diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index 85773f8..67d548b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -2633,7 +2633,16 @@
 	schedule_work(&priv->set_rx_mode_work);
 	mlx5e_disable_async_events(priv);
 	flush_scheduled_work();
-	unregister_netdev(netdev);
+	if (test_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN, &mdev->intf_state)) {
+		netif_device_detach(netdev);
+		mutex_lock(&priv->state_lock);
+		if (test_bit(MLX5E_STATE_OPENED, &priv->state))
+			mlx5e_close_locked(netdev);
+		mutex_unlock(&priv->state_lock);
+	} else {
+		unregister_netdev(netdev);
+	}
+
 	mlx5e_tc_cleanup(priv);
 	mlx5e_vxlan_cleanup(priv);
 	mlx5e_destroy_flow_tables(priv);
@@ -2646,7 +2655,9 @@
 	mlx5_core_dealloc_transport_domain(priv->mdev, priv->tdn);
 	mlx5_core_dealloc_pd(priv->mdev, priv->pdn);
 	mlx5_unmap_free_uar(priv->mdev, &priv->cq_uar);
-	free_netdev(netdev);
+
+	if (!test_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN, &mdev->intf_state))
+		free_netdev(netdev);
 }
 
 static void *mlx5e_get_netdev(void *vpriv)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c
index ddd352a..6892746 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@
 	int err;
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->intf_state_mutex);
-	if (dev->interface_state == MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP) {
+	if (test_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP, &dev->intf_state)) {
 		dev_warn(&dev->pdev->dev, "%s: interface is up, NOP\n",
 			 __func__);
 		goto out;
@@ -1133,7 +1133,8 @@
 	if (err)
 		pr_info("failed request module on %s\n", MLX5_IB_MOD);
 
-	dev->interface_state = MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP;
+	clear_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN, &dev->intf_state);
+	set_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP, &dev->intf_state);
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->intf_state_mutex);
 
@@ -1207,7 +1208,7 @@
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->intf_state_mutex);
-	if (dev->interface_state == MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN) {
+	if (test_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN, &dev->intf_state)) {
 		dev_warn(&dev->pdev->dev, "%s: interface is down, NOP\n",
 			 __func__);
 		goto out;
@@ -1241,7 +1242,8 @@
 	mlx5_cmd_cleanup(dev);
 
 out:
-	dev->interface_state = MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN;
+	clear_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP, &dev->intf_state);
+	set_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN, &dev->intf_state);
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->intf_state_mutex);
 	return err;
 }
@@ -1452,6 +1454,18 @@
 	.resume		= mlx5_pci_resume
 };
 
+static void shutdown(struct pci_dev *pdev)
+{
+	struct mlx5_core_dev *dev  = pci_get_drvdata(pdev);
+	struct mlx5_priv *priv = &dev->priv;
+
+	dev_info(&pdev->dev, "Shutdown was called\n");
+	/* Notify mlx5 clients that the kernel is being shut down */
+	set_bit(MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN, &dev->intf_state);
+	mlx5_unload_one(dev, priv);
+	mlx5_pci_disable_device(dev);
+}
+
 static const struct pci_device_id mlx5_core_pci_table[] = {
 	{ PCI_VDEVICE(MELLANOX, 0x1011) },			/* Connect-IB */
 	{ PCI_VDEVICE(MELLANOX, 0x1012), MLX5_PCI_DEV_IS_VF},	/* Connect-IB VF */
@@ -1471,6 +1485,7 @@
 	.id_table       = mlx5_core_pci_table,
 	.probe          = init_one,
 	.remove         = remove_one,
+	.shutdown	= shutdown,
 	.err_handler	= &mlx5_err_handler,
 	.sriov_configure   = mlx5_core_sriov_configure,
 };
diff --git a/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h b/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h
index dcd5ac8..369c837 100644
--- a/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h
+++ b/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h
@@ -519,8 +519,9 @@
 };
 
 enum mlx5_interface_state {
-	MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN,
-	MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP,
+	MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_DOWN = BIT(0),
+	MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_UP = BIT(1),
+	MLX5_INTERFACE_STATE_SHUTDOWN = BIT(2),
 };
 
 enum mlx5_pci_status {
@@ -544,7 +545,7 @@
 	enum mlx5_device_state	state;
 	/* sync interface state */
 	struct mutex		intf_state_mutex;
-	enum mlx5_interface_state interface_state;
+	unsigned long		intf_state;
 	void			(*event) (struct mlx5_core_dev *dev,
 					  enum mlx5_dev_event event,
 					  unsigned long param);