diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c b/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
index a1458da8111b..1bbcf46c8356 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
@@ -2129,7 +2129,6 @@ static int phylink_bringup_phy(struct phylink *pl, struct phy_device *phy,
 	mutex_lock(&pl->phydev_mutex);
 	mutex_lock(&phy->lock);
 	mutex_lock(&pl->state_mutex);
-	pl->phydev = phy;
 	pl->phy_state.interface = interface;
 	pl->phy_state.pause = MLO_PAUSE_NONE;
 	pl->phy_state.speed = SPEED_UNKNOWN;
@@ -2196,10 +2195,25 @@ static int phylink_bringup_phy(struct phylink *pl, struct phy_device *phy,
 			ret = 0;
 	}
 
-	if (ret == 0 && phy_interrupt_is_valid(phy))
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	/* Nothing below can fail, so the PHY can be recorded now. Doing it
+	 * here rather than above keeps a failed bringup from leaving
+	 * pl->phydev pointing at a PHY the caller is about to detach.
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&pl->phydev_mutex);
+	mutex_lock(&phy->lock);
+	mutex_lock(&pl->state_mutex);
+	pl->phydev = phy;
+	mutex_unlock(&pl->state_mutex);
+	mutex_unlock(&phy->lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&pl->phydev_mutex);
+
+	if (phy_interrupt_is_valid(phy))
 		phy_request_interrupt(phy);
 
-	return ret;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int phylink_attach_phy(struct phylink *pl, struct phy_device *phy,