diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/legacy.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/legacy.c
index 255bc8b749f9a52139d0eb998154c1c4a5aae41e..8587cd572da536b45cf7088e658db940470c253d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/legacy.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/legacy.c
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ int mlx5_eswitch_set_vepa(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw, u8 setting)
 		return -EPERM;
 
 	mutex_lock(&esw->state_lock);
-	if (esw->mode != MLX5_ESWITCH_LEGACY) {
+	if (esw->mode != MLX5_ESWITCH_LEGACY || !mlx5_esw_is_fdb_created(esw)) {
 		err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ int mlx5_eswitch_get_vepa(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw, u8 *setting)
 	if (!mlx5_esw_allowed(esw))
 		return -EPERM;
 
-	if (esw->mode != MLX5_ESWITCH_LEGACY)
+	if (esw->mode != MLX5_ESWITCH_LEGACY || !mlx5_esw_is_fdb_created(esw))
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
 	*setting = esw->fdb_table.legacy.vepa_uplink_rule ? 1 : 0;