diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be.h
index 995198d..cbdec25 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be.h
@@ -299,6 +299,8 @@ struct be_vf_cfg {
 	u32 tx_rate;
 };
 
+#define BE_FLAGS_LINK_STATUS_INIT		1
+
 struct be_adapter {
 	struct pci_dev *pdev;
 	struct net_device *netdev;
@@ -347,6 +349,7 @@ struct be_adapter {
 	struct delayed_work work;
 	u16 work_counter;
 
+	u32 flags;
 	/* Ethtool knobs and info */
 	char fw_ver[FW_VER_LEN];
 	int if_handle;		/* Used to configure filtering */
@@ -538,7 +541,7 @@ static inline bool be_error(struct be_adapter *adapter)
 
 extern void be_cq_notify(struct be_adapter *adapter, u16 qid, bool arm,
 		u16 num_popped);
-extern void be_link_status_update(struct be_adapter *adapter, u32 link_status);
+extern void be_link_status_update(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 link_status);
 extern void be_parse_stats(struct be_adapter *adapter);
 extern int be_load_fw(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *func);
 #endif				/* BE_H */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
index 62868ea..0fcb456 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
@@ -125,7 +125,14 @@ done:
 static void be_async_link_state_process(struct be_adapter *adapter,
 		struct be_async_event_link_state *evt)
 {
-	be_link_status_update(adapter, evt->port_link_status);
+	/* When link status changes, link speed must be re-queried from FW */
+	adapter->link_speed = -1;
+
+	/* For the initial link status do not rely on the ASYNC event as
+	 * it may not be received in some cases.
+	 */
+	if (adapter->flags & BE_FLAGS_LINK_STATUS_INIT)
+		be_link_status_update(adapter, evt->port_link_status);
 }
 
 /* Grp5 CoS Priority evt */
@@ -1232,7 +1239,7 @@ err:
 
 /* Uses synchronous mcc */
 int be_cmd_link_status_query(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_speed,
-			u16 *link_speed, u32 dom)
+			     u16 *link_speed, u8 *link_status, u32 dom)
 {
 	struct be_mcc_wrb *wrb;
 	struct be_cmd_req_link_status *req;
@@ -1240,6 +1247,9 @@ int be_cmd_link_status_query(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_speed,
 
 	spin_lock_bh(&adapter->mcc_lock);
 
+	if (link_status)
+		*link_status = LINK_DOWN;
+
 	wrb = wrb_from_mccq(adapter);
 	if (!wrb) {
 		status = -EBUSY;
@@ -1247,7 +1257,7 @@ int be_cmd_link_status_query(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_speed,
 	}
 	req = embedded_payload(wrb);
 
-	if (lancer_chip(adapter))
+	if (adapter->generation == BE_GEN3 || lancer_chip(adapter))
 		req->hdr.version = 1;
 
 	be_wrb_cmd_hdr_prepare(&req->hdr, CMD_SUBSYSTEM_COMMON,
@@ -1257,10 +1267,13 @@ int be_cmd_link_status_query(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_speed,
 	if (!status) {
 		struct be_cmd_resp_link_status *resp = embedded_payload(wrb);
 		if (resp->mac_speed != PHY_LINK_SPEED_ZERO) {
-			*link_speed = le16_to_cpu(resp->link_speed);
+			if (link_speed)
+				*link_speed = le16_to_cpu(resp->link_speed);
 			if (mac_speed)
 				*mac_speed = resp->mac_speed;
 		}
+		if (link_status)
+			*link_status = resp->logical_link_status;
 	}
 
 err:
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h
index 0b694c6..dca8924 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h
@@ -960,7 +960,8 @@ struct be_cmd_resp_link_status {
 	u8 mgmt_mac_duplex;
 	u8 mgmt_mac_speed;
 	u16 link_speed;
-	u32 rsvd0;
+	u8 logical_link_status;
+	u8 rsvd1[3];
 } __packed;
 
