diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/octeon/octeon_mgmt.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/octeon/octeon_mgmt.c
index cbaa1924afbe..3e17ce0d2314 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/octeon/octeon_mgmt.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/octeon/octeon_mgmt.c
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ static int octeon_mgmt_init_phy(struct net_device *netdev)
 				PHY_INTERFACE_MODE_MII);
 
 	if (!phydev)
-		return -ENODEV;
+		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1554,12 +1554,8 @@ static struct platform_driver octeon_mgmt_driver = {
 	.remove		= octeon_mgmt_remove,
 };
 
-extern void octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency(void);
-
 static int __init octeon_mgmt_mod_init(void)
 {
-	/* Force our mdiobus driver module to be loaded first. */
-	octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency();
 	return platform_driver_register(&octeon_mgmt_driver);
 }
 
@@ -1571,6 +1567,7 @@ static void __exit octeon_mgmt_mod_exit(void)
 module_init(octeon_mgmt_mod_init);
 module_exit(octeon_mgmt_mod_exit);
 
+MODULE_SOFTDEP("pre: mdio-cavium");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION(DRV_DESCRIPTION);
 MODULE_AUTHOR("David Daney");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/mdio-octeon.c b/drivers/net/phy/mdio-octeon.c
index a2f93948db97..d1e1009d51af 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/mdio-octeon.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/mdio-octeon.c
@@ -108,12 +108,6 @@ static struct platform_driver octeon_mdiobus_driver = {
 	.remove		= octeon_mdiobus_remove,
 };
 
-void octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency(void)
-{
-	/* Let ethernet drivers force us to be loaded.  */
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency);
-
 module_platform_driver(octeon_mdiobus_driver);
 
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Cavium OCTEON MDIO bus driver");
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
index c798672d61b2..cfb673a52b25 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ int cvm_oct_phy_setup_device(struct net_device *dev)
 	of_node_put(phy_node);
 
 	if (!phydev)
-		return -ENODEV;
+		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
 
 	priv->last_link = 0;
 	phy_start(phydev);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h
index e3771d48c49b..7f6716e3fad4 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h
@@ -22,7 +22,5 @@
 
 extern const struct ethtool_ops cvm_oct_ethtool_ops;
 
-void octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency(void);
-
 int cvm_oct_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *rq, int cmd);
 int cvm_oct_phy_setup_device(struct net_device *dev);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
index f42c3816ce49..204f0b1e2739 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
@@ -689,8 +689,6 @@ static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	mtu_overhead += VLAN_HLEN;
 #endif
 
-	octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency();
-
 	pip = pdev->dev.of_node;
 	if (!pip) {
 		pr_err("Error: No 'pip' in /aliases\n");
@@ -987,6 +985,7 @@ static struct platform_driver cvm_oct_driver = {
 
 module_platform_driver(cvm_oct_driver);
 
+MODULE_SOFTDEP("pre: mdio-cavium");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Cavium Networks <support@caviumnetworks.com>");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Cavium Networks Octeon ethernet driver.");