diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c
index e4b4a6a879be..515d96e32143 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c
@@ -481,11 +481,6 @@ static int macb_mii_probe(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	if (np) {
 		if (of_phy_is_fixed_link(np)) {
-			if (of_phy_register_fixed_link(np) < 0) {
-				dev_err(&bp->pdev->dev,
-					"broken fixed-link specification\n");
-				return -ENODEV;
-			}
 			bp->phy_node = of_node_get(np);
 		} else {
 			bp->phy_node = of_parse_phandle(np, "phy-handle", 0);
@@ -568,7 +563,7 @@ static int macb_mii_init(struct macb *bp)
 {
 	struct macb_platform_data *pdata;
 	struct device_node *np;
-	int err;
+	int err = -ENXIO;
 
 	/* Enable management port */
 	macb_writel(bp, NCR, MACB_BIT(MPE));
@@ -591,12 +586,23 @@ static int macb_mii_init(struct macb *bp)
 	dev_set_drvdata(&bp->dev->dev, bp->mii_bus);
 
 	np = bp->pdev->dev.of_node;
-	if (pdata)
-		bp->mii_bus->phy_mask = pdata->phy_mask;
+	if (np && of_phy_is_fixed_link(np)) {
+		if (of_phy_register_fixed_link(np) < 0) {
+			dev_err(&bp->pdev->dev,
+				"broken fixed-link specification %pOF\n", np);
+			goto err_out_free_mdiobus;
+		}
+
+		err = mdiobus_register(bp->mii_bus);
+	} else {
+		if (pdata)
+			bp->mii_bus->phy_mask = pdata->phy_mask;
+
+		err = of_mdiobus_register(bp->mii_bus, np);
+	}
 
-	err = of_mdiobus_register(bp->mii_bus, np);
 	if (err)
-		goto err_out_free_mdiobus;
+		goto err_out_free_fixed_link;
 
 	err = macb_mii_probe(bp->dev);
 	if (err)
@@ -606,6 +612,7 @@ static int macb_mii_init(struct macb *bp)
 
 err_out_unregister_bus:
 	mdiobus_unregister(bp->mii_bus);
+err_out_free_fixed_link:
 	if (np && of_phy_is_fixed_link(np))
 		of_phy_deregister_fixed_link(np);
 err_out_free_mdiobus: