diff --git a/net/ethtool/linkmodes.c b/net/ethtool/linkmodes.c
index 126e06c713a3..2d91f2a8c762 100644
--- a/net/ethtool/linkmodes.c
+++ b/net/ethtool/linkmodes.c
@@ -282,11 +282,12 @@ static int ethnl_update_linkmodes(struct genl_info *info, struct nlattr **tb,
 					    "lanes configuration not supported by device");
 			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 		}
-	} else if (!lsettings->autoneg) {
-		/* If autoneg is off and lanes parameter is not passed from user,
-		 * set the lanes parameter to 0.
+	} else if (!lsettings->autoneg && ksettings->lanes) {
+		/* If autoneg is off and lanes parameter is not passed from user but
+		 * it was defined previously then set the lanes parameter to 0.
 		 */
 		ksettings->lanes = 0;
+		*mod = true;
 	}
 
 	ret = ethnl_update_bitset(ksettings->link_modes.advertising,