diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib.h b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib.h
index e255a7e5a4c3..9eebb705d994 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib.h
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ enum {
 	IPOIB_NEIGH_TBL_FLUSH	  = 12,
 	IPOIB_FLAG_DEV_ADDR_SET	  = 13,
 	IPOIB_FLAG_DEV_ADDR_CTRL  = 14,
-	IPOIB_FLAG_GOING_DOWN	  = 15,
 
 	IPOIB_MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS = 16,
 
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_cm.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_cm.c
index 518313a1b0c9..16ea08dc59a8 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_cm.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_cm.c
@@ -1519,9 +1519,6 @@ static ssize_t set_mode(struct device *d, struct device_attribute *attr,
 	int ret;
 	struct ipoib_dev_priv *priv = ipoib_priv(dev);
 
-	if (test_bit(IPOIB_FLAG_GOING_DOWN, &priv->flags))
-		return -EPERM;
-
 	if (!mutex_trylock(&priv->sysfs_mutex))
 		return restart_syscall();
 
@@ -1530,6 +1527,12 @@ static ssize_t set_mode(struct device *d, struct device_attribute *attr,
 		return restart_syscall();
 	}
 
+	if (dev->reg_state != NETREG_REGISTERED) {
+		rtnl_unlock();
+		mutex_unlock(&priv->sysfs_mutex);
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+
 	ret = ipoib_set_mode(dev, buf);
 
 	/* The assumption is that the function ipoib_set_mode returned
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c
index 82f0e3869b04..7ca9013bf05c 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c
@@ -2406,9 +2406,6 @@ static void ipoib_remove_one(struct ib_device *device, void *client_data)
 		ib_unregister_event_handler(&priv->event_handler);
 		flush_workqueue(ipoib_workqueue);
 
-		/* mark interface in the middle of destruction */
-		set_bit(IPOIB_FLAG_GOING_DOWN, &priv->flags);
-
 		rtnl_lock();
 		dev_change_flags(priv->dev, priv->dev->flags & ~IFF_UP);
 		rtnl_unlock();
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_vlan.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_vlan.c
index b067ad5e4c7e..1b7bfd500893 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_vlan.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_vlan.c
@@ -127,9 +127,6 @@ int ipoib_vlan_add(struct net_device *pdev, unsigned short pkey)
 
 	ppriv = ipoib_priv(pdev);
 
-	if (test_bit(IPOIB_FLAG_GOING_DOWN, &ppriv->flags))
-		return -EPERM;
-
 	snprintf(intf_name, sizeof(intf_name), "%s.%04x",
 		 ppriv->dev->name, pkey);
 
@@ -141,6 +138,12 @@ int ipoib_vlan_add(struct net_device *pdev, unsigned short pkey)
 		return restart_syscall();
 	}
 
+	if (pdev->reg_state != NETREG_REGISTERED) {
+		rtnl_unlock();
+		mutex_unlock(&ppriv->sysfs_mutex);
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+
 	if (!down_write_trylock(&ppriv->vlan_rwsem)) {
 		rtnl_unlock();
 		mutex_unlock(&ppriv->sysfs_mutex);
@@ -199,9 +202,6 @@ int ipoib_vlan_delete(struct net_device *pdev, unsigned short pkey)
 
 	ppriv = ipoib_priv(pdev);
 
-	if (test_bit(IPOIB_FLAG_GOING_DOWN, &ppriv->flags))
-		return -EPERM;
-
 	if (!mutex_trylock(&ppriv->sysfs_mutex))
 		return restart_syscall();
 
@@ -210,6 +210,12 @@ int ipoib_vlan_delete(struct net_device *pdev, unsigned short pkey)
 		return restart_syscall();
 	}
 
+	if (pdev->reg_state != NETREG_REGISTERED) {
+		rtnl_unlock();
+		mutex_unlock(&ppriv->sysfs_mutex);
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+
 	if (!down_write_trylock(&ppriv->vlan_rwsem)) {
 		rtnl_unlock();
 		mutex_unlock(&ppriv->sysfs_mutex);