diff --git a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c
index dc8913c6238..12c6440d164 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c
@@ -154,8 +154,7 @@ vmxnet3_check_link(struct vmxnet3_adapter *adapter, bool affectTxQueue)
 	if (ret & 1) { /* Link is up. */
 		printk(KERN_INFO "%s: NIC Link is Up %d Mbps\n",
 		       adapter->netdev->name, adapter->link_speed);
-		if (!netif_carrier_ok(adapter->netdev))
-			netif_carrier_on(adapter->netdev);
+		netif_carrier_on(adapter->netdev);
 
 		if (affectTxQueue) {
 			for (i = 0; i < adapter->num_tx_queues; i++)
@@ -165,8 +164,7 @@ vmxnet3_check_link(struct vmxnet3_adapter *adapter, bool affectTxQueue)
 	} else {
 		printk(KERN_INFO "%s: NIC Link is Down\n",
 		       adapter->netdev->name);
-		if (netif_carrier_ok(adapter->netdev))
-			netif_carrier_off(adapter->netdev);
+		netif_carrier_off(adapter->netdev);
 
 		if (affectTxQueue) {
 			for (i = 0; i < adapter->num_tx_queues; i++)
@@ -3061,6 +3059,7 @@ vmxnet3_probe_device(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	netif_set_real_num_tx_queues(adapter->netdev, adapter->num_tx_queues);
 	netif_set_real_num_rx_queues(adapter->netdev, adapter->num_rx_queues);
 
+	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 	err = register_netdev(netdev);
 
 	if (err) {