diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.c
index 3985053fa217..5c190c3ce898 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.c
@@ -2364,18 +2364,6 @@ static int rvu_enable_sriov(struct rvu *rvu)
 	if (vfs > chans)
 		vfs = chans;
 
-	/* AF's VFs work in pairs and talk over consecutive loopback channels.
-	 * Thus we want to enable maximum even number of VFs. In case
-	 * odd number of VFs are available then the last VF on the list
-	 * remains disabled.
-	 */
-	if (vfs & 0x1) {
-		dev_warn(&pdev->dev,
-			 "Number of VFs should be even. Enabling %d out of %d.\n",
-			 vfs - 1, vfs);
-		vfs--;
-	}
-
 	if (!vfs)
 		return 0;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.h
index 7370864c546c..b252d8683aa7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu.h
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ struct rvu_pfvf {
 	struct mcam_entry entry;
 	int rxvlan_index;
 	bool rxvlan;
+
+	bool	cgx_in_use; /* this PF/VF using CGX? */
+	int	cgx_users;  /* number of cgx users - used only by PFs */
 };
 
 struct nix_txsch {
@@ -306,6 +309,7 @@ struct rvu {
 	struct			workqueue_struct *cgx_evh_wq;
 	spinlock_t		cgx_evq_lock; /* cgx event queue lock */
 	struct list_head	cgx_evq_head; /* cgx event queue head */
+	struct mutex		cgx_cfg_lock; /* serialize cgx configuration */
 
 	char mkex_pfl_name[MKEX_NAME_LEN]; /* Configured MKEX profile name */
 
@@ -410,6 +414,7 @@ int rvu_cgx_exit(struct rvu *rvu);
 void *rvu_cgx_pdata(u8 cgx_id, struct rvu *rvu);
 int rvu_cgx_config_rxtx(struct rvu *rvu, u16 pcifunc, bool start);
 void rvu_cgx_enadis_rx_bp(struct rvu *rvu, int pf, bool enable);
+int rvu_cgx_start_stop_io(struct rvu *rvu, u16 pcifunc, bool start);
 int rvu_cgx_nix_cuml_stats(struct rvu *rvu, void *cgxd, int lmac_id, int index,
 			   int rxtxflag, u64 *stat);
 /* NPA APIs */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_cgx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_cgx.c
index 7e110b772aa5..0bbb2eb1446e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_cgx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_cgx.c
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ int rvu_cgx_init(struct rvu *rvu)
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
+	mutex_init(&rvu->cgx_cfg_lock);
+
 	/* Ensure event handler registration is completed, before
 	 * we turn on the links
 	 */
@@ -638,3 +640,50 @@ int rvu_cgx_nix_cuml_stats(struct rvu *rvu, void *cgxd, int lmac_id,
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int rvu_cgx_start_stop_io(struct rvu *rvu, u16 pcifunc, bool start)
+{
+	struct rvu_pfvf *parent_pf, *pfvf;
+	int cgx_users, err = 0;
+
+	if (!is_pf_cgxmapped(rvu, rvu_get_pf(pcifunc)))
+		return 0;
+
+	parent_pf = &rvu->pf[rvu_get_pf(pcifunc)];
+	pfvf = rvu_get_pfvf(rvu, pcifunc);
+
+	mutex_lock(&rvu->cgx_cfg_lock);
+
+	if (start && pfvf->cgx_in_use)
+		goto exit;  /* CGX is already started hence nothing to do */
+	if (!start && !pfvf->cgx_in_use)
+		goto exit; /* CGX is already stopped hence nothing to do */
+
+	if (start) {
+		cgx_users = parent_pf->cgx_users;
+		parent_pf->cgx_users++;
+	} else {
+		parent_pf->cgx_users--;
+		cgx_users = parent_pf->cgx_users;
+	}
+
+	/* Start CGX when first of all NIXLFs is started.
+	 * Stop CGX when last of all NIXLFs is stopped.
+	 */
+	if (!cgx_users) {
+		err = rvu_cgx_config_rxtx(rvu, pcifunc & ~RVU_PFVF_FUNC_MASK,
+					  start);
+		if (err) {
+			dev_err(rvu->dev, "Unable to %s CGX\n",
+				start ? "start" : "stop");
+			/* Revert the usage count in case of error */
+			parent_pf->cgx_users = start ? parent_pf->cgx_users  - 1
+					       : parent_pf->cgx_users  + 1;
+			goto exit;
+		}
+	}
+	pfvf->cgx_in_use = start;
+exit:
+	mutex_unlock(&rvu->cgx_cfg_lock);
+	return err;
+}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_nix.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_nix.c
index 63190b89f709..8a59f7d53fbf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_nix.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/marvell/octeontx2/af/rvu_nix.c
@@ -194,6 +194,11 @@ static int nix_interface_init(struct rvu *rvu, u16 pcifunc, int type, int nixlf)
 		break;
 	case NIX_INTF_TYPE_LBK:
 		vf = (pcifunc & RVU_PFVF_FUNC_MASK) - 1;
+
+		/* Note that AF's VFs work in pairs and talk over consecutive
+		 * loopback channels.Therefore if odd number of AF VFs are
+		 * enabled then the last VF remains with no pair.
+		 */
 		pfvf->rx_chan_base = NIX_CHAN_LBK_CHX(0, vf);
 		pfvf->tx_chan_base = vf & 0x1 ? NIX_CHAN_LBK_CHX(0, vf - 1) :
 						NIX_CHAN_LBK_CHX(0, vf + 1);
@@ -3120,7 +3125,8 @@ int rvu_mbox_handler_nix_lf_start_rx(struct rvu *rvu, struct msg_req *req,
 		return err;
 
 	rvu_npc_enable_default_entries(rvu, pcifunc, nixlf);
-	return 0;
+
+	return rvu_cgx_start_stop_io(rvu, pcifunc, true);
 }
 
 int rvu_mbox_handler_nix_lf_stop_rx(struct rvu *rvu, struct msg_req *req,
@@ -3134,7 +3140,8 @@ int rvu_mbox_handler_nix_lf_stop_rx(struct rvu *rvu, struct msg_req *req,
 		return err;
 
 	rvu_npc_disable_default_entries(rvu, pcifunc, nixlf);
-	return 0;
+
+	return rvu_cgx_start_stop_io(rvu, pcifunc, false);
 }
 
 void rvu_nix_lf_teardown(struct rvu *rvu, u16 pcifunc, int blkaddr, int nixlf)
@@ -3150,6 +3157,8 @@ void rvu_nix_lf_teardown(struct rvu *rvu, u16 pcifunc, int blkaddr, int nixlf)
 	nix_rx_sync(rvu, blkaddr);
 	nix_txschq_free(rvu, pcifunc);
 
+	rvu_cgx_start_stop_io(rvu, pcifunc, false);
+
 	if (pfvf->sq_ctx) {
 		ctx_req.ctype = NIX_AQ_CTYPE_SQ;
 		err = nix_lf_hwctx_disable(rvu, &ctx_req);