diff --git a/drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c b/drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c
index 7f62e2dea28f..ca7fc9df1ccf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(usbnet_defer_kevent);
 
 static void rx_complete (struct urb *urb);
 
-static void rx_submit (struct usbnet *dev, struct urb *urb, gfp_t flags)
+static int rx_submit (struct usbnet *dev, struct urb *urb, gfp_t flags)
 {
 	struct sk_buff		*skb;
 	struct skb_data		*entry;
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ static void rx_submit (struct usbnet *dev, struct urb *urb, gfp_t flags)
 		netif_dbg(dev, rx_err, dev->net, "no rx skb\n");
 		usbnet_defer_kevent (dev, EVENT_RX_MEMORY);
 		usb_free_urb (urb);
-		return;
+		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 	skb_reserve (skb, NET_IP_ALIGN);
 
@@ -357,6 +357,9 @@ static void rx_submit (struct usbnet *dev, struct urb *urb, gfp_t flags)
 			netif_dbg(dev, ifdown, dev->net, "device gone\n");
 			netif_device_detach (dev->net);
 			break;
+		case -EHOSTUNREACH:
+			retval = -ENOLINK;
+			break;
 		default:
 			netif_dbg(dev, rx_err, dev->net,
 				  "rx submit, %d\n", retval);
@@ -374,6 +377,7 @@ static void rx_submit (struct usbnet *dev, struct urb *urb, gfp_t flags)
 		dev_kfree_skb_any (skb);
 		usb_free_urb (urb);
 	}
+	return retval;
 }
 
 
@@ -912,6 +916,7 @@ fail_halt:
 	/* tasklet could resubmit itself forever if memory is tight */
 	if (test_bit (EVENT_RX_MEMORY, &dev->flags)) {
 		struct urb	*urb = NULL;
+		int resched = 1;
 
 		if (netif_running (dev->net))
 			urb = usb_alloc_urb (0, GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -922,10 +927,12 @@ fail_halt:
 			status = usb_autopm_get_interface(dev->intf);
 			if (status < 0)
 				goto fail_lowmem;
-			rx_submit (dev, urb, GFP_KERNEL);
+			if (rx_submit (dev, urb, GFP_KERNEL) == -ENOLINK)
+				resched = 0;
 			usb_autopm_put_interface(dev->intf);
 fail_lowmem:
-			tasklet_schedule (&dev->bh);
+			if (resched)
+				tasklet_schedule (&dev->bh);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1175,8 +1182,11 @@ static void usbnet_bh (unsigned long param)
 			// don't refill the queue all at once
 			for (i = 0; i < 10 && dev->rxq.qlen < qlen; i++) {
 				urb = usb_alloc_urb (0, GFP_ATOMIC);
-				if (urb != NULL)
-					rx_submit (dev, urb, GFP_ATOMIC);
+				if (urb != NULL) {
+					if (rx_submit (dev, urb, GFP_ATOMIC) ==
+					    -ENOLINK)
+						return;
+				}
 			}
 			if (temp != dev->rxq.qlen)
 				netif_dbg(dev, link, dev->net,