diff --git a/drivers/net/usb/asix_devices.c b/drivers/net/usb/asix_devices.c
index 6d77083e6e10eb0b29e8aed65455ce10861ff95e..9ced9441066c3052d0546972ecb704d672b85087 100644
--- a/drivers/net/usb/asix_devices.c
+++ b/drivers/net/usb/asix_devices.c
@@ -625,6 +625,21 @@ static void ax88772_suspend(struct usbnet *dev)
 		   asix_read_medium_status(dev, 1));
 }
 
+/* Notes on PM callbacks and locking context:
+ *
+ * - asix_suspend()/asix_resume() are invoked for both runtime PM and
+ *   system-wide suspend/resume. For struct usb_driver the ->resume()
+ *   callback does not receive pm_message_t, so the resume type cannot
+ *   be distinguished here.
+ *
+ * - The MAC driver must hold RTNL when calling phylink interfaces such as
+ *   phylink_suspend()/resume(). Those calls will also perform MDIO I/O.
+ *
+ * - Taking RTNL and doing MDIO from a runtime-PM resume callback (while
+ *   the USB PM lock is held) is fragile. Since autosuspend brings no
+ *   measurable power saving here, we block it by holding a PM usage
+ *   reference in ax88772_bind().
+ */
 static int asix_suspend(struct usb_interface *intf, pm_message_t message)
 {
 	struct usbnet *dev = usb_get_intfdata(intf);
@@ -921,6 +936,13 @@ static int ax88772_bind(struct usbnet *dev, struct usb_interface *intf)
 	if (ret)
 		goto initphy_err;
 
+	/* Keep this interface runtime-PM active by taking a usage ref.
+	 * Prevents runtime suspend while bound and avoids resume paths
+	 * that could deadlock (autoresume under RTNL while USB PM lock
+	 * is held, phylink/MDIO wants RTNL).
+	 */
+	pm_runtime_get_noresume(&intf->dev);
+
 	return 0;
 
 initphy_err:
@@ -950,6 +972,8 @@ static void ax88772_unbind(struct usbnet *dev, struct usb_interface *intf)
 	phylink_destroy(priv->phylink);
 	ax88772_mdio_unregister(priv);
 	asix_rx_fixup_common_free(dev->driver_priv);
+	/* Drop the PM usage ref taken in bind() */
+	pm_runtime_put(&intf->dev);
 }
 
 static void ax88178_unbind(struct usbnet *dev, struct usb_interface *intf)
@@ -1609,6 +1633,11 @@ static struct usb_driver asix_driver = {
 	.resume =	asix_resume,
 	.reset_resume =	asix_resume,
 	.disconnect =	usbnet_disconnect,
+	/* usbnet enables autosuspend by default (supports_autosuspend=1).
+	 * We keep runtime-PM active for AX88772* by taking a PM usage
+	 * reference in ax88772_bind() (pm_runtime_get_noresume()) and
+	 * dropping it in unbind(), which effectively blocks autosuspend.
+	 */
 	.supports_autosuspend = 1,
 	.disable_hub_initiated_lpm = 1,
 };