diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c
index 3042a76b848d..e109cb93886b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c
@@ -6649,7 +6649,7 @@ static void ice_napi_disable_all(struct ice_vsi *vsi)
  */
 int ice_down(struct ice_vsi *vsi)
 {
-	int i, tx_err, rx_err, link_err = 0, vlan_err = 0;
+	int i, tx_err, rx_err, vlan_err = 0;
 
 	WARN_ON(!test_bit(ICE_VSI_DOWN, vsi->state));
 
@@ -6683,20 +6683,13 @@ int ice_down(struct ice_vsi *vsi)
 
 	ice_napi_disable_all(vsi);
 
-	if (test_bit(ICE_FLAG_LINK_DOWN_ON_CLOSE_ENA, vsi->back->flags)) {
-		link_err = ice_force_phys_link_state(vsi, false);
-		if (link_err)
-			netdev_err(vsi->netdev, "Failed to set physical link down, VSI %d error %d\n",
-				   vsi->vsi_num, link_err);
-	}
-
 	ice_for_each_txq(vsi, i)
 		ice_clean_tx_ring(vsi->tx_rings[i]);
 
 	ice_for_each_rxq(vsi, i)
 		ice_clean_rx_ring(vsi->rx_rings[i]);
 
-	if (tx_err || rx_err || link_err || vlan_err) {
+	if (tx_err || rx_err || vlan_err) {
 		netdev_err(vsi->netdev, "Failed to close VSI 0x%04X on switch 0x%04X\n",
 			   vsi->vsi_num, vsi->vsw->sw_id);
 		return -EIO;
@@ -8892,6 +8885,16 @@ int ice_stop(struct net_device *netdev)
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
+	if (test_bit(ICE_FLAG_LINK_DOWN_ON_CLOSE_ENA, vsi->back->flags)) {
+		int link_err = ice_force_phys_link_state(vsi, false);
+
+		if (link_err) {
+			netdev_err(vsi->netdev, "Failed to set physical link down, VSI %d error %d\n",
+				   vsi->vsi_num, link_err);
+			return -EIO;
+		}
+	}
+
 	ice_vsi_close(vsi);
 
 	return 0;