diff --git a/drivers/net/tulip/de2104x.c b/drivers/net/tulip/de2104x.c
index a22d00198e4d6b5cde5b46ebff6cb1e569e6f68e..6b8eee8f7bfd1ddc611498812a59ac7eb8f1976b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/tulip/de2104x.c
+++ b/drivers/net/tulip/de2104x.c
@@ -1787,10 +1787,15 @@ static void __init de21041_get_srom_info (struct de_private *de)
 	/* DEC now has a specification but early board makers
 	   just put the address in the first EEPROM locations. */
 	/* This does  memcmp(eedata, eedata+16, 8) */
+
+#ifndef CONFIG_MIPS_COBALT
+
 	for (i = 0; i < 8; i ++)
 		if (ee_data[i] != ee_data[16+i])
 			sa_offset = 20;
 
+#endif
+
 	/* store MAC address */
 	for (i = 0; i < 6; i ++)
 		de->dev->dev_addr[i] = ee_data[i + sa_offset];