diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
index 262dc032e276..ff4ab4691baf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ struct mlx5e_priv {
 };
 
 struct mlx5e_dev {
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv;
+	struct net_device *netdev;
 	struct devlink_port dl_port;
 };
 
@@ -1242,10 +1242,13 @@ struct net_device *
 mlx5e_create_netdev(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev, const struct mlx5e_profile *profile);
 int mlx5e_attach_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
 void mlx5e_detach_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
-void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
-int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct mlx5e_priv *priv,
-				const struct mlx5e_profile *new_profile, void *new_ppriv);
-void mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
+void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *netdev);
+int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
+				struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
+				const struct mlx5e_profile *new_profile,
+				void *new_ppriv);
+void mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
+				     struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev);
 void mlx5e_set_netdev_mtu_boundaries(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
 void mlx5e_build_nic_params(struct mlx5e_priv *priv, struct mlx5e_xsk *xsk, u16 mtu);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index 07fc4d2c8fad..9042c8a388e4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -6325,6 +6325,7 @@ int mlx5e_priv_init(struct mlx5e_priv *priv,
 
 void mlx5e_priv_cleanup(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 {
+	bool destroying = test_bit(MLX5E_STATE_DESTROYING, &priv->state);
 	int i;
 
 	/* bail if change profile failed and also rollback failed */
@@ -6352,6 +6353,8 @@ void mlx5e_priv_cleanup(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	}
 
 	memset(priv, 0, sizeof(*priv));
+	if (destroying) /* restore destroying bit, to allow unload */
+		set_bit(MLX5E_STATE_DESTROYING, &priv->state);
 }
 
 static unsigned int mlx5e_get_max_num_txqs(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
@@ -6584,19 +6587,28 @@ mlx5e_netdev_attach_profile(struct net_device *netdev, struct mlx5_core_dev *mde
 	return err;
 }
 
-int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct mlx5e_priv *priv,
-				const struct mlx5e_profile *new_profile, void *new_ppriv)
+int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
+				struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
+				const struct mlx5e_profile *new_profile,
+				void *new_ppriv)
 {
-	const struct mlx5e_profile *orig_profile = priv->profile;
-	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
-	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = priv->mdev;
-	void *orig_ppriv = priv->ppriv;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
+	const struct mlx5e_profile *orig_profile;
 	int err, rollback_err;
+	void *orig_ppriv;
 
-	/* cleanup old profile */
-	mlx5e_detach_netdev(priv);
-	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
+	orig_profile = priv->profile;
+	orig_ppriv = priv->ppriv;
+
+	/* NULL could happen if previous change_profile failed to rollback */
+	if (priv->profile) {
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(priv->mdev != mdev);
+		/* cleanup old profile */
+		mlx5e_detach_netdev(priv);
+		priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
+		mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
+	}
+	/* priv members are not valid from this point ... */
 
 	if (mdev->state == MLX5_DEVICE_STATE_INTERNAL_ERROR) {
 		mlx5e_netdev_init_profile(netdev, mdev, new_profile, new_ppriv);
@@ -6613,23 +6625,33 @@ int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct mlx5e_priv *priv,
 	return 0;
 
 rollback:
+	if (!orig_profile) {
+		netdev_warn(netdev, "no original profile to rollback to\n");
+		priv->profile = NULL;
+		return err;
+	}
+
 	rollback_err = mlx5e_netdev_attach_profile(netdev, mdev, orig_profile, orig_ppriv);
-	if (rollback_err)
-		netdev_err(netdev, "%s: failed to rollback to orig profile, %d\n",
-			   __func__, rollback_err);
+	if (rollback_err) {
+		netdev_err(netdev, "failed to rollback to orig profile, %d\n",
+			   rollback_err);
+		priv->profile = NULL;
+	}
 	return err;
 }
 
-void mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
+void mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
+				     struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev)
 {
-	mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(priv, &mlx5e_nic_profile, NULL);
+	mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(netdev, mdev, &mlx5e_nic_profile, NULL);
 }
 
-void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
+void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
-	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
 
-	mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
+	if (priv->profile)
+		mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
 	free_netdev(netdev);
 }
 
@@ -6637,8 +6659,8 @@ static int _mlx5e_resume(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 {
 	struct mlx5_adev *edev = container_of(adev, struct mlx5_adev, adev);
 	struct mlx5e_dev *mlx5e_dev = auxiliary_get_drvdata(adev);
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = mlx5e_dev->priv;
-	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(mlx5e_dev->netdev);
+	struct net_device *netdev = mlx5e_dev->netdev;
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = edev->mdev;
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *pos, *to;
 	int err, i;
@@ -6684,10 +6706,11 @@ static int mlx5e_resume(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 
 static int _mlx5e_suspend(struct auxiliary_device *adev, bool pre_netdev_reg)
 {
+	struct mlx5_adev *edev = container_of(adev, struct mlx5_adev, adev);
 	struct mlx5e_dev *mlx5e_dev = auxiliary_get_drvdata(adev);
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = mlx5e_dev->priv;
-	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
-	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = priv->mdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(mlx5e_dev->netdev);
+	struct net_device *netdev = mlx5e_dev->netdev;
+	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = edev->mdev;
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *pos;
 	int i;
 
@@ -6748,11 +6771,11 @@ static int _mlx5e_probe(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 		goto err_devlink_port_unregister;
 	}
 	SET_NETDEV_DEVLINK_PORT(netdev, &mlx5e_dev->dl_port);
+	mlx5e_dev->netdev = netdev;
 
 	mlx5e_build_nic_netdev(netdev);
 
 	priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
-	mlx5e_dev->priv = priv;
 
 	priv->profile = profile;
 	priv->ppriv = NULL;
@@ -6785,7 +6808,7 @@ static int _mlx5e_probe(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 err_profile_cleanup:
 	profile->cleanup(priv);
 err_destroy_netdev:
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 err_devlink_port_unregister:
 	mlx5e_devlink_port_unregister(mlx5e_dev);
 err_devlink_unregister:
@@ -6815,17 +6838,20 @@ static void _mlx5e_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 {
 	struct mlx5_adev *edev = container_of(adev, struct mlx5_adev, adev);
 	struct mlx5e_dev *mlx5e_dev = auxiliary_get_drvdata(adev);
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = mlx5e_dev->priv;
+	struct net_device *netdev = mlx5e_dev->netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = edev->mdev;
 
 	mlx5_core_uplink_netdev_set(mdev, NULL);
-	mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
+
+	if (priv->profile)
+		mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
 	/* When unload driver, the netdev is in registered state
 	 * if it's from legacy mode. If from switchdev mode, it
 	 * is already unregistered before changing to NIC profile.
 	 */
-	if (priv->netdev->reg_state == NETREG_REGISTERED) {
-		unregister_netdev(priv->netdev);
+	if (netdev->reg_state == NETREG_REGISTERED) {
+		unregister_netdev(netdev);
 		_mlx5e_suspend(adev, false);
 	} else {
 		struct mlx5_core_dev *pos;
@@ -6840,7 +6866,7 @@ static void _mlx5e_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 	/* Avoid cleanup if profile rollback failed. */
 	if (priv->profile)
 		priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 	mlx5e_devlink_port_unregister(mlx5e_dev);
 	mlx5e_destroy_devlink(mlx5e_dev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index ee9595109649..6eec88fa6d10 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -1508,17 +1508,16 @@ mlx5e_vport_uplink_rep_load(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *
 {
 	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = mlx5e_rep_to_rep_priv(rep);
 	struct net_device *netdev;
-	struct mlx5e_priv *priv;
 	int err;
 
 	netdev = mlx5_uplink_netdev_get(dev);
 	if (!netdev)
 		return 0;
 
-	priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
-	rpriv->netdev = priv->netdev;
-	err = mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(priv, &mlx5e_uplink_rep_profile,
-					  rpriv);
+	/* must not use netdev_priv(netdev), it might not be initialized yet */
+	rpriv->netdev = netdev;
+	err = mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(netdev, dev,
+					  &mlx5e_uplink_rep_profile, rpriv);
 	mlx5_uplink_netdev_put(dev, netdev);
 	return err;
 }
@@ -1546,7 +1545,7 @@ mlx5e_vport_uplink_rep_unload(struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv)
 	if (!(priv->mdev->priv.flags & MLX5_PRIV_FLAGS_SWITCH_LEGACY))
 		unregister_netdev(netdev);
 
-	mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(priv);
+	mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(netdev, priv->mdev);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1612,7 +1611,7 @@ mlx5e_vport_vf_rep_load(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
 
 err_destroy_netdev:
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev_priv(netdev));
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -1667,7 +1666,7 @@ mlx5e_vport_rep_unload(struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 	mlx5e_rep_vnic_reporter_destroy(priv);
 	mlx5e_detach_netdev(priv);
 	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 free_ppriv:
 	kvfree(ppriv); /* mlx5e_rep_priv */
 }