 /******************** Port Identification ***************************/
@@ -1507,8 +1508,8 @@ extern int be_cmd_q_destroy(struct be_adapter *adapter, struct be_queue_info *q,
 			int type);
 extern int be_cmd_rxq_destroy(struct be_adapter *adapter,
 			struct be_queue_info *q);
-extern int be_cmd_link_status_query(struct be_adapter *adapter,
-			u8 *mac_speed, u16 *link_speed, u32 dom);
+extern int be_cmd_link_status_query(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_speed,
+				    u16 *link_speed, u8 *link_status, u32 dom);
 extern int be_cmd_reset(struct be_adapter *adapter);
 extern int be_cmd_get_stats(struct be_adapter *adapter,
 			struct be_dma_mem *nonemb_cmd);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_ethtool.c
index 6ba2dc6..6db6b6a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_ethtool.c
@@ -429,11 +429,14 @@ static int be_get_settings(struct net_device *netdev, struct ethtool_cmd *ecmd)
 	struct be_phy_info phy_info;
 	u8 mac_speed = 0;
 	u16 link_speed = 0;
+	u8 link_status;
 	int status;
 
 	if ((adapter->link_speed < 0) || (!(netdev->flags & IFF_UP))) {
 		status = be_cmd_link_status_query(adapter, &mac_speed,
-						&link_speed, 0);
+						  &link_speed, &link_status, 0);
+		if (!status)
+			be_link_status_update(adapter, link_status);
 
 		/* link_speed is in units of 10 Mbps */
 		if (link_speed) {
@@ -700,7 +703,7 @@ be_self_test(struct net_device *netdev, struct ethtool_test *test, u64 *data)
 	}
 
 	if (be_cmd_link_status_query(adapter, &mac_speed,
-				&qos_link_speed, 0) != 0) {
+				     &qos_link_speed, NULL, 0) != 0) {
 		test->flags |= ETH_TEST_FL_FAILED;
 		data[4] = -1;
 	} else if (!mac_speed) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
index fe702c1..6c46753 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
@@ -496,19 +496,19 @@ static struct rtnl_link_stats64 *be_get_stats64(struct net_device *netdev,
 	return stats;
 }
 
-void be_link_status_update(struct be_adapter *adapter, u32 link_status)
+void be_link_status_update(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 link_status)
 {
 	struct net_device *netdev = adapter->netdev;
 
-	/* when link status changes, link speed must be re-queried from card */
-	adapter->link_speed = -1;
-	if ((link_status & LINK_STATUS_MASK) == LINK_UP) {
-		netif_carrier_on(netdev);
-		dev_info(&adapter->pdev->dev, "%s: Link up\n", netdev->name);
-	} else {
+	if (!(adapter->flags & BE_FLAGS_LINK_STATUS_INIT)) {
 		netif_carrier_off(netdev);
-		dev_info(&adapter->pdev->dev, "%s: Link down\n", netdev->name);
+		adapter->flags |= BE_FLAGS_LINK_STATUS_INIT;
 	}
+
+	if ((link_status & LINK_STATUS_MASK) == LINK_UP)
+		netif_carrier_on(netdev);
+	else
+		netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 }
 
 static void be_tx_stats_update(struct be_tx_obj *txo,
@@ -2414,6 +2414,7 @@ static int be_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct be_adapter *adapter = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	struct be_eq_obj *tx_eq = &adapter->tx_eq;
 	struct be_rx_obj *rxo;
+	u8 link_status;
 	int status, i;
 
 	status = be_rx_queues_setup(adapter);
@@ -2437,6 +2438,11 @@ static int be_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	/* Now that interrupts are on we can process async mcc */
 	be_async_mcc_enable(adapter);
 
+	status = be_cmd_link_status_query(adapter, NULL, NULL,
+					  &link_status, 0);
+	if (!status)
+		be_link_status_update(adapter, link_status);
+
 	return 0;
 err:
 	be_close(adapter->netdev);
@@ -2584,7 +2590,7 @@ static int be_vf_setup(struct be_adapter *adapter)
 
 	for_all_vfs(adapter, vf_cfg, vf) {
 		status = be_cmd_link_status_query(adapter, NULL, &lnk_speed,
-						  vf + 1);
+						  NULL, vf + 1);
 		if (status)
 			goto err;
 		vf_cfg->tx_rate = lnk_speed * 10;
