diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/device.c b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/device.c
index 233d8b46c831..1aaaa2004e34 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/device.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/device.c
@@ -355,6 +355,28 @@ bool hl_device_operational(struct hl_device *hdev,
 	}
 }
 
+bool hl_ctrl_device_operational(struct hl_device *hdev,
+		enum hl_device_status *status)
+{
+	enum hl_device_status current_status;
+
+	current_status = hl_device_status(hdev);
+	if (status)
+		*status = current_status;
+
+	switch (current_status) {
+	case HL_DEVICE_STATUS_MALFUNCTION:
+		return false;
+	case HL_DEVICE_STATUS_IN_RESET:
+	case HL_DEVICE_STATUS_IN_RESET_AFTER_DEVICE_RELEASE:
+	case HL_DEVICE_STATUS_NEEDS_RESET:
+	case HL_DEVICE_STATUS_OPERATIONAL:
+	case HL_DEVICE_STATUS_IN_DEVICE_CREATION:
+	default:
+		return true;
+	}
+}
+
 static void hpriv_release(struct kref *ref)
 {
 	u64 idle_mask[HL_BUSY_ENGINES_MASK_EXT_SIZE] = {0};
diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs.h b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs.h
index 58c95b13be69..2ffb8378f565 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs.h
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs.h
@@ -3496,6 +3496,8 @@ int hl_device_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp);
 int hl_device_open_ctrl(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp);
 bool hl_device_operational(struct hl_device *hdev,
 		enum hl_device_status *status);
+bool hl_ctrl_device_operational(struct hl_device *hdev,
+		enum hl_device_status *status);
 enum hl_device_status hl_device_status(struct hl_device *hdev);
 int hl_device_set_debug_mode(struct hl_device *hdev, struct hl_ctx *ctx, bool enable);
 int hl_hw_queues_create(struct hl_device *hdev);
diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs_drv.c b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs_drv.c
index 112632afe7d5..3ee44ea58d5c 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/common/habanalabs_drv.c
@@ -270,9 +270,9 @@ int hl_device_open_ctrl(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 
 	mutex_lock(&hdev->fpriv_ctrl_list_lock);
 
-	if (!hl_device_operational(hdev, NULL)) {
+	if (!hl_ctrl_device_operational(hdev, NULL)) {
 		dev_dbg_ratelimited(hdev->dev_ctrl,
-			"Can't open %s because it is disabled or in reset\n",
+			"Can't open %s because it is disabled\n",
 			dev_name(hdev->dev_ctrl));
 		rc = -EPERM;
 		goto out_err;