diff --git a/drivers/net/ehea/ehea.h b/drivers/net/ehea/ehea.h
index d67f97bfa3a4..8d58be56f4e3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ehea/ehea.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ehea/ehea.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 #include <asm/io.h>
 
 #define DRV_NAME	"ehea"
-#define DRV_VERSION	"EHEA_0073"
+#define DRV_VERSION	"EHEA_0074"
 
 /* eHEA capability flags */
 #define DLPAR_PORT_ADD_REM 1
@@ -402,6 +402,8 @@ struct ehea_mc_list {
 
 #define EHEA_PORT_UP 1
 #define EHEA_PORT_DOWN 0
+#define EHEA_PHY_LINK_UP 1
+#define EHEA_PHY_LINK_DOWN 0
 #define EHEA_MAX_PORT_RES 16
 struct ehea_port {
 	struct ehea_adapter *adapter;	 /* adapter that owns this port */
@@ -427,6 +429,7 @@ struct ehea_port {
 	u32 msg_enable;
 	u32 sig_comp_iv;
 	u32 state;
+	u8 phy_link;
 	u8 full_duplex;
 	u8 autoneg;
 	u8 num_def_qps;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ehea/ehea_main.c b/drivers/net/ehea/ehea_main.c
index db5747490a07..1e9fd6f36910 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ehea/ehea_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ehea/ehea_main.c
@@ -53,17 +53,21 @@ static int rq3_entries = EHEA_DEF_ENTRIES_RQ3;
 static int sq_entries = EHEA_DEF_ENTRIES_SQ;
 static int use_mcs = 0;
 static int num_tx_qps = EHEA_NUM_TX_QP;
+static int prop_carrier_state = 0;
 
 module_param(msg_level, int, 0);
 module_param(rq1_entries, int, 0);
 module_param(rq2_entries, int, 0);
 module_param(rq3_entries, int, 0);
 module_param(sq_entries, int, 0);
+module_param(prop_carrier_state, int, 0);
 module_param(use_mcs, int, 0);
 module_param(num_tx_qps, int, 0);
 
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(num_tx_qps, "Number of TX-QPS");
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(msg_level, "msg_level");
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(prop_carrier_state, "Propagate carrier state of physical "
+		 "port to stack. 1:yes, 0:no.  Default = 0 ");
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(rq3_entries, "Number of entries for Receive Queue 3 "
 		 "[2^x - 1], x = [6..14]. Default = "
 		 __MODULE_STRING(EHEA_DEF_ENTRIES_RQ3) ")");
@@ -814,7 +818,9 @@ int ehea_set_portspeed(struct ehea_port *port, u32 port_speed)
 			ehea_error("Failed setting port speed");
 		}
 	}
-	netif_carrier_on(port->netdev);
+	if (!prop_carrier_state || (port->phy_link == EHEA_PHY_LINK_UP))
+		netif_carrier_on(port->netdev);
+
 	kfree(cb4);
 out:
 	return ret;
@@ -869,13 +875,19 @@ static void ehea_parse_eqe(struct ehea_adapter *adapter, u64 eqe)
 			}
 
 		if (EHEA_BMASK_GET(NEQE_EXTSWITCH_PORT_UP, eqe)) {
+			port->phy_link = EHEA_PHY_LINK_UP;
 			if (netif_msg_link(port))
 				ehea_info("%s: Physical port up",
 					  port->netdev->name);
+			if (prop_carrier_state)
+				netif_carrier_on(port->netdev);
 		} else {
+			port->phy_link = EHEA_PHY_LINK_DOWN;
 			if (netif_msg_link(port))
 				ehea_info("%s: Physical port down",
 					  port->netdev->name);
+			if (prop_carrier_state)
+				netif_carrier_off(port->netdev);
 		}
 
 		if (EHEA_BMASK_GET(NEQE_EXTSWITCH_PRIMARY, eqe))