diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index 5c8ab3eabe9c..f4c687ce4c59 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -4048,7 +4048,6 @@ void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev, struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	const struct mlx5e_profile *profile = priv->profile;
 	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
 
-	unregister_netdev(netdev);
 	destroy_workqueue(priv->wq);
 	if (profile->cleanup)
 		profile->cleanup(priv);
@@ -4065,6 +4064,7 @@ static void mlx5e_remove(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev, void *vpriv)
 	for (vport = 1; vport < total_vfs; vport++)
 		mlx5_eswitch_unregister_vport_rep(esw, vport);
 
+	unregister_netdev(priv->netdev);
 	mlx5e_detach(mdev, vpriv);
 	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(mdev, priv);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index 3c97da103d30..7fe6559e4ab3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@ void mlx5e_vport_rep_unload(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
 	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = rep->priv_data;
 	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
 
+	unregister_netdev(netdev);
 	mlx5e_detach_netdev(esw->dev, netdev);
 	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(esw->dev, priv);
 }