diff --git a/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c b/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c
index 65f47a648be3..57f77e5d381a 100644
--- a/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c
+++ b/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ static int ncsi_aen_handler_lsc(struct ncsi_dev_priv *ndp,
 	int state;
 	unsigned long old_data, data;
 	unsigned long flags;
+	bool had_link, has_link;
 
 	/* Find the NCSI channel */
 	ncsi_find_package_and_channel(ndp, h->common.channel, NULL, &nc);
@@ -73,6 +74,9 @@ static int ncsi_aen_handler_lsc(struct ncsi_dev_priv *ndp,
 	ncm->data[2] = data;
 	ncm->data[4] = ntohl(lsc->oem_status);
 
+	had_link = !!(old_data & 0x1);
+	has_link = !!(data & 0x1);
+
 	netdev_dbg(ndp->ndev.dev, "NCSI: LSC AEN - channel %u state %s\n",
 		   nc->id, data & 0x1 ? "up" : "down");
 
@@ -80,15 +84,16 @@ static int ncsi_aen_handler_lsc(struct ncsi_dev_priv *ndp,
 	state = nc->state;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&nc->lock, flags);
 
-	if (!((old_data ^ data) & 0x1) || chained)
-		return 0;
-	if (!(state == NCSI_CHANNEL_INACTIVE && (data & 0x1)) &&
-	    !(state == NCSI_CHANNEL_ACTIVE && !(data & 0x1)))
+	if (state == NCSI_CHANNEL_INACTIVE)
+		netdev_warn(ndp->ndev.dev,
+			    "NCSI: Inactive channel %u received AEN!\n",
+			    nc->id);
+
+	if ((had_link == has_link) || chained)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (state == NCSI_CHANNEL_ACTIVE)
+	if (had_link)
 		ndp->flags |= NCSI_DEV_RESHUFFLE;
-
 	ncsi_stop_channel_monitor(nc);
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&ndp->lock, flags);
 	list_add_tail_rcu(&nc->link, &ndp->channel_queue);
diff --git a/net/ncsi/ncsi-manage.c b/net/ncsi/ncsi-manage.c
index b8b4e765a04c..b9de5b78c4e9 100644
--- a/net/ncsi/ncsi-manage.c
+++ b/net/ncsi/ncsi-manage.c
@@ -916,12 +916,11 @@ static void ncsi_configure_channel(struct ncsi_dev_priv *ndp)
 			break;
 		}
 
+		nc->state = NCSI_CHANNEL_ACTIVE;
 		if (nc->modes[NCSI_MODE_LINK].data[2] & 0x1) {
 			hot_nc = nc;
-			nc->state = NCSI_CHANNEL_ACTIVE;
 		} else {
 			hot_nc = NULL;
-			nc->state = NCSI_CHANNEL_INACTIVE;
 			netdev_dbg(ndp->ndev.dev,
 				   "NCSI: channel %u link down after config\n",
 				   nc->id);