diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf_main.c
index c5ffe1d..7aa31ee 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf_main.c
@@ -716,40 +716,15 @@
 	}
 }
 
-static irqreturn_t ixgbevf_msix_mbx(int irq, void *data)
+static irqreturn_t ixgbevf_msix_other(int irq, void *data)
 {
 	struct ixgbevf_adapter *adapter = data;
 	struct ixgbe_hw *hw = &adapter->hw;
-	u32 msg;
-	bool got_ack = false;
 
-	if (!hw->mbx.ops.check_for_ack(hw))
-		got_ack = true;
+	hw->mac.get_link_status = 1;
 
-	if (!hw->mbx.ops.check_for_msg(hw)) {
-		hw->mbx.ops.read(hw, &msg, 1);
-
-		if ((msg & IXGBE_MBVFICR_VFREQ_MASK) == IXGBE_PF_CONTROL_MSG)
-			mod_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer,
-				  round_jiffies(jiffies + 1));
-
-		if (msg & IXGBE_VT_MSGTYPE_NACK)
-			pr_warn("Last Request of type %2.2x to PF Nacked\n",
-				msg & 0xFF);
-		/*
-		 * Restore the PFSTS bit in case someone is polling for a
-		 * return message from the PF
-		 */
-		hw->mbx.v2p_mailbox |= IXGBE_VFMAILBOX_PFSTS;
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * checking for the ack clears the PFACK bit.  Place
-	 * it back in the v2p_mailbox cache so that anyone
-	 * polling for an ack will not miss it
-	 */
-	if (got_ack)
-		hw->mbx.v2p_mailbox |= IXGBE_VFMAILBOX_PFACK;
+	if (!test_bit(__IXGBEVF_DOWN, &adapter->state))
+		mod_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer, jiffies);
 
 	IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_VTEIMS, adapter->eims_other);
 
@@ -899,10 +874,10 @@
 	}
 
 	err = request_irq(adapter->msix_entries[vector].vector,
-			  &ixgbevf_msix_mbx, 0, netdev->name, adapter);
+			  &ixgbevf_msix_other, 0, netdev->name, adapter);
 	if (err) {
 		hw_dbg(&adapter->hw,
-		       "request_irq for msix_mbx failed: %d\n", err);
+		       "request_irq for msix_other failed: %d\n", err);
 		goto free_queue_irqs;
 	}
 
@@ -1411,6 +1386,7 @@
 	ixgbevf_save_reset_stats(adapter);
 	ixgbevf_init_last_counter_stats(adapter);
 
+	hw->mac.get_link_status = 1;
 	mod_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer, jiffies);
 }
 
@@ -1589,8 +1565,6 @@
 
 void ixgbevf_reinit_locked(struct ixgbevf_adapter *adapter)
 {
-	struct ixgbe_hw *hw = &adapter->hw;
-
 	WARN_ON(in_interrupt());
 
 	while (test_and_set_bit(__IXGBEVF_RESETTING, &adapter->state))
@@ -1603,10 +1577,8 @@
 	 * watchdog task will continue to schedule reset tasks until
 	 * the PF is up and running.
 	 */
-	if (!hw->mac.ops.reset_hw(hw)) {
-		ixgbevf_down(adapter);
-		ixgbevf_up(adapter);
-	}
+	ixgbevf_down(adapter);
+	ixgbevf_up(adapter);
 
 	clear_bit(__IXGBEVF_RESETTING, &adapter->state);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/mbx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/mbx.c
index 9c95590..d5028dd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/mbx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/mbx.c
@@ -86,14 +86,17 @@
 static s32 ixgbevf_read_posted_mbx(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 *msg, u16 size)
 {
 	struct ixgbe_mbx_info *mbx = &hw->mbx;
-	s32 ret_val = IXGBE_ERR_MBX;
+	s32 ret_val = -IXGBE_ERR_MBX;
+
+	if (!mbx->ops.read)
+		goto out;
 
 	ret_val = ixgbevf_poll_for_msg(hw);
 
 	/* if ack received read message, otherwise we timed out */
 	if (!ret_val)
 		ret_val = mbx->ops.read(hw, msg, size);
-
+out:
 	return ret_val;
 }
 
@@ -109,7 +112,11 @@
 static s32 ixgbevf_write_posted_mbx(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 *msg, u16 size)
 {
 	struct ixgbe_mbx_info *mbx = &hw->mbx;
-	s32 ret_val;
+	s32 ret_val = -IXGBE_ERR_MBX;
+
+	/* exit if either we can't write or there isn't a defined timeout */
+	if (!mbx->ops.write || !mbx->timeout)
+		goto out;
 
 	/* send msg */
 	ret_val = mbx->ops.write(hw, msg, size);
@@ -117,7 +124,7 @@
 	/* if msg sent wait until we receive an ack */
 	if (!ret_val)
 		ret_val = ixgbevf_poll_for_ack(hw);
-
+out:
 	return ret_val;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.c
index 87b3f3b..a5e66c7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.c
@@ -392,20 +392,23 @@
 				     bool *link_up,
 				     bool autoneg_wait_to_complete)
 {
+	struct ixgbe_mbx_info *mbx = &hw->mbx;
+	struct ixgbe_mac_info *mac = &hw->mac;
+	s32 ret_val = 0;
 	u32 links_reg;
+	u32 in_msg = 0;
 
-	if (!(hw->mbx.ops.check_for_rst(hw))) {
-		*link_up = false;
-		*speed = 0;
-		return -1;
-	}
+	/* If we were hit with a reset drop the link */
+	if (!mbx->ops.check_for_rst(hw) || !mbx->timeout)
+		mac->get_link_status = true;
 
+	if (!mac->get_link_status)
+		goto out;
+
+	/* if link status is down no point in checking to see if pf is up */
 	links_reg = IXGBE_READ_REG(hw, IXGBE_VFLINKS);
-
-	if (links_reg & IXGBE_LINKS_UP)
-		*link_up = true;
-	else
-		*link_up = false;
+	if (!(links_reg & IXGBE_LINKS_UP))
+		goto out;
 
 	switch (links_reg & IXGBE_LINKS_SPEED_82599) {
 	case IXGBE_LINKS_SPEED_10G_82599:
@@ -419,7 +422,31 @@
 		break;
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	/* if the read failed it could just be a mailbox collision, best wait
+	 * until we are called again and don't report an error */
+	if (mbx->ops.read(hw, &in_msg, 1))
+		goto out;
+
+	if (!(in_msg & IXGBE_VT_MSGTYPE_CTS)) {
+		/* msg is not CTS and is NACK we must have lost CTS status */
+		if (in_msg & IXGBE_VT_MSGTYPE_NACK)
+			ret_val = -1;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	/* the pf is talking, if we timed out in the past we reinit */
+	if (!mbx->timeout) {
+		ret_val = -1;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	/* if we passed all the tests above then the link is up and we no
+	 * longer need to check for link */
+	mac->get_link_status = false;
+
+out:
+	*link_up = !mac->get_link_status;
+	return ret_val;
 }
 
 /**