diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs.c
index aef42f045320..485bedb8278c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs.c
@@ -1082,8 +1082,12 @@ static ssize_t bonding_store_primary(struct device *d,
 		}
 	}
 
-	pr_info("%s: Unable to set %.*s as primary slave.\n",
-		bond->dev->name, (int)strlen(buf) - 1, buf);
+	strncpy(bond->params.primary, ifname, IFNAMSIZ);
+	bond->params.primary[IFNAMSIZ - 1] = 0;
+
+	pr_info("%s: Recording %s as primary, "
+		"but it has not been enslaved to %s yet.\n",
+		bond->dev->name, ifname, bond->dev->name);
 out:
 	write_unlock_bh(&bond->curr_slave_lock);
 	read_unlock(&bond->lock);