diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ipsec.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ipsec.c
index 113f6087c7c9a..b14b164c9601f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ipsec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_ipsec.c
@@ -575,6 +575,11 @@ static int ixgbe_ipsec_add_sa(struct xfrm_state *xs)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	if (xs->props.mode != XFRM_MODE_TRANSPORT) {
+		netdev_err(dev, "Unsupported mode for ipsec offload\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	if (ixgbe_ipsec_check_mgmt_ip(xs)) {
 		netdev_err(dev, "IPsec IP addr clash with mgmt filters\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ipsec.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ipsec.c
index 5170dd9d8705b..caaea2c920a6e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ipsec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ipsec.c
@@ -272,6 +272,11 @@ static int ixgbevf_ipsec_add_sa(struct xfrm_state *xs)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	if (xs->props.mode != XFRM_MODE_TRANSPORT) {
+		netdev_err(dev, "Unsupported mode for ipsec offload\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	if (xs->xso.flags & XFRM_OFFLOAD_INBOUND) {
 		struct rx_sa rsa;