diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/catas.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/catas.c
index 715de8affcc9..e203d0c4e5a3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/catas.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/catas.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ static int mlx4_reset_slave(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 	return -ETIMEDOUT;
 }
 
-static int mlx4_comm_internal_err(u32 slave_read)
+int mlx4_comm_internal_err(u32 slave_read)
 {
 	return (u32)COMM_CHAN_EVENT_INTERNAL_ERR ==
 		(slave_read & (u32)COMM_CHAN_EVENT_INTERNAL_ERR) ? 1 : 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/intf.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/intf.c
index 0472941af820..1a134e08f010 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/intf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/intf.c
@@ -218,6 +218,18 @@ void mlx4_unregister_device(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 	struct mlx4_interface *intf;
 
 	mlx4_stop_catas_poll(dev);
+	if (dev->persist->interface_state & MLX4_INTERFACE_STATE_DELETION &&
+	    mlx4_is_slave(dev)) {
+		/* In mlx4_remove_one on a VF */
+		u32 slave_read =
+			swab32(readl(&mlx4_priv(dev)->mfunc.comm->slave_read));
+
+		if (mlx4_comm_internal_err(slave_read)) {
+			mlx4_dbg(dev, "%s: comm channel is down, entering error state.\n",
+				 __func__);
+			mlx4_enter_error_state(dev->persist);
+		}
+	}
 	mutex_lock(&intf_mutex);
 
 	list_for_each_entry(intf, &intf_list, list)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
index e1cf9036af22..f5fdbd53d052 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
@@ -1205,6 +1205,7 @@ void mlx4_qp_event(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 qpn, int event_type);
 void mlx4_srq_event(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 srqn, int event_type);
 
 void mlx4_enter_error_state(struct mlx4_dev_persistent *persist);
+int mlx4_comm_internal_err(u32 slave_read);
 
 int mlx4_SENSE_PORT(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int port,
 		    enum mlx4_port_type *type);