diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.c
index 61385894e8c7..f3f53e36aa00 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.c
@@ -1691,7 +1691,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_link_state_update(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
 	/* When we manage the MAC/PHY using phylink there is no need
 	 * to manually update the netif_carrier.
 	 */
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		goto out;
 
 	/* Chech link state; speed / duplex changes are not treated yet */
@@ -1730,7 +1730,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_open(struct net_device *net_dev)
 			   priv->dpbp_dev->obj_desc.id, priv->bpid);
 	}
 
-	if (!priv->mac) {
+	if (!dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv)) {
 		/* We'll only start the txqs when the link is actually ready;
 		 * make sure we don't race against the link up notification,
 		 * which may come immediately after dpni_enable();
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_open(struct net_device *net_dev)
 		goto enable_err;
 	}
 
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		phylink_start(priv->mac->phylink);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1826,11 +1826,11 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_stop(struct net_device *net_dev)
 	int dpni_enabled = 0;
 	int retries = 10;
 
-	if (!priv->mac) {
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv)) {
+		phylink_stop(priv->mac->phylink);
+	} else {
 		netif_tx_stop_all_queues(net_dev);
 		netif_carrier_off(net_dev);
-	} else {
-		phylink_stop(priv->mac->phylink);
 	}
 
 	/* On dpni_disable(), the MC firmware will:
@@ -2115,7 +2115,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *rq, int cmd)
 	if (cmd == SIOCSHWTSTAMP)
 		return dpaa2_eth_ts_ioctl(dev, rq, cmd);
 
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		return phylink_mii_ioctl(priv->mac->phylink, rq, cmd);
 
 	return -EOPNOTSUPP;
@@ -4045,9 +4045,6 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_connect_mac(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(dpmac_dev) || dpmac_dev->dev.type != &fsl_mc_bus_dpmac_type)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (dpaa2_mac_is_type_fixed(dpmac_dev, priv->mc_io))
-		return 0;
-
 	mac = kzalloc(sizeof(struct dpaa2_mac), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!mac)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -4059,18 +4056,21 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_connect_mac(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
 	err = dpaa2_mac_open(mac);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_free_mac;
+	priv->mac = mac;
 
-	err = dpaa2_mac_connect(mac);
-	if (err) {
-		netdev_err(priv->net_dev, "Error connecting to the MAC endpoint\n");
-		goto err_close_mac;
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv)) {
+		err = dpaa2_mac_connect(mac);
+		if (err) {
+			netdev_err(priv->net_dev, "Error connecting to the MAC endpoint\n");
+			goto err_close_mac;
+		}
 	}
-	priv->mac = mac;
 
 	return 0;
 
 err_close_mac:
 	dpaa2_mac_close(mac);
+	priv->mac = NULL;
 err_free_mac:
 	kfree(mac);
 	return err;
@@ -4078,10 +4078,9 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_connect_mac(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
 
 static void dpaa2_eth_disconnect_mac(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
 {
-	if (!priv->mac)
-		return;
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
+		dpaa2_mac_disconnect(priv->mac);
 
-	dpaa2_mac_disconnect(priv->mac);
 	dpaa2_mac_close(priv->mac);
 	kfree(priv->mac);
 	priv->mac = NULL;
@@ -4111,7 +4110,7 @@ static irqreturn_t dpni_irq0_handler_thread(int irq_num, void *arg)
 		dpaa2_eth_update_tx_fqids(priv);
 
 		rtnl_lock();
-		if (priv->mac)
+		if (dpaa2_eth_has_mac(priv))
 			dpaa2_eth_disconnect_mac(priv);
 		else
 			dpaa2_eth_connect_mac(priv);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.h
index d236b8695c39..c3d456c45102 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-eth.h
@@ -693,6 +693,19 @@ static inline unsigned int dpaa2_eth_rx_head_room(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
 	return priv->tx_data_offset - DPAA2_ETH_RX_HWA_SIZE;
 }
 
