diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c
index b264ed0af923..f07152fa3725 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c
@@ -11011,7 +11011,9 @@ static int rt2800_validate_eeprom(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev)
 	 * Start validation of the data that has been read.
 	 */
 	mac = rt2800_eeprom_addr(rt2x00dev, EEPROM_MAC_ADDR_0);
-	rt2x00lib_set_mac_address(rt2x00dev, mac);
+	retval = rt2x00lib_set_mac_address(rt2x00dev, mac);
+	if (retval)
+		return retval;
 
 	word = rt2800_eeprom_read(rt2x00dev, EEPROM_NIC_CONF0);
 	if (word == 0xffff) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00.h b/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00.h
index 09b9d1f9f793..665887e9b118 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00.h
@@ -1427,7 +1427,7 @@ static inline void rt2x00debug_dump_frame(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev,
  */
 u32 rt2x00lib_get_bssidx(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev,
 			 struct ieee80211_vif *vif);
-void rt2x00lib_set_mac_address(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev, u8 *eeprom_mac_addr);
+int rt2x00lib_set_mac_address(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev, u8 *eeprom_mac_addr);
 
 /*
  * Interrupt context handlers.
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c
index f8a6f9c968a1..778a478ab53a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ralink/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c
@@ -988,14 +988,20 @@ static void rt2x00lib_rate(struct ieee80211_rate *entry,
 		entry->flags |= IEEE80211_RATE_SHORT_PREAMBLE;
 }
 
-void rt2x00lib_set_mac_address(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev, u8 *eeprom_mac_addr)
+int rt2x00lib_set_mac_address(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev, u8 *eeprom_mac_addr)
 {
-	of_get_mac_address(rt2x00dev->dev->of_node, eeprom_mac_addr);
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = of_get_mac_address(rt2x00dev->dev->of_node, eeprom_mac_addr);
+	if (ret == -EPROBE_DEFER)
+		return ret;
 
 	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(eeprom_mac_addr)) {
 		eth_random_addr(eeprom_mac_addr);
 		rt2x00_eeprom_dbg(rt2x00dev, "MAC: %pM\n", eeprom_mac_addr);
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rt2x00lib_set_mac_address);