diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c b/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c
index 7ea48414c6cbdd26b37d781d5532462cb80ffa36..17858b9a583050e6c7aefb2055fcd6740db9a858 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c
@@ -2496,14 +2496,16 @@ static void check_link_status(struct adapter *adapter)
 	for_each_port(adapter, i) {
 		struct net_device *dev = adapter->port[i];
 		struct port_info *p = netdev_priv(dev);
+		int link_fault;
 
 		spin_lock_irq(&adapter->work_lock);
-		if (p->link_fault) {
+		link_fault = p->link_fault;
+		spin_unlock_irq(&adapter->work_lock);
+
+		if (link_fault) {
 			t3_link_fault(adapter, i);
-			spin_unlock_irq(&adapter->work_lock);
 			continue;
 		}
-		spin_unlock_irq(&adapter->work_lock);
 
 		if (!(p->phy.caps & SUPPORTED_IRQ) && netif_running(dev)) {
 			t3_xgm_intr_disable(adapter, i);
diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c b/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c
index 4f68aeb2679adcbf0f11a617ab815fa06a6bb9f5..4950d5d789ae8c66e53ec4061789303e674a1923 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c
@@ -1274,6 +1274,11 @@ void t3_link_fault(struct adapter *adapter, int port_id)
 				 A_XGM_INT_STATUS + mac->offset);
 	link_fault &= F_LINKFAULTCHANGE;
 
+	link_ok = lc->link_ok;
+	speed = lc->speed;
+	duplex = lc->duplex;
+	fc = lc->fc;
+
 	phy->ops->get_link_status(phy, &link_ok, &speed, &duplex, &fc);
 
 	if (link_fault) {