diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10_sriov.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10_sriov.c
index 23aac3b37d6e..bef23e19cbbd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10_sriov.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sfc/ef10_sriov.c
@@ -405,12 +405,17 @@ fail1:
 	return rc;
 }
 
+/* Disable SRIOV and remove VFs
+ * If some VFs are attached to a guest (using Xen, only) nothing is
+ * done if force=false, and vports are freed if force=true (for the non
+ * attachedc ones, only) but SRIOV is not disabled and VFs are not
+ * removed in either case.
+ */
 static int efx_ef10_pci_sriov_disable(struct efx_nic *efx, bool force)
 {
 	struct pci_dev *dev = efx->pci_dev;
-	unsigned int vfs_assigned = 0;
-
-	vfs_assigned = pci_vfs_assigned(dev);
+	unsigned int vfs_assigned = pci_vfs_assigned(dev);
+	int rc = 0;
 
 	if (vfs_assigned && !force) {
 		netif_info(efx, drv, efx->net_dev, "VFs are assigned to guests; "
@@ -420,10 +425,12 @@ static int efx_ef10_pci_sriov_disable(struct efx_nic *efx, bool force)
 
 	if (!vfs_assigned)
 		pci_disable_sriov(dev);
+	else
+		rc = -EBUSY;
 
 	efx_ef10_sriov_free_vf_vswitching(efx);
 	efx->vf_count = 0;
-	return 0;
+	return rc;
 }
 
 int efx_ef10_sriov_configure(struct efx_nic *efx, int num_vfs)