diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c
index d4c872425065..a25423e6fb36 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c
@@ -437,9 +437,10 @@ static void axienet_setoptions(struct net_device *ndev, u32 options)
 	lp->options |= options;
 }
 
-static void __axienet_device_reset(struct axienet_local *lp)
+static int __axienet_device_reset(struct axienet_local *lp)
 {
 	u32 timeout;
+
 	/* Reset Axi DMA. This would reset Axi Ethernet core as well. The reset
 	 * process of Axi DMA takes a while to complete as all pending
 	 * commands/transfers will be flushed or completed during this
@@ -455,9 +456,11 @@ static void __axienet_device_reset(struct axienet_local *lp)
 		if (--timeout == 0) {
 			netdev_err(lp->ndev, "%s: DMA reset timeout!\n",
 				   __func__);
-			break;
+			return -ETIMEDOUT;
 		}
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -470,13 +473,17 @@ static void __axienet_device_reset(struct axienet_local *lp)
  * areconnected to Axi Ethernet reset lines, this in turn resets the Axi
  * Ethernet core. No separate hardware reset is done for the Axi Ethernet
  * core.
+ * Returns 0 on success or a negative error number otherwise.
  */
-static void axienet_device_reset(struct net_device *ndev)
+static int axienet_device_reset(struct net_device *ndev)
 {
 	u32 axienet_status;
 	struct axienet_local *lp = netdev_priv(ndev);
+	int ret;
 
-	__axienet_device_reset(lp);
+	ret = __axienet_device_reset(lp);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	lp->max_frm_size = XAE_MAX_VLAN_FRAME_SIZE;
 	lp->options |= XAE_OPTION_VLAN;
@@ -491,9 +498,11 @@ static void axienet_device_reset(struct net_device *ndev)
 			lp->options |= XAE_OPTION_JUMBO;
 	}
 
-	if (axienet_dma_bd_init(ndev)) {
+	ret = axienet_dma_bd_init(ndev);
+	if (ret) {
 		netdev_err(ndev, "%s: descriptor allocation failed\n",
 			   __func__);
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	axienet_status = axienet_ior(lp, XAE_RCW1_OFFSET);
@@ -518,6 +527,8 @@ static void axienet_device_reset(struct net_device *ndev)
 	axienet_setoptions(ndev, lp->options);
 
 	netif_trans_update(ndev);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -921,8 +932,9 @@ static int axienet_open(struct net_device *ndev)
 	 */
 	mutex_lock(&lp->mii_bus->mdio_lock);
 	axienet_mdio_disable(lp);
-	axienet_device_reset(ndev);
-	ret = axienet_mdio_enable(lp);
+	ret = axienet_device_reset(ndev);
+	if (ret == 0)
+		ret = axienet_mdio_enable(lp);
 	mutex_unlock(&lp->mii_bus->mdio_lock);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;