diff --git a/drivers/net/vxge/vxge-config.c b/drivers/net/vxge/vxge-config.c
index 401bebf595021366188fa6eea3d7e83005e591bb..32763b2dd73f70ab120a11f29ff50f2e4b7b778b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vxge/vxge-config.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vxge/vxge-config.c
@@ -159,16 +159,15 @@ vxge_hw_vpath_fw_api(struct __vxge_hw_virtualpath *vpath, u32 action,
 		     u32 fw_memo, u32 offset, u64 *data0, u64 *data1,
 		     u64 *steer_ctrl)
 {
-	struct vxge_hw_vpath_reg __iomem *vp_reg;
+	struct vxge_hw_vpath_reg __iomem *vp_reg = vpath->vp_reg;
 	enum vxge_hw_status status;
 	u64 val64;
-	u32 retry = 0, max_retry = 100;
-
-	vp_reg = vpath->vp_reg;
+	u32 retry = 0, max_retry = 3;
 
-	if (vpath->vp_open) {
-		max_retry = 3;
-		spin_lock(&vpath->lock);
+	spin_lock(&vpath->lock);
+	if (!vpath->vp_open) {
+		spin_unlock(&vpath->lock);
+		max_retry = 100;
 	}
 
 	writeq(*data0, &vp_reg->rts_access_steer_data0);
@@ -1000,7 +999,7 @@ exit:
 /**
  * vxge_hw_device_hw_info_get - Get the hw information
  * Returns the vpath mask that has the bits set for each vpath allocated
- * for the driver, FW version information and the first mac addresse for
+ * for the driver, FW version information, and the first mac address for
  * each vpath
  */
 enum vxge_hw_status __devinit
@@ -1064,9 +1063,10 @@ vxge_hw_device_hw_info_get(void __iomem *bar0,
 
 		val64 = readq(&toc->toc_vpath_pointer[i]);
 
+		spin_lock_init(&vpath.lock);
 		vpath.vp_reg = (struct vxge_hw_vpath_reg __iomem *)
 			       (bar0 + val64);
-		vpath.vp_open = 0;
+		vpath.vp_open = VXGE_HW_VP_NOT_OPEN;
 
 		status = __vxge_hw_vpath_pci_func_mode_get(&vpath, hw_info);
 		if (status != VXGE_HW_OK)
@@ -1090,7 +1090,7 @@ vxge_hw_device_hw_info_get(void __iomem *bar0,
 		val64 = readq(&toc->toc_vpath_pointer[i]);
 		vpath.vp_reg = (struct vxge_hw_vpath_reg __iomem *)
 			       (bar0 + val64);
-		vpath.vp_open = 0;
+		vpath.vp_open = VXGE_HW_VP_NOT_OPEN;
 
 		status =  __vxge_hw_vpath_addr_get(&vpath,
 				hw_info->mac_addrs[i],
@@ -4646,7 +4646,27 @@ static void __vxge_hw_vp_terminate(struct __vxge_hw_device *hldev, u32 vp_id)
 		vpath->hldev->tim_int_mask1, vpath->vp_id);
 	hldev->stats.hw_dev_info_stats.vpath_info[vpath->vp_id] = NULL;
 
-	memset(vpath, 0, sizeof(struct __vxge_hw_virtualpath));
+	/* If the whole struct __vxge_hw_virtualpath is zeroed, nothing will
+	 * work after the interface is brought down.
+	 */
+	spin_lock(&vpath->lock);
+	vpath->vp_open = VXGE_HW_VP_NOT_OPEN;
+	spin_unlock(&vpath->lock);
+
+	vpath->vpmgmt_reg = NULL;
+	vpath->nofl_db = NULL;
+	vpath->max_mtu = 0;
+	vpath->vsport_number = 0;
+	vpath->max_kdfc_db = 0;
+	vpath->max_nofl_db = 0;
+	vpath->ringh = NULL;
+	vpath->fifoh = NULL;
+	memset(&vpath->vpath_handles, 0, sizeof(struct list_head));
+	vpath->stats_block = 0;
+	vpath->hw_stats = NULL;
+	vpath->hw_stats_sav = NULL;
+	vpath->sw_stats = NULL;
+
 exit:
 	return;
 }
@@ -4670,7 +4690,7 @@ __vxge_hw_vp_initialize(struct __vxge_hw_device *hldev, u32 vp_id,
 
 	vpath = &hldev->virtual_paths[vp_id];
 
-	spin_lock_init(&hldev->virtual_paths[vp_id].lock);
+	spin_lock_init(&vpath->lock);
 	vpath->vp_id = vp_id;
 	vpath->vp_open = VXGE_HW_VP_OPEN;
 	vpath->hldev = hldev;
@@ -5019,10 +5039,6 @@ enum vxge_hw_status vxge_hw_vpath_close(struct __vxge_hw_vpath_handle *vp)
 
 	__vxge_hw_vp_terminate(devh, vp_id);
 
-	spin_lock(&vpath->lock);
-	vpath->vp_open = VXGE_HW_VP_NOT_OPEN;
-	spin_unlock(&vpath->lock);
-
 vpath_close_exit:
 	return status;
 }