diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mad.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mad.c
index ad6a8818608d..74ca13f89709 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mad.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mad.c
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ static int iboe_process_mad(struct ib_device *ibdev, int mad_flags, u8 port_num,
 	struct mlx4_cmd_mailbox *mailbox;
 	struct mlx4_ib_dev *dev = to_mdev(ibdev);
 	int err;
-	u32 inmod = dev->counters[port_num - 1] & 0xffff;
+	u32 inmod = dev->counters[port_num - 1].index & 0xffff;
 	u8 mode;
 
 	if (in_mad->mad_hdr.mgmt_class != IB_MGMT_CLASS_PERF_MGMT)
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/main.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/main.c
index 024b0f745035..b6bd217ab5bd 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/main.c
@@ -2098,6 +2098,8 @@ static void *mlx4_ib_add(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 	struct mlx4_ib_iboe *iboe;
 	int ib_num_ports = 0;
 	int num_req_counters;
+	int allocated;
+	u32 counter_index;
 
 	pr_info_once("%s", mlx4_ib_version);
 
@@ -2263,19 +2265,31 @@ static void *mlx4_ib_add(struct mlx4_dev *dev)
 	num_req_counters = mlx4_is_bonded(dev) ? 1 : ibdev->num_ports;
 	for (i = 0; i < num_req_counters; ++i) {
 		mutex_init(&ibdev->qp1_proxy_lock[i]);
+		allocated = 0;
 		if (mlx4_ib_port_link_layer(&ibdev->ib_dev, i + 1) ==
 						IB_LINK_LAYER_ETHERNET) {
-			err = mlx4_counter_alloc(ibdev->dev, &ibdev->counters[i]);
+			err = mlx4_counter_alloc(ibdev->dev, &counter_index);
+			/* if failed to allocate a new counter, use default */
 			if (err)
-				ibdev->counters[i] = -1;
-		} else {
-			ibdev->counters[i] = -1;
+				counter_index =
+					mlx4_get_default_counter_index(dev,
+								       i + 1);
+			else
+				allocated = 1;
+		} else { /* IB_LINK_LAYER_INFINIBAND use the default counter */
+			counter_index = mlx4_get_default_counter_index(dev,
+								       i + 1);
 		}
+		ibdev->counters[i].index = counter_index;
+		ibdev->counters[i].allocated = allocated;
+		pr_info("counter index %d for port %d allocated %d\n",
+			counter_index, i + 1, allocated);
 	}
 	if (mlx4_is_bonded(dev))
-		for (i = 1; i < ibdev->num_ports ; ++i)
-			ibdev->counters[i] = ibdev->counters[0];
-
+		for (i = 1; i < ibdev->num_ports ; ++i) {
+			ibdev->counters[i].index = ibdev->counters[0].index;
+			ibdev->counters[i].allocated = 0;
+		}
 
 	mlx4_foreach_port(i, dev, MLX4_PORT_TYPE_IB)
 		ib_num_ports++;
@@ -2415,10 +2429,12 @@ err_steer_qp_release:
 		mlx4_qp_release_range(dev, ibdev->steer_qpn_base,
 				      ibdev->steer_qpn_count);
 err_counter:
-	for (; i; --i)
-		if (ibdev->counters[i - 1] != -1)
-			mlx4_counter_free(ibdev->dev, ibdev->counters[i - 1]);
-
+	for (i = 0; i < ibdev->num_ports; ++i) {
+		if (ibdev->counters[i].index != -1 &&
+		    ibdev->counters[i].allocated)
+			mlx4_counter_free(ibdev->dev,
+					  ibdev->counters[i].index);
+	}
 err_map:
 	iounmap(ibdev->uar_map);
 
@@ -2535,8 +2551,9 @@ static void mlx4_ib_remove(struct mlx4_dev *dev, void *ibdev_ptr)
 
 	iounmap(ibdev->uar_map);
 	for (p = 0; p < ibdev->num_ports; ++p)
-		if (ibdev->counters[p] != -1)
-			mlx4_counter_free(ibdev->dev, ibdev->counters[p]);
+		if (ibdev->counters[p].index != -1 &&
+		    ibdev->counters[p].allocated)
+			mlx4_counter_free(ibdev->dev, ibdev->counters[p].index);
 	mlx4_foreach_port(p, dev, MLX4_PORT_TYPE_IB)
 		mlx4_CLOSE_PORT(dev, p);
 
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mlx4_ib.h b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mlx4_ib.h
index ef80e6c99a68..b3912d119342 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mlx4_ib.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/mlx4_ib.h
@@ -503,6 +503,11 @@ struct mlx4_ib_iov_port {
 	struct mlx4_ib_iov_sysfs_attr mcg_dentry;
 };
 
+struct counter_index {
+	u32		index;
+	u8		allocated;
+};
+
 struct mlx4_ib_dev {
 	struct ib_device	ib_dev;
