diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgb3/common.h b/drivers/net/cxgb3/common.h
index 510e93f90b91..ada5e4b89cd8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgb3/common.h
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgb3/common.h
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ int t3_read_flash(struct adapter *adapter, unsigned int addr,
 		  unsigned int nwords, u32 *data, int byte_oriented);
 int t3_load_fw(struct adapter *adapter, const u8 * fw_data, unsigned int size);
 int t3_get_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter, u32 *vers);
-int t3_check_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter);
+int t3_check_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter, int *must_load);
 int t3_init_hw(struct adapter *adapter, u32 fw_params);
 void mac_prep(struct cmac *mac, struct adapter *adapter, int index);
 void early_hw_init(struct adapter *adapter, const struct adapter_info *ai);
diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c b/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c
index 3ee465dd0b08..8f1d602a883a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgb3/cxgb3_main.c
@@ -797,11 +797,12 @@ static int cxgb_up(struct adapter *adap)
 	int must_load;
 
 	if (!(adap->flags & FULL_INIT_DONE)) {
-		err = t3_check_fw_version(adap);
-		if (err == -EINVAL)
+		err = t3_check_fw_version(adap, &must_load);
+		if (err == -EINVAL) {
 			err = upgrade_fw(adap);
-		if (err)
-			goto out;
+			if (err && must_load)
+				goto out;
+		}
 
 		err = t3_check_tpsram_version(adap, &must_load);
 		if (err == -EINVAL) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c b/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c
index e958bbe30623..2b49b96a6fdb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgb3/t3_hw.c
@@ -960,16 +960,18 @@ int t3_get_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter, u32 *vers)
 /**
  *	t3_check_fw_version - check if the FW is compatible with this driver
  *	@adapter: the adapter
- *
+ *	@must_load: set to 1 if loading a new FW image is required
+
  *	Checks if an adapter's FW is compatible with the driver.  Returns 0
  *	if the versions are compatible, a negative error otherwise.
  */
-int t3_check_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter)
+int t3_check_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter, int *must_load)
 {
 	int ret;
 	u32 vers;
 	unsigned int type, major, minor;
 
+	*must_load = 1;
 	ret = t3_get_fw_version(adapter, &vers);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -982,9 +984,17 @@ int t3_check_fw_version(struct adapter *adapter)
 	    minor == FW_VERSION_MINOR)
 		return 0;
 
-	CH_ERR(adapter, "found wrong FW version(%u.%u), "
-	       "driver needs version %u.%u\n", major, minor,
-	       FW_VERSION_MAJOR, FW_VERSION_MINOR);
+	if (major != FW_VERSION_MAJOR)
+		CH_ERR(adapter, "found wrong FW version(%u.%u), "
+		       "driver needs version %u.%u\n", major, minor,
+		       FW_VERSION_MAJOR, FW_VERSION_MINOR);
+	else {
+		*must_load = 0;
+		CH_WARN(adapter, "found wrong FW minor version(%u.%u), "
+		        "driver compiled for version %u.%u\n", major, minor,
+			FW_VERSION_MAJOR, FW_VERSION_MINOR);
+	}
+
 	return -EINVAL;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgb3/version.h b/drivers/net/cxgb3/version.h
index eb508bf8022a..ef1c6339c806 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgb3/version.h
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgb3/version.h
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@
 
 /* Firmware version */
 #define FW_VERSION_MAJOR 4
-#define FW_VERSION_MINOR 3
+#define FW_VERSION_MINOR 6
 #define FW_VERSION_MICRO 0
 #endif				/* __CHELSIO_VERSION_H */