diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/vitesse.c b/drivers/net/phy/vitesse.c
index 6a53856479114c33fc8cf47e7d76ad0d814ff55e..8874497b6bbfa76384c42bdfc4af9903991af497 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/vitesse.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/vitesse.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static int vsc824x_config_intr(struct phy_device *phydev)
 		 */
 		err = phy_read(phydev, MII_VSC8244_ISTAT);
 
-		if (err)
+		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
 
 		err = phy_write(phydev, MII_VSC8244_IMASK, 0);