diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.c b/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.c
index 58ca684d73f7..1023e4549359 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.c
@@ -86,12 +86,16 @@ int mv88e6xxx_write(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip, int addr, int reg, u16 val)
 int mv88e6xxx_wait_mask(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip, int addr, int reg,
 			u16 mask, u16 val)
 {
+	const unsigned long timeout = jiffies + msecs_to_jiffies(50);
 	u16 data;
 	int err;
 	int i;
 
-	/* There's no bus specific operation to wait for a mask */
-	for (i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
+	/* There's no bus specific operation to wait for a mask. Even
+	 * if the initial poll takes longer than 50ms, always do at
+	 * least one more attempt.
+	 */
+	for (i = 0; time_before(jiffies, timeout) || (i < 2); i++) {
 		err = mv88e6xxx_read(chip, addr, reg, &data);
 		if (err)
 			return err;
@@ -99,7 +103,10 @@ int mv88e6xxx_wait_mask(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip, int addr, int reg,
 		if ((data & mask) == val)
 			return 0;
 
-		usleep_range(1000, 2000);
+		if (i < 2)
+			cpu_relax();
+		else
+			usleep_range(1000, 2000);
 	}
 
 	dev_err(chip->dev, "Timeout while waiting for switch\n");
diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.h b/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.h
index 8271b8aa7b71..438cee853d07 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.h
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/chip.h
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@ struct mv88e6xxx_chip {
 struct mv88e6xxx_bus_ops {
 	int (*read)(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip, int addr, int reg, u16 *val);
 	int (*write)(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip, int addr, int reg, u16 val);
+	int (*init)(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip);
 };
 
 struct mv88e6xxx_mdio_bus {
diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/smi.c b/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/smi.c
index 282fe08db050..a990271b7482 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/smi.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/mv88e6xxx/smi.c
@@ -55,11 +55,15 @@ static int mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_write(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 static int mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_wait(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 				     int dev, int reg, int bit, int val)
 {
+	const unsigned long timeout = jiffies + msecs_to_jiffies(50);
 	u16 data;
 	int err;
 	int i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
+	/* Even if the initial poll takes longer than 50ms, always do
+	 * at least one more attempt.
+	 */
+	for (i = 0; time_before(jiffies, timeout) || (i < 2); i++) {
 		err = mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_read(chip, dev, reg, &data);
 		if (err)
 			return err;
@@ -67,7 +71,10 @@ static int mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_wait(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 		if (!!(data & BIT(bit)) == !!val)
 			return 0;
 
-		usleep_range(1000, 2000);
+		if (i < 2)
+			cpu_relax();
+		else
+			usleep_range(1000, 2000);
 	}
 
 	return -ETIMEDOUT;
@@ -104,11 +111,6 @@ static int mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_read(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 {
 	int err;
 
-	err = mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_wait(chip, chip->sw_addr,
-					MV88E6XXX_SMI_CMD, 15, 0);
-	if (err)
-		return err;
-
 	err = mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_write(chip, chip->sw_addr,
 					 MV88E6XXX_SMI_CMD,
 					 MV88E6XXX_SMI_CMD_BUSY |
@@ -132,11 +134,6 @@ static int mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_write(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 {
 	int err;
 
-	err = mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_wait(chip, chip->sw_addr,
-					MV88E6XXX_SMI_CMD, 15, 0);
-	if (err)
-		return err;
-
 	err = mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_write(chip, chip->sw_addr,
 					 MV88E6XXX_SMI_DATA, data);
 	if (err)
@@ -155,9 +152,20 @@ static int mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_write(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 					 MV88E6XXX_SMI_CMD, 15, 0);
 }
 
+static int mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_init(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip)
+{
+	/* Ensure that the chip starts out in the ready state. As both
+	 * reads and writes always ensure this on return, they can
+	 * safely depend on the chip not being busy on entry.
+	 */
+	return mv88e6xxx_smi_direct_wait(chip, chip->sw_addr,
+					 MV88E6XXX_SMI_CMD, 15, 0);
+}
+
 static const struct mv88e6xxx_bus_ops mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_ops = {
 	.read = mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_read,
 	.write = mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_write,
+	.init = mv88e6xxx_smi_indirect_init,
 };
 
 int mv88e6xxx_smi_init(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
@@ -175,5 +183,8 @@ int mv88e6xxx_smi_init(struct mv88e6xxx_chip *chip,
 	chip->bus = bus;
 	chip->sw_addr = sw_addr;
 
+	if (chip->smi_ops->init)
+		return chip->smi_ops->init(chip);
+
 	return 0;
 }