diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.c
index 965330eec80a..24ae4b3bd58b 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.c
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ void cvm_oct_poll_controller(struct net_device *dev)
 }
 #endif
 
-void cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void)
+int cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void)
 {
 	int i;
 	struct net_device *dev_for_napi = NULL;
@@ -460,8 +460,11 @@ void cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!dev_for_napi)
-		panic("No net_devices were allocated.");
+	if (!dev_for_napi) {
+		pr_err("No net_devices were allocated.");
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(oct_rx_group); i++) {
 		int ret;
@@ -479,10 +482,28 @@ void cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void)
 		/* Register an IRQ handler to receive POW interrupts */
 		ret = request_irq(oct_rx_group[i].irq, cvm_oct_do_interrupt, 0,
 				  "Ethernet", &oct_rx_group[i].napi);
-		if (ret)
-			panic("Could not acquire Ethernet IRQ %d\n",
+		if (ret) {
+			int j;
+
+			pr_err("Could not acquire Ethernet IRQ %d\n",
 			      oct_rx_group[i].irq);
 
+			for (j = 0; j < i; j++) {
+				if (!(pow_receive_groups & BIT(j)))
+					continue;
+
+				cvmx_write_csr(OCTEON_IS_MODEL(OCTEON_CN68XX) ?
+						CVMX_SSO_WQ_INT_THRX(j) :
+						CVMX_POW_WQ_INT_THRX(j),
+						0);
+				free_irq(oct_rx_group[j].irq, cvm_oct_device);
+				netif_napi_del(&oct_rx_group[j].napi);
+			}
+
+			return ret;
+		}
+
+
 		disable_irq_nosync(oct_rx_group[i].irq);
 
 		/* Enable POW interrupt when our port has at least one packet */
@@ -518,6 +539,8 @@ void cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void)
 		napi_schedule(&oct_rx_group[i].napi);
 	}
 	atomic_inc(&oct_rx_ready);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void cvm_oct_rx_shutdown(void)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.h b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.h
index ff6482fa20d6..9a98f662d813 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-rx.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  */
 
 void cvm_oct_poll_controller(struct net_device *dev);
-void cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void);
+int cvm_oct_rx_initialize(void);
 void cvm_oct_rx_shutdown(void);
 
 static inline void cvm_oct_rx_refill_pool(int fill_threshold)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.c
index a36e36701c74..c02b023ac8c0 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.c
@@ -694,19 +694,21 @@ static irqreturn_t cvm_oct_tx_cleanup_watchdog(int cpl, void *dev_id)
 	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
-void cvm_oct_tx_initialize(void)
+int cvm_oct_tx_initialize(void)
 {
-	int i;
+	int ret;
 
 	/* Disable the interrupt.  */
 	cvmx_write_csr(CVMX_CIU_TIMX(1), 0);
 	/* Register an IRQ handler to receive CIU_TIMX(1) interrupts */
-	i = request_irq(OCTEON_IRQ_TIMER1,
-			cvm_oct_tx_cleanup_watchdog, 0,
-			"Ethernet", cvm_oct_device);
+	ret = request_irq(OCTEON_IRQ_TIMER1,
+			  cvm_oct_tx_cleanup_watchdog, 0,
+			  "Ethernet", cvm_oct_device);
+
+	if (ret)
+		pr_err("Could not acquire Ethernet IRQ %d\n", OCTEON_IRQ_TIMER1);
 
-	if (i)
-		panic("Could not acquire Ethernet IRQ %d\n", OCTEON_IRQ_TIMER1);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 void cvm_oct_tx_shutdown(void)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.h b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.h
index 6c524668f65a..b4e328a4b499 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-tx.h
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@ netdev_tx_t cvm_oct_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev);
 netdev_tx_t cvm_oct_xmit_pow(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev);
 int cvm_oct_transmit_qos(struct net_device *dev, void *work_queue_entry,
 			 int do_free, int qos);
-void cvm_oct_tx_initialize(void);
+int cvm_oct_tx_initialize(void);
 void cvm_oct_tx_shutdown(void);
 void cvm_oct_tx_shutdown_dev(struct net_device *dev);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
index f662739137b5..949ef51bf896 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
@@ -672,6 +672,8 @@ static void cvm_set_rgmii_delay(struct octeon_ethernet *priv, int iface,
 
 static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
+	int ret;
+	int port;
 	int num_interfaces;
 	int interface;
 	int fau = FAU_NUM_PACKET_BUFFERS_TO_FREE;
@@ -705,7 +707,6 @@ static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	num_interfaces = cvmx_helper_get_number_of_interfaces();
 	for (interface = 0; interface < num_interfaces; interface++) {
 		int num_ports = cvmx_helper_ports_on_interface(interface);
-		int port;
 
 		for (port = cvmx_helper_get_ipd_port(interface, 0);
 		     port < cvmx_helper_get_ipd_port(interface, num_ports);
@@ -801,7 +802,6 @@ static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		cvmx_helper_interface_mode_t imode =
 		    cvmx_helper_interface_get_mode(interface);
 		int num_ports = cvmx_helper_ports_on_interface(interface);
-		int port;
 		int port_index;
 
 		for (port_index = 0,
@@ -911,8 +911,15 @@ static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		}
 	}
 
-	cvm_oct_tx_initialize();
-	cvm_oct_rx_initialize();
+	ret = cvm_oct_tx_initialize();
+	if (ret)
+		goto err;
+
+	ret = cvm_oct_rx_initialize();
+	if (ret) {
+		cvm_oct_tx_shutdown();
+		goto err;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * 150 uS: about 10 1500-byte packets at 1GE.
@@ -922,6 +929,22 @@ static int cvm_oct_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	schedule_delayed_work(&cvm_oct_rx_refill_work, HZ);
 
 	return 0;
+
+err:
+	for (port = 0; port < TOTAL_NUMBER_OF_PORTS; port++) {
+		if (cvm_oct_device[port]) {
+			struct net_device *dev = cvm_oct_device[port];
+			struct octeon_ethernet *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
+
+			cancel_delayed_work_sync(&priv->port_periodic_work);
+
+			unregister_netdev(dev);
+			free_netdev(dev);
+			cvm_oct_device[port] = NULL;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int cvm_oct_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
