diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.c
index 9d0514cfeb5c..626b9113e7c4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.c
@@ -481,6 +481,20 @@ int ionic_dev_cmd_vf_getattr(struct ionic *ionic, int vf, u8 attr,
 	return err;
 }
 
+void ionic_vf_start(struct ionic *ionic)
+{
+	union ionic_dev_cmd cmd = {
+		.vf_ctrl.opcode = IONIC_CMD_VF_CTRL,
+		.vf_ctrl.ctrl_opcode = IONIC_VF_CTRL_START_ALL,
+	};
+
+	if (!(ionic->ident.dev.capabilities & cpu_to_le64(IONIC_DEV_CAP_VF_CTRL)))
+		return;
+
+	ionic_dev_cmd_go(&ionic->idev, &cmd);
+	ionic_dev_cmd_wait(ionic, DEVCMD_TIMEOUT);
+}
+
 /* LIF commands */
 void ionic_dev_cmd_queue_identify(struct ionic_dev *idev,
 				  u16 lif_type, u8 qtype, u8 qver)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.h
index 563c302eb033..2a1d7b9c07e7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_dev.h
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ static_assert(sizeof(struct ionic_vf_setattr_cmd) == 64);
 static_assert(sizeof(struct ionic_vf_setattr_comp) == 16);
 static_assert(sizeof(struct ionic_vf_getattr_cmd) == 64);
 static_assert(sizeof(struct ionic_vf_getattr_comp) == 16);
+static_assert(sizeof(struct ionic_vf_ctrl_cmd) == 64);
+static_assert(sizeof(struct ionic_vf_ctrl_comp) == 16);
 #endif /* __CHECKER__ */
 
 struct ionic_devinfo {
@@ -324,6 +326,7 @@ int ionic_dev_cmd_vf_getattr(struct ionic *ionic, int vf, u8 attr,
 			     struct ionic_vf_getattr_comp *comp);
 void ionic_dev_cmd_queue_identify(struct ionic_dev *idev,
 				  u16 lif_type, u8 qtype, u8 qver);
+void ionic_vf_start(struct ionic *ionic);
 void ionic_dev_cmd_lif_identify(struct ionic_dev *idev, u8 type, u8 ver);
 void ionic_dev_cmd_lif_init(struct ionic_dev *idev, u16 lif_index,
 			    dma_addr_t addr);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_if.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_if.h
index 4a90f611c611..aaa88f3272e7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_if.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_if.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ enum ionic_cmd_opcode {
 	/* SR/IOV commands */
 	IONIC_CMD_VF_GETATTR			= 60,
 	IONIC_CMD_VF_SETATTR			= 61,
+	IONIC_CMD_VF_CTRL			= 62,
 
 	/* QoS commands */
 	IONIC_CMD_QOS_CLASS_IDENTIFY		= 240,
@@ -200,6 +201,7 @@ struct ionic_dev_reset_comp {
 };
 
 #define IONIC_IDENTITY_VERSION_1	1
+#define IONIC_DEV_IDENTITY_VERSION_2	2
 
 /**
  * struct ionic_dev_identify_cmd - Driver/device identify command
@@ -253,6 +255,14 @@ union ionic_drv_identity {
 	__le32 words[478];
 };
 
+/**
+ * enum ionic_dev_capability - Device capabilities
+ * @IONIC_DEV_CAP_VF_CTRL:     Device supports VF ctrl operations
+ */
+enum ionic_dev_capability {
+	IONIC_DEV_CAP_VF_CTRL        = BIT(0),
+};
+
 /**
  * union ionic_dev_identity - device identity information
  * @version:          Version of device identify
@@ -273,6 +283,7 @@ union ionic_drv_identity {
  * @hwstamp_mask:     Bitmask for subtraction of hardware tick values.
  * @hwstamp_mult:     Hardware tick to nanosecond multiplier.
  * @hwstamp_shift:    Hardware tick to nanosecond divisor (power of two).
+ * @capabilities:     Device capabilities
  */
 union ionic_dev_identity {
 	struct {
@@ -290,6 +301,7 @@ union ionic_dev_identity {
 		__le64 hwstamp_mask;
 		__le32 hwstamp_mult;
 		__le32 hwstamp_shift;
+		__le64 capabilities;
 	};
 	__le32 words[478];
 };
@@ -2044,6 +2056,33 @@ struct ionic_vf_getattr_comp {
 	u8     color;
 };
 
+enum ionic_vf_ctrl_opcode {
+	IONIC_VF_CTRL_START_ALL	= 0,
+	IONIC_VF_CTRL_START	= 1,
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct ionic_vf_ctrl_cmd - VF control command
+ * @opcode:         Opcode for the command
+ * @vf_index:       VF Index. It is unused if op START_ALL is used.
+ * @ctrl_opcode:    VF control operation type
+ */
+struct ionic_vf_ctrl_cmd {
+	u8	opcode;
+	u8	ctrl_opcode;
+	__le16	vf_index;
+	u8	rsvd1[60];
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct ionic_vf_ctrl_comp - VF_CTRL command completion.
+ * @status:     Status of the command (enum ionic_status_code)
+ */
+struct ionic_vf_ctrl_comp {
+	u8	status;
+	u8      rsvd[15];
+};
+
 /**
  * struct ionic_qos_identify_cmd - QoS identify command
  * @opcode:  opcode
@@ -2865,6 +2904,7 @@ union ionic_dev_cmd {
 
 	struct ionic_vf_setattr_cmd vf_setattr;
 	struct ionic_vf_getattr_cmd vf_getattr;
+	struct ionic_vf_ctrl_cmd vf_ctrl;
 
 	struct ionic_lif_identify_cmd lif_identify;
 	struct ionic_lif_init_cmd lif_init;
@@ -2903,6 +2943,7 @@ union ionic_dev_cmd_comp {
 
 	struct ionic_vf_setattr_comp vf_setattr;
 	struct ionic_vf_getattr_comp vf_getattr;
+	struct ionic_vf_ctrl_comp vf_ctrl;
 
 	struct ionic_lif_identify_comp lif_identify;
 	struct ionic_lif_init_comp lif_init;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
index a06b2da1e0c4..f5d39594ef54 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
@@ -2629,6 +2629,8 @@ static void ionic_vf_attr_replay(struct ionic_lif *lif)
 	}
 
 	up_read(&ionic->vf_op_lock);
+
+	ionic_vf_start(ionic);
 }
 
 static const struct net_device_ops ionic_netdev_ops = {
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c
index 56f93b030551..ed9d8c995236 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ int ionic_identify(struct ionic *ionic)
 	sz = min(sizeof(ident->drv), sizeof(idev->dev_cmd_regs->data));
 	memcpy_toio(&idev->dev_cmd_regs->data, &ident->drv, sz);
 
-	ionic_dev_cmd_identify(idev, IONIC_IDENTITY_VERSION_1);
+	ionic_dev_cmd_identify(idev, IONIC_DEV_IDENTITY_VERSION_2);
 	err = ionic_dev_cmd_wait(ionic, DEVCMD_TIMEOUT);
 	if (!err) {
 		sz = min(sizeof(ident->dev), sizeof(idev->dev_cmd_regs->data));
