diff --git a/drivers/net/caif/caif_virtio.c b/drivers/net/caif/caif_virtio.c
index 47a6d62b7511..a701932f5cc2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/caif/caif_virtio.c
+++ b/drivers/net/caif/caif_virtio.c
@@ -723,13 +723,21 @@ static int cfv_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)
 	/* Carrier is off until netdevice is opened */
 	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 
+	/* serialize netdev register + virtio_device_ready() with ndo_open() */
+	rtnl_lock();
+
 	/* register Netdev */
-	err = register_netdev(netdev);
+	err = register_netdevice(netdev);
 	if (err) {
+		rtnl_unlock();
 		dev_err(&vdev->dev, "Unable to register netdev (%d)\n", err);
 		goto err;
 	}
 
+	virtio_device_ready(vdev);
+
+	rtnl_unlock();
+
 	debugfs_init(cfv);
 
 	return 0;