diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/qos.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/qos.c
index 26178d0bac92..faccc60fc93a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/qos.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/esw/qos.c
@@ -1489,24 +1489,24 @@ static int esw_qos_node_enable_tc_arbitration(struct mlx5_esw_sched_node *node,
 	return err;
 }
 
-static u32 mlx5_esw_qos_lag_link_speed_get_locked(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev)
+static u32 mlx5_esw_qos_lag_link_speed_get(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
+					   bool take_rtnl)
 {
 	struct ethtool_link_ksettings lksettings;
 	struct net_device *slave, *master;
 	u32 speed = SPEED_UNKNOWN;
 
-	/* Lock ensures a stable reference to master and slave netdevice
-	 * while port speed of master is queried.
-	 */
-	ASSERT_RTNL();
-
 	slave = mlx5_uplink_netdev_get(mdev);
 	if (!slave)
 		goto out;
 
+	if (take_rtnl)
+		rtnl_lock();
 	master = netdev_master_upper_dev_get(slave);
 	if (master && !__ethtool_get_link_ksettings(master, &lksettings))
 		speed = lksettings.base.speed;
+	if (take_rtnl)
+		rtnl_unlock();
 
 out:
 	mlx5_uplink_netdev_put(mdev, slave);
@@ -1514,20 +1514,15 @@ static u32 mlx5_esw_qos_lag_link_speed_get_locked(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev)
 }
 
 static int mlx5_esw_qos_max_link_speed_get(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev, u32 *link_speed_max,
-					   bool hold_rtnl_lock, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
+					   bool take_rtnl,
+					   struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	int err;
 
 	if (!mlx5_lag_is_active(mdev))
 		goto skip_lag;
 
-	if (hold_rtnl_lock)
-		rtnl_lock();
-
-	*link_speed_max = mlx5_esw_qos_lag_link_speed_get_locked(mdev);
-
-	if (hold_rtnl_lock)
-		rtnl_unlock();
+	*link_speed_max = mlx5_esw_qos_lag_link_speed_get(mdev, take_rtnl);
 
 	if (*link_speed_max != (u32)SPEED_UNKNOWN)
 		return 0;