diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c
index 43f505e2d291..0c0dfd6cdca6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/en_netdev.c
@@ -2036,11 +2036,20 @@ err:
 	return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
+static void mlx4_en_shutdown(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	rtnl_lock();
+	netif_device_detach(dev);
+	mlx4_en_close(dev);
+	rtnl_unlock();
+}
 
 void mlx4_en_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct mlx4_en_priv *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
 	struct mlx4_en_dev *mdev = priv->mdev;
+	bool shutdown = mdev->dev->persist->interface_state &
+					    MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN;
 
 	en_dbg(DRV, priv, "Destroying netdev on port:%d\n", priv->port);
 
@@ -2048,7 +2057,10 @@ void mlx4_en_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *dev)
 	if (priv->registered) {
 		devlink_port_type_clear(mlx4_get_devlink_port(mdev->dev,
 							      priv->port));
-		unregister_netdev(dev);
+		if (shutdown)
+			mlx4_en_shutdown(dev);
+		else
+			unregister_netdev(dev);
 	}
 
 	if (priv->allocated)
@@ -2073,7 +2085,8 @@ void mlx4_en_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *dev)
 	kfree(priv->tx_ring);
 	kfree(priv->tx_cq);
 
-	free_netdev(dev);
+	if (!shutdown)
+		free_netdev(dev);
 }
 
 static int mlx4_en_change_mtu(struct net_device *dev, int new_mtu)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
index 372ebfa880f5..546fab0ecc3b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
@@ -4135,8 +4135,11 @@ static void mlx4_shutdown(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	mlx4_info(persist->dev, "mlx4_shutdown was called\n");
 	mutex_lock(&persist->interface_state_mutex);
-	if (persist->interface_state & MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_UP)
+	if (persist->interface_state & MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_UP) {
+		/* Notify mlx4 clients that the kernel is being shut down */
+		persist->interface_state |= MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN;
 		mlx4_unload_one(pdev);
+	}
 	mutex_unlock(&persist->interface_state_mutex);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/mlx4/device.h b/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
index 80dec87a94f8..d46a0e7f144d 100644
--- a/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
@@ -466,6 +466,7 @@ enum {
 enum {
 	MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_UP		= 1 << 0,
 	MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_DELETION	= 1 << 1,
+	MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN	= 1 << 2,
 };
 
 #define MSTR_SM_CHANGE_MASK (MLX4_EQ_PORT_INFO_MSTR_SM_SL_CHANGE_MASK | \