diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index f084513fbead4..7e6d0489854e3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -5266,6 +5266,7 @@ void mlx5e_destroy_q_counters(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 static int mlx5e_nic_init(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
 			  struct net_device *netdev)
 {
+	const bool take_rtnl = netdev->reg_state == NETREG_REGISTERED;
 	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	struct mlx5e_flow_steering *fs;
 	int err;
@@ -5294,9 +5295,19 @@ static int mlx5e_nic_init(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
 		mlx5_core_err(mdev, "TLS initialization failed, %d\n", err);
 
 	mlx5e_health_create_reporters(priv);
+
+	/* If netdev is already registered (e.g. move from uplink to nic profile),
+	 * RTNL lock must be held before triggering netdev notifiers.
+	 */
+	if (take_rtnl)
+		rtnl_lock();
+
 	/* update XDP supported features */
 	mlx5e_set_xdp_feature(netdev);
 
+	if (take_rtnl)
+		rtnl_unlock();
+
 	return 0;
 }