
+	int ret;
 
-	if (ret == 0 && alen == ETH_ALEN && is_valid_ether_addr(addr))
-		return addr;
-	return NULL;
+	if (alen != ETH_ALEN)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	ret = fwnode_property_read_u8_array(fwnode, name, addr, alen);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr))
+		return -EINVAL;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -594,19 +600,14 @@ static void *fwnode_get_mac_addr(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode,
  * In this case, the real MAC is in 'local-mac-address', and 'mac-address'
  * exists but is all zeros.
  */
-void *fwnode_get_mac_address(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode, char *addr, int alen)
+int fwnode_get_mac_address(struct fwnode_handle *fwnode, char *addr, int alen)
 {
-	char *res;
+	if (!fwnode_get_mac_addr(fwnode, "mac-address", addr, alen) ||
+	    !fwnode_get_mac_addr(fwnode, "local-mac-address", addr, alen) ||
+	    !fwnode_get_mac_addr(fwnode, "address", addr, alen))
+		return 0;
 
-	res = fwnode_get_mac_addr(fwnode, "mac-address", addr, alen);
-	if (res)
-		return res;
-
-	res = fwnode_get_mac_addr(fwnode, "local-mac-address", addr, alen);
-	if (res)
-		return res;
-
-	return fwnode_get_mac_addr(fwnode, "address", addr, alen);
+	return -ENOENT;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(fwnode_get_mac_address);
 
@@ -616,7 +617,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(fwnode_get_mac_address);
  * @addr:	Address of buffer to store the MAC in
  * @alen:	Length of the buffer pointed to by addr, should be ETH_ALEN
  */
-void *device_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, char *addr, int alen)
+int device_get_mac_address(struct device *dev, char *addr, int alen)
 {
 	return fwnode_get_mac_address(dev_fwnode(dev), addr, alen);
 }