diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c
index a354ba070d33..69b807d87367 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k-8xxx.c
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ static void qca8k_rw_reg_ack_handler(struct dsa_switch *ds, struct sk_buff *skb)
 
 	/* Make sure the seq match the requested packet */
 	if (mgmt_ethhdr->seq == dsa_inband_seqno(&mgmt_eth_data->inband))
-		mgmt_eth_data->ack = true;
+		mgmt_eth_data->err = 0;
+	else
+		mgmt_eth_data->err = -EINVAL;
 
 	if (cmd == MDIO_READ) {
 		mgmt_eth_data->data[0] = mgmt_ethhdr->mdio_data;
@@ -229,7 +231,7 @@ static int qca8k_read_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 {
 	struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data *mgmt_eth_data = &priv->mgmt_eth_data;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
-	bool ack;
+	int err;
 	int ret;
 
 	skb = qca8k_alloc_mdio_header(MDIO_READ, reg, NULL,
@@ -247,7 +249,6 @@ static int qca8k_read_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 	}
 
 	skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
-	mgmt_eth_data->ack = false;
 
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, skb,
 			      qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
@@ -257,15 +258,15 @@ static int qca8k_read_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 	if (len > QCA_HDR_MGMT_DATA1_LEN)
 		memcpy(val + 1, mgmt_eth_data->data + 1, len - QCA_HDR_MGMT_DATA1_LEN);
 
-	ack = mgmt_eth_data->ack;
+	err = mgmt_eth_data->err;
 
 	mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	if (!ack)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (err)
+		return -ret;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -274,7 +275,7 @@ static int qca8k_write_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 {
 	struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data *mgmt_eth_data = &priv->mgmt_eth_data;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
-	bool ack;
+	int err;
 	int ret;
 
 	skb = qca8k_alloc_mdio_header(MDIO_WRITE, reg, val,
@@ -292,21 +293,20 @@ static int qca8k_write_eth(struct qca8k_priv *priv, u32 reg, u32 *val, int len)
 	}
 
 	skb->dev = priv->mgmt_master;
-	mgmt_eth_data->ack = false;
 
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, skb,
 				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
 				 QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
 
-	ack = mgmt_eth_data->ack;
+	err = mgmt_eth_data->err;
 
 	mutex_unlock(&mgmt_eth_data->mutex);
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	if (!ack)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -431,22 +431,20 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_busy_wait(struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data *mgmt_eth_data,
 			struct sk_buff *read_skb, u32 *val)
 {
 	struct sk_buff *skb = skb_copy(read_skb, GFP_KERNEL);
-	bool ack;
+	int err;
 	int ret;
 
-	mgmt_eth_data->ack = false;
-
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, skb,
 				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
 				 QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
 
-	ack = mgmt_eth_data->ack;
+	err = mgmt_eth_data->err;
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	if (!ack)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 
 	*val = mgmt_eth_data->data[0];
 
@@ -462,7 +460,7 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 	u32 write_val, clear_val = 0, val;
 	struct net_device *mgmt_master;
 	int ret, ret1;
-	bool ack;
+	int err;
 
 	if (regnum >= QCA8K_MDIO_MASTER_MAX_REG)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -519,21 +517,20 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 	read_skb->dev = mgmt_master;
 	clear_skb->dev = mgmt_master;
 	write_skb->dev = mgmt_master;
-	mgmt_eth_data->ack = false;
 
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, write_skb,
 				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
 				 QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
 
-	ack = mgmt_eth_data->ack;
+	err = mgmt_eth_data->err;
 
 	if (ret) {
 		kfree_skb(read_skb);
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
-	if (!ack) {
-		ret = -EINVAL;
+	if (err) {
+		ret = err;
 		kfree_skb(read_skb);
 		goto exit;
 	}
@@ -549,19 +546,17 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 	}
 
 	if (read) {
-		mgmt_eth_data->ack = false;
-
 		ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, read_skb,
 					 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
 					 QCA8K_ETHERNET_TIMEOUT);
 
-		ack = mgmt_eth_data->ack;
+		err = mgmt_eth_data->err;
 
 		if (ret)
 			goto exit;
 
-		if (!ack) {
-			ret = -EINVAL;
+		if (err) {
+			ret = err;
 			goto exit;
 		}
 
@@ -570,7 +565,6 @@ qca8k_phy_eth_command(struct qca8k_priv *priv, bool read, int phy,
 		kfree_skb(read_skb);
 	}
 exit:
-	mgmt_eth_data->ack = false;
 
 	ret = dsa_inband_request(&mgmt_eth_data->inband, clear_skb,
 				 qca8k_mdio_header_fill_seq_num,
diff --git a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h
index a5abc340471c..79f7197a1790 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h
+++ b/drivers/net/dsa/qca/qca8k.h
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ enum {
 struct qca8k_mgmt_eth_data {
 	struct dsa_inband inband;
 	struct mutex mutex; /* Enforce one mdio read/write at time */
-	bool ack;
+	int err;
 	u32 data[4];
 };
 
