diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
index 583eae71cda4b..cb8c94f91d006 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_main.c
@@ -98,6 +98,24 @@ MODULE_LICENSE("GPL v2");
 
 static struct workqueue_struct *i40e_wq;
 
+static void netdev_hw_addr_refcnt(struct i40e_mac_filter *f,
+				  struct net_device *netdev, int delta)
+{
+	struct netdev_hw_addr *ha;
+
+	if (!f || !netdev)
+		return;
+
+	netdev_for_each_mc_addr(ha, netdev) {
+		if (ether_addr_equal(ha->addr, f->macaddr)) {
+			ha->refcount += delta;
+			if (ha->refcount <= 0)
+				ha->refcount = 1;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * i40e_allocate_dma_mem_d - OS specific memory alloc for shared code
  * @hw:   pointer to the HW structure
@@ -2035,6 +2053,7 @@ static void i40e_undo_add_filter_entries(struct i40e_vsi *vsi,
 	hlist_for_each_entry_safe(new, h, from, hlist) {
 		/* We can simply free the wrapper structure */
 		hlist_del(&new->hlist);
+		netdev_hw_addr_refcnt(new->f, vsi->netdev, -1);
 		kfree(new);
 	}
 }
@@ -2382,6 +2401,10 @@ int i40e_sync_vsi_filters(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
 						       &tmp_add_list,
 						       &tmp_del_list,
 						       vlan_filters);
+
+		hlist_for_each_entry(new, &tmp_add_list, hlist)
+			netdev_hw_addr_refcnt(new->f, vsi->netdev, 1);
+
 		if (retval)
 			goto err_no_memory_locked;
 
@@ -2514,6 +2537,7 @@ int i40e_sync_vsi_filters(struct i40e_vsi *vsi)
 			if (new->f->state == I40E_FILTER_NEW)
 				new->f->state = new->state;
 			hlist_del(&new->hlist);
+			netdev_hw_addr_refcnt(new->f, vsi->netdev, -1);
 			kfree(new);
 		}
 		spin_unlock_bh(&vsi->mac_filter_hash_lock);