diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl_pf.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl_pf.c
index c9f82fd3cf48..22e23199c92c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl_pf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_virtchnl_pf.c
@@ -3068,6 +3068,7 @@ ice_vc_add_mac_addr(struct ice_vf *vf, struct ice_vsi *vsi, u8 *mac_addr)
 {
 	struct device *dev = ice_pf_to_dev(vf->pf);
 	enum ice_status status;
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	/* default unicast MAC already added */
 	if (ether_addr_equal(mac_addr, vf->dflt_lan_addr.addr))
@@ -3080,13 +3081,18 @@ ice_vc_add_mac_addr(struct ice_vf *vf, struct ice_vsi *vsi, u8 *mac_addr)
 
 	status = ice_fltr_add_mac(vsi, mac_addr, ICE_FWD_TO_VSI);
 	if (status == ICE_ERR_ALREADY_EXISTS) {
-		dev_err(dev, "MAC %pM already exists for VF %d\n", mac_addr,
+		dev_dbg(dev, "MAC %pM already exists for VF %d\n", mac_addr,
 			vf->vf_id);
-		return -EEXIST;
+		/* don't return since we might need to update
+		 * the primary MAC in ice_vfhw_mac_add() below
+		 */
+		ret = -EEXIST;
 	} else if (status) {
 		dev_err(dev, "Failed to add MAC %pM for VF %d\n, error %s\n",
 			mac_addr, vf->vf_id, ice_stat_str(status));
 		return -EIO;
+	} else {
+		vf->num_mac++;
 	}
 
 	/* Set the default LAN address to the latest unicast MAC address added
@@ -3096,9 +3102,7 @@ ice_vc_add_mac_addr(struct ice_vf *vf, struct ice_vsi *vsi, u8 *mac_addr)
 	if (is_unicast_ether_addr(mac_addr))
 		ether_addr_copy(vf->dflt_lan_addr.addr, mac_addr);
 
-	vf->num_mac++;
-
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /**