diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000e/e1000.h b/drivers/net/e1000e/e1000.h
index c55fd6fdb91c..473c41479ece 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000e/e1000.h
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000e/e1000.h
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ struct e1000_adapter {
 	u16 mng_vlan_id;
 	u16 link_speed;
 	u16 link_duplex;
+	u16 eeprom_vers;
 
 	spinlock_t tx_queue_lock; /* prevent concurrent tail updates */
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000e/ethtool.c b/drivers/net/e1000e/ethtool.c
index 875d769531fd..840e8c4fb753 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000e/ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000e/ethtool.c
@@ -588,7 +588,6 @@ static void e1000_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *netdev,
 {
 	struct e1000_adapter *adapter = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	char firmware_version[32];
-	u16 eeprom_data;
 
 	strncpy(drvinfo->driver,  e1000e_driver_name, 32);
 	strncpy(drvinfo->version, e1000e_driver_version, 32);
@@ -597,11 +596,10 @@ static void e1000_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *netdev,
 	 * EEPROM image version # is reported as firmware version # for
 	 * PCI-E controllers
 	 */
-	e1000_read_nvm(&adapter->hw, 5, 1, &eeprom_data);
 	sprintf(firmware_version, "%d.%d-%d",
-		(eeprom_data & 0xF000) >> 12,
-		(eeprom_data & 0x0FF0) >> 4,
-		eeprom_data & 0x000F);
+		(adapter->eeprom_vers & 0xF000) >> 12,
+		(adapter->eeprom_vers & 0x0FF0) >> 4,
+		(adapter->eeprom_vers & 0x000F));
 
 	strncpy(drvinfo->fw_version, firmware_version, 32);
 	strncpy(drvinfo->bus_info, pci_name(adapter->pdev), 32);
diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c b/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c
index f10252b055d4..b3f0b4797016 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000e/netdev.c
@@ -5025,6 +5025,9 @@ static int __devinit e1000_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	adapter->wol = adapter->eeprom_wol;
 	device_set_wakeup_enable(&adapter->pdev->dev, adapter->wol);
 
+	/* save off EEPROM version number */
+	e1000_read_nvm(&adapter->hw, 5, 1, &adapter->eeprom_vers);
+
 	/* reset the hardware with the new settings */
 	e1000e_reset(adapter);