diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index 751d3ffcd2f6ce3237a691c55166b6dca44b6a38..2bf3dff26c20a20bc60f2e545a5ec9862c0e0615 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -1443,12 +1443,21 @@ static const struct mlx5e_profile mlx5e_uplink_rep_profile = {
 static int
 mlx5e_vport_uplink_rep_load(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 {
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(mlx5_uplink_netdev_get(dev));
 	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = mlx5e_rep_to_rep_priv(rep);
+	struct net_device *netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv;
+	int err;
+
+	netdev = mlx5_uplink_netdev_get(dev);
+	if (!netdev)
+		return 0;
 
+	priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	rpriv->netdev = priv->netdev;
-	return mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(priv, &mlx5e_uplink_rep_profile,
-					   rpriv);
+	err = mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(priv, &mlx5e_uplink_rep_profile,
+					  rpriv);
+	mlx5_uplink_netdev_put(dev, netdev);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1560,8 +1569,16 @@ mlx5e_vport_rep_unload(struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 {
 	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = mlx5e_rep_to_rep_priv(rep);
 	struct net_device *netdev = rpriv->netdev;
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
-	void *ppriv = priv->ppriv;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv;
+	void *ppriv;
+
+	if (!netdev) {
+		ppriv = rpriv;
+		goto free_ppriv;
+	}
+
+	priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
+	ppriv = priv->ppriv;
 
 	if (rep->vport == MLX5_VPORT_UPLINK) {
 		mlx5e_vport_uplink_rep_unload(rpriv);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/lib/mlx5.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/lib/mlx5.h
index 2b5826a785c4f747b02135ab0f7872fa46c904af..adcc2bc9c8c87087d9558dfb2949c704b511ab43 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/lib/mlx5.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/lib/mlx5.h
@@ -52,6 +52,19 @@ static inline struct net *mlx5_core_net(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev)
 
 static inline struct net_device *mlx5_uplink_netdev_get(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev)
 {
-	return mdev->mlx5e_res.uplink_netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_resources *mlx5e_res = &mdev->mlx5e_res;
+	struct net_device *netdev;
+
+	mutex_lock(&mlx5e_res->uplink_netdev_lock);
+	netdev = mlx5e_res->uplink_netdev;
+	netdev_hold(netdev, &mlx5e_res->tracker, GFP_KERNEL);
+	mutex_unlock(&mlx5e_res->uplink_netdev_lock);
+	return netdev;
+}
+
+static inline void mlx5_uplink_netdev_put(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
+					  struct net_device *netdev)
+{
+	netdev_put(netdev, &mdev->mlx5e_res.tracker);
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h b/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h
index 69d844b34da0d3cef34635293101e99fb94ce63b..6f4aa4ed1503b50fd0b0d2554874d8446e932e35 100644
--- a/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h
+++ b/include/linux/mlx5/driver.h
@@ -676,6 +676,7 @@ struct mlx5e_resources {
 		struct mlx5_sq_bfreg       bfreg;
 	} hw_objs;
 	struct net_device *uplink_netdev;
+	netdevice_tracker tracker;
 	struct mutex uplink_netdev_lock;
 	struct mlx5_crypto_dek_priv *dek_priv;
 };