+static inline bool dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
+{
+	if (priv->mac && priv->mac->attr.link_type == DPMAC_LINK_TYPE_PHY)
+		return true;
+
+	return false;
+}
+
+static inline bool dpaa2_eth_has_mac(struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv)
+{
+	return priv->mac ? true : false;
+}
+
 int dpaa2_eth_set_hash(struct net_device *net_dev, u64 flags);
 int dpaa2_eth_set_cls(struct net_device *net_dev, u64 key);
 int dpaa2_eth_cls_key_size(u64 key);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-ethtool.c
index f981a523e13a..bf59708b869e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-ethtool.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_nway_reset(struct net_device *net_dev)
 {
 	struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv = netdev_priv(net_dev);
 
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		return phylink_ethtool_nway_reset(priv->mac->phylink);
 
 	return -EOPNOTSUPP;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ dpaa2_eth_get_link_ksettings(struct net_device *net_dev,
 {
 	struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv = netdev_priv(net_dev);
 
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		return phylink_ethtool_ksettings_get(priv->mac->phylink,
 						     link_settings);
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ dpaa2_eth_set_link_ksettings(struct net_device *net_dev,
 {
 	struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv = netdev_priv(net_dev);
 
-	if (!priv->mac)
+	if (!dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		return -ENOTSUPP;
 
 	return phylink_ethtool_ksettings_set(priv->mac->phylink, link_settings);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ static void dpaa2_eth_get_pauseparam(struct net_device *net_dev,
 	struct dpaa2_eth_priv *priv = netdev_priv(net_dev);
 	u64 link_options = priv->link_state.options;
 
-	if (priv->mac) {
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv)) {
 		phylink_ethtool_get_pauseparam(priv->mac->phylink, pause);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_set_pauseparam(struct net_device *net_dev,
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 	}
 
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_is_type_phy(priv))
 		return phylink_ethtool_set_pauseparam(priv->mac->phylink,
 						      pause);
 	if (pause->autoneg)
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ static void dpaa2_eth_get_strings(struct net_device *netdev, u32 stringset,
 			strlcpy(p, dpaa2_ethtool_extras[i], ETH_GSTRING_LEN);
 			p += ETH_GSTRING_LEN;
 		}
-		if (priv->mac)
+		if (dpaa2_eth_has_mac(priv))
 			dpaa2_mac_get_strings(p);
 		break;
 	}
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ static int dpaa2_eth_get_sset_count(struct net_device *net_dev, int sset)
 
 	switch (sset) {
 	case ETH_SS_STATS: /* ethtool_get_stats(), ethtool_get_drvinfo() */
-		if (priv->mac)
+		if (dpaa2_eth_has_mac(priv))
 			num_ss_stats += dpaa2_mac_get_sset_count();
 		return num_ss_stats;
 	default:
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ static void dpaa2_eth_get_ethtool_stats(struct net_device *net_dev,
 	}
 	*(data + i++) = buf_cnt;
 
-	if (priv->mac)
+	if (dpaa2_eth_has_mac(priv))
 		dpaa2_mac_get_ethtool_stats(priv->mac, data + i);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-mac.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-mac.c
index b97a219878c0..666bc88c178f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/dpaa2/dpaa2-mac.c
@@ -228,32 +228,6 @@ static const struct phylink_mac_ops dpaa2_mac_phylink_ops = {
 	.mac_link_down = dpaa2_mac_link_down,
 };
 
-bool dpaa2_mac_is_type_fixed(struct fsl_mc_device *dpmac_dev,
-			     struct fsl_mc_io *mc_io)
-{
-	struct dpmac_attr attr;
-	bool fixed = false;
-	u16 mc_handle = 0;
-	int err;
-
-	err = dpmac_open(mc_io, 0, dpmac_dev->obj_desc.id,
-			 &mc_handle);
-	if (err || !mc_handle)
-		return false;
-
-	err = dpmac_get_attributes(mc_io, 0, mc_handle, &attr);
-	if (err)
-		goto out;
-
-	if (attr.link_type == DPMAC_LINK_TYPE_FIXED)
-		fixed = true;
-
-out:
-	dpmac_close(mc_io, 0, mc_handle);
-
-	return fixed;
-}
-
 static int dpaa2_pcs_create(struct dpaa2_mac *mac,
 			    struct device_node *dpmac_node, int id)
 {
