diff --git a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_init.c b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_init.c
index 8326b9474c3e..03ef225cfd2f 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_init.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_init.c
@@ -4816,15 +4816,16 @@ qla2x00_init_rings(scsi_qla_host_t *vha)
 	if (ha->flags.edif_enabled)
 		mid_init_cb->init_cb.frame_payload_size = cpu_to_le16(ELS_MAX_PAYLOAD);
 
+	QLA_FW_STARTED(ha);
 	rval = qla2x00_init_firmware(vha, ha->init_cb_size);
 next_check:
 	if (rval) {
+		QLA_FW_STOPPED(ha);
 		ql_log(ql_log_fatal, vha, 0x00d2,
 		    "Init Firmware **** FAILED ****.\n");
 	} else {
 		ql_dbg(ql_dbg_init, vha, 0x00d3,
 		    "Init Firmware -- success.\n");
-		QLA_FW_STARTED(ha);
 		vha->u_ql2xexchoffld = vha->u_ql2xiniexchg = 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_isr.c b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_isr.c
index 246e74cb929f..0111249cc877 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_isr.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_isr.c
@@ -1121,8 +1121,12 @@ qla2x00_async_event(scsi_qla_host_t *vha, struct rsp_que *rsp, uint16_t *mb)
 	unsigned long	flags;
 	fc_port_t	*fcport = NULL;
 
-	if (!vha->hw->flags.fw_started)
+	if (!vha->hw->flags.fw_started) {
+		ql_log(ql_log_warn, vha, 0x50ff,
+		    "Dropping AEN - %04x %04x %04x %04x.\n",
+		    mb[0], mb[1], mb[2], mb[3]);
 		return;
+	}
 
 	/* Setup to process RIO completion. */
 	handle_cnt = 0;