diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/sf/dev/driver.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/sf/dev/driver.c
index 8fe82f1191bb..69e270b5aa82 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/sf/dev/driver.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/sf/dev/driver.c
@@ -69,24 +69,29 @@ mdev_err:
 static void mlx5_sf_dev_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 {
 	struct mlx5_sf_dev *sf_dev = container_of(adev, struct mlx5_sf_dev, adev);
-	struct devlink *devlink = priv_to_devlink(sf_dev->mdev);
+	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = sf_dev->mdev;
+	struct devlink *devlink;
 
-	mlx5_drain_health_wq(sf_dev->mdev);
+	devlink = priv_to_devlink(mdev);
+	set_bit(MLX5_BREAK_FW_WAIT, &mdev->intf_state);
+	mlx5_drain_health_wq(mdev);
 	devlink_unregister(devlink);
-	if (mlx5_dev_is_lightweight(sf_dev->mdev))
-		mlx5_uninit_one_light(sf_dev->mdev);
+	if (mlx5_dev_is_lightweight(mdev))
+		mlx5_uninit_one_light(mdev);
 	else
-		mlx5_uninit_one(sf_dev->mdev);
-	iounmap(sf_dev->mdev->iseg);
-	mlx5_mdev_uninit(sf_dev->mdev);
+		mlx5_uninit_one(mdev);
+	iounmap(mdev->iseg);
+	mlx5_mdev_uninit(mdev);
 	mlx5_devlink_free(devlink);
 }
 
 static void mlx5_sf_dev_shutdown(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 {
 	struct mlx5_sf_dev *sf_dev = container_of(adev, struct mlx5_sf_dev, adev);
+	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = sf_dev->mdev;
 
-	mlx5_unload_one(sf_dev->mdev, false);
+	set_bit(MLX5_BREAK_FW_WAIT, &mdev->intf_state);
+	mlx5_unload_one(mdev, false);
 }
 
 static const struct auxiliary_device_id mlx5_sf_dev_id_table[] = {