diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/agere/et131x.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/agere/et131x.c
index 3c51d8c502ed..cb6a761d5c11 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/agere/et131x.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/agere/et131x.c
@@ -3651,15 +3651,6 @@ static int et131x_close(struct net_device *netdev)
 	return del_timer_sync(&adapter->error_timer);
 }
 
-static int et131x_ioctl(struct net_device *netdev, struct ifreq *reqbuf,
-			int cmd)
-{
-	if (!netdev->phydev)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	return phy_mii_ioctl(netdev->phydev, reqbuf, cmd);
-}
-
 /* et131x_set_packet_filter - Configures the Rx Packet filtering */
 static int et131x_set_packet_filter(struct et131x_adapter *adapter)
 {
@@ -3899,7 +3890,7 @@ static const struct net_device_ops et131x_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_set_mac_address	= eth_mac_addr,
 	.ndo_validate_addr	= eth_validate_addr,
 	.ndo_get_stats		= et131x_stats,
-	.ndo_do_ioctl		= et131x_ioctl,
+	.ndo_do_ioctl		= phy_do_ioctl,
 };
 
 static int et131x_pci_setup(struct pci_dev *pdev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/ag71xx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/ag71xx.c
index 88e4e1500a8e..5ce2df482d8c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/ag71xx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/atheros/ag71xx.c
@@ -1394,14 +1394,6 @@ static netdev_tx_t ag71xx_hard_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	return NETDEV_TX_OK;
 }
 
-static int ag71xx_do_ioctl(struct net_device *ndev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd)
-{
-	if (!ndev->phydev)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	return phy_mii_ioctl(ndev->phydev, ifr, cmd);
-}
-
 static void ag71xx_oom_timer_handler(struct timer_list *t)
 {
 	struct ag71xx *ag = from_timer(ag, t, oom_timer);
@@ -1618,7 +1610,7 @@ static const struct net_device_ops ag71xx_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_open		= ag71xx_open,
 	.ndo_stop		= ag71xx_stop,
 	.ndo_start_xmit		= ag71xx_hard_start_xmit,
-	.ndo_do_ioctl		= ag71xx_do_ioctl,
+	.ndo_do_ioctl		= phy_do_ioctl,
 	.ndo_tx_timeout		= ag71xx_tx_timeout,
 	.ndo_change_mtu		= ag71xx_change_mtu,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address	= eth_mac_addr,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c
index 48b3b72fe02e..4572797f00d7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/faraday/ftgmac100.c
@@ -1536,15 +1536,6 @@ static int ftgmac100_stop(struct net_device *netdev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* optional */
-static int ftgmac100_do_ioctl(struct net_device *netdev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd)
-{
-	if (!netdev->phydev)
-		return -ENXIO;
-
-	return phy_mii_ioctl(netdev->phydev, ifr, cmd);
-}
-
 static void ftgmac100_tx_timeout(struct net_device *netdev, unsigned int txqueue)
 {
 	struct ftgmac100 *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
@@ -1597,7 +1588,7 @@ static const struct net_device_ops ftgmac100_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_start_xmit		= ftgmac100_hard_start_xmit,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address	= ftgmac100_set_mac_addr,
 	.ndo_validate_addr	= eth_validate_addr,
-	.ndo_do_ioctl		= ftgmac100_do_ioctl,
+	.ndo_do_ioctl		= phy_do_ioctl,
 	.ndo_tx_timeout		= ftgmac100_tx_timeout,
 	.ndo_set_rx_mode	= ftgmac100_set_rx_mode,
 	.ndo_set_features	= ftgmac100_set_features,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_mpc52xx.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_mpc52xx.c
index de5278485062..7a3f066e611d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_mpc52xx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_mpc52xx.c
@@ -785,16 +785,6 @@ static const struct ethtool_ops mpc52xx_fec_ethtool_ops = {
 };
 
