diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/mdio_10g.c b/drivers/net/sfc/mdio_10g.c
index 7f09ab581945cc343f8346801748ce9302982995..16bc5853d0ea07e7dc815816a37120fe62e0a583 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/mdio_10g.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/mdio_10g.c
@@ -180,17 +180,12 @@ bool mdio_clause45_links_ok(struct efx_nic *efx, unsigned int mmd_mask)
 		return false;
 	else if (efx_phy_mode_disabled(efx->phy_mode))
 		return false;
-	else if (efx->loopback_mode == LOOPBACK_PHYXS) {
+	else if (efx->loopback_mode == LOOPBACK_PHYXS)
 		mmd_mask &= ~(MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_PHYXS |
 			      MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_PCS |
 			      MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_PMAPMD |
 			      MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_AN);
-		if (!mmd_mask) {
-			reg = mdio_clause45_read(efx, phy_id, MDIO_MMD_PHYXS,
-						 MDIO_PHYXS_STATUS2);
-			return !(reg & (1 << MDIO_PHYXS_STATUS2_RX_FAULT_LBN));
-		}
-	} else if (efx->loopback_mode == LOOPBACK_PCS)
+	else if (efx->loopback_mode == LOOPBACK_PCS)
 		mmd_mask &= ~(MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_PCS |
 			      MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_PMAPMD |
 			      MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_AN);
@@ -198,6 +193,13 @@ bool mdio_clause45_links_ok(struct efx_nic *efx, unsigned int mmd_mask)
 		mmd_mask &= ~(MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_PMAPMD |
 			      MDIO_MMDREG_DEVS_AN);
 
+	if (!mmd_mask) {
+		/* Use presence of XGMII faults in leui of link state */
+		reg = mdio_clause45_read(efx, phy_id, MDIO_MMD_PHYXS,
+					 MDIO_PHYXS_STATUS2);
+		return !(reg & (1 << MDIO_PHYXS_STATUS2_RX_FAULT_LBN));
+	}
+
 	while (mmd_mask) {
 		if (mmd_mask & 1) {
 			/* Double reads because link state is latched, and a