diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
index cfb673a52b257..0bf545849b119 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
@@ -147,12 +147,6 @@ int cvm_oct_phy_setup_device(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	phy_node = of_parse_phandle(priv->of_node, "phy-handle", 0);
 	if (!phy_node && of_phy_is_fixed_link(priv->of_node)) {
-		int rc;
-
-		rc = of_phy_register_fixed_link(priv->of_node);
-		if (rc)
-			return rc;
-
 		phy_node = of_node_get(priv->of_node);
 	}
 	if (!phy_node)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
index 204f0b1e27397..5dea6e96ec901 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <linux/phy.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
+#include <linux/of_mdio.h>
 #include <linux/of_net.h>
 #include <linux/if_ether.h>
 #include <linux/if_vlan.h>
@@ -892,6 +893,14 @@ static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 				break;
 			}
 
+			if (priv->of_node && of_phy_is_fixed_link(priv->of_node)) {
+				if (of_phy_register_fixed_link(priv->of_node)) {
+					netdev_err(dev, "Failed to register fixed link for interface %d, port %d\n",
+						   interface, priv->port);
+					dev->netdev_ops = NULL;
+				}
+			}
+
 			if (!dev->netdev_ops) {
 				free_netdev(dev);
 			} else if (register_netdev(dev) < 0) {