 
-static int mpc52xx_fec_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *rq, int cmd)
-{
-	struct phy_device *phydev = dev->phydev;
-
-	if (!phydev)
-		return -ENOTSUPP;
-
-	return phy_mii_ioctl(phydev, rq, cmd);
-}
-
 static const struct net_device_ops mpc52xx_fec_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_open = mpc52xx_fec_open,
 	.ndo_stop = mpc52xx_fec_close,
@@ -802,7 +792,7 @@ static const struct net_device_ops mpc52xx_fec_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_set_rx_mode = mpc52xx_fec_set_multicast_list,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address = mpc52xx_fec_set_mac_address,
 	.ndo_validate_addr = eth_validate_addr,
-	.ndo_do_ioctl = mpc52xx_fec_ioctl,
+	.ndo_do_ioctl = phy_do_ioctl,
 	.ndo_tx_timeout = mpc52xx_fec_tx_timeout,
 	.ndo_get_stats = mpc52xx_fec_get_stats,
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET_POLL_CONTROLLER
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/rdc/r6040.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/rdc/r6040.c
index c23cb61bbd30..f5ecc410ff85 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/rdc/r6040.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/rdc/r6040.c
@@ -498,14 +498,6 @@ static int r6040_close(struct net_device *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int r6040_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *rq, int cmd)
-{
-	if (!dev->phydev)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	return phy_mii_ioctl(dev->phydev, rq, cmd);
-}
-
 static int r6040_rx(struct net_device *dev, int limit)
 {
 	struct r6040_private *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
@@ -957,7 +949,7 @@ static const struct net_device_ops r6040_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_set_rx_mode	= r6040_multicast_list,
 	.ndo_validate_addr	= eth_validate_addr,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address	= eth_mac_addr,
-	.ndo_do_ioctl		= r6040_ioctl,
+	.ndo_do_ioctl		= phy_do_ioctl,
 	.ndo_tx_timeout		= r6040_tx_timeout,
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET_POLL_CONTROLLER
 	.ndo_poll_controller	= r6040_poll_controller,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
index 175f951b6547..7a5fe11378aa 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
@@ -5158,7 +5158,7 @@ static const struct net_device_ops rtl_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_fix_features	= rtl8169_fix_features,
 	.ndo_set_features	= rtl8169_set_features,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address	= rtl_set_mac_address,
-	.ndo_do_ioctl		= phy_do_ioctl,
+	.ndo_do_ioctl		= phy_do_ioctl_running,
 	.ndo_set_rx_mode	= rtl_set_rx_mode,
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET_POLL_CONTROLLER
 	.ndo_poll_controller	= rtl8169_netpoll,
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
index da05b3480abb..d76e038cf2cb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
@@ -440,13 +440,23 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_mii_ioctl);
  */
 int phy_do_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd)
 {
-	if (!netif_running(dev) || !dev->phydev)
+	if (!dev->phydev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	return phy_mii_ioctl(dev->phydev, ifr, cmd);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_do_ioctl);
 
+/* same as phy_do_ioctl, but ensures that net_device is running */
+int phy_do_ioctl_running(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd)
+{
+	if (!netif_running(dev))
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	return phy_do_ioctl(dev, ifr, cmd);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_do_ioctl_running);
+
 void phy_queue_state_machine(struct phy_device *phydev, unsigned long jiffies)
 {
 	mod_delayed_work(system_power_efficient_wq, &phydev->state_queue,
diff --git a/include/linux/phy.h b/include/linux/phy.h
index be6b3a1b03da..c570e162e05e 100644
--- a/include/linux/phy.h
+++ b/include/linux/phy.h
@@ -1243,6 +1243,7 @@ int phy_ethtool_ksettings_set(struct phy_device *phydev,
 			      const struct ethtool_link_ksettings *cmd);
 int phy_mii_ioctl(struct phy_device *phydev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd);
 int phy_do_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd);
+int phy_do_ioctl_running(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *ifr, int cmd);
 void phy_request_interrupt(struct phy_device *phydev);
 void phy_free_interrupt(struct phy_device *phydev);
 void phy_print_status(struct phy_device *phydev);