diff --git a/net/ethtool/pse-pd.c b/net/ethtool/pse-pd.c
index 2eb9bdc2dcb9..757c9e0cc856 100644
--- a/net/ethtool/pse-pd.c
+++ b/net/ethtool/pse-pd.c
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ static int pse_prepare_data(const struct ethnl_req_info *req_base,
 	struct phy_device *phydev;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = ethnl_ops_begin(dev);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-
 	phydev = ethnl_req_get_phydev(req_base, tb, ETHTOOL_A_PSE_HEADER,
 				      info->extack);
 	if (IS_ERR(phydev))
-		return -ENODEV;
+		return PTR_ERR(phydev);
+
+	ret = ethnl_ops_begin(dev);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
 
 	ret = pse_get_pse_attributes(phydev, info->extack, data);