diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c
index 04abc80c1327..c43e25d37266 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c
@@ -2058,11 +2058,13 @@ int ib_get_eth_speed(struct ib_device *dev, u32 port_num, u16 *speed, u8 *width)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	rtnl_lock();
+	if (READ_ONCE(netdev->reg_state) != NETREG_REGISTERED) {
+		dev_put(netdev);
+		rtnl_unlock();
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
 	rc = __ethtool_get_link_ksettings(netdev, &lksettings);
-	rtnl_unlock();
-
-	dev_put(netdev);
-
 	if (!rc && lksettings.base.speed != (u32)SPEED_UNKNOWN) {
 		netdev_speed = lksettings.base.speed;
 	} else {
@@ -2071,6 +2073,8 @@ int ib_get_eth_speed(struct ib_device *dev, u32 port_num, u16 *speed, u8 *width)
 			pr_warn("%s speed is unknown, defaulting to %u\n",
 				netdev->name, netdev_speed);
 	}
+	dev_put(netdev);
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	ib_get_width_and_speed(netdev_speed, lksettings.lanes,
 			       speed, width);