diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c
index 8c792ecc6550..de81d9049b97 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_main.c
@@ -2137,10 +2137,8 @@ static irqreturn_t ice_misc_intr(int __always_unused irq, void *data)
 	}
 	ret = IRQ_HANDLED;
 
-	if (!test_bit(__ICE_DOWN, pf->state)) {
-		ice_service_task_schedule(pf);
-		ice_irq_dynamic_ena(hw, NULL, NULL);
-	}
+	ice_service_task_schedule(pf);
+	ice_irq_dynamic_ena(hw, NULL, NULL);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -3312,9 +3310,6 @@ ice_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id __always_unused *ent)
 		goto err_init_interrupt_unroll;
 	}
 
-	/* Driver is mostly up */
-	clear_bit(__ICE_DOWN, pf->state);
-
 	/* In case of MSIX we are going to setup the misc vector right here
 	 * to handle admin queue events etc. In case of legacy and MSI
 	 * the misc functionality and queue processing is combined in
@@ -3370,9 +3365,9 @@ ice_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id __always_unused *ent)
 
 	ice_verify_cacheline_size(pf);
 
-	/* If no DDP driven features have to be setup, return here */
+	/* If no DDP driven features have to be setup, we are done with probe */
 	if (ice_is_safe_mode(pf))
-		return 0;
+		goto probe_done;
 
 	/* initialize DDP driven features */
 
@@ -3387,6 +3382,9 @@ ice_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id __always_unused *ent)
 	/* print PCI link speed and width */
 	pcie_print_link_status(pf->pdev);
 
+probe_done:
+	/* ready to go, so clear down state bit */
+	clear_bit(__ICE_DOWN, pf->state);
 	return 0;
 
 err_alloc_sw_unroll:
@@ -5261,14 +5259,20 @@ int ice_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
 	struct ice_netdev_priv *np = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	struct ice_vsi *vsi = np->vsi;
+	struct ice_pf *pf = vsi->back;
 	struct ice_port_info *pi;
 	int err;
 
-	if (test_bit(__ICE_NEEDS_RESTART, vsi->back->state)) {
+	if (test_bit(__ICE_NEEDS_RESTART, pf->state)) {
 		netdev_err(netdev, "driver needs to be unloaded and reloaded\n");
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
+	if (test_bit(__ICE_DOWN, pf->state)) {
+		netdev_err(netdev, "device is not ready yet\n");
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+
 	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 
 	pi = vsi->port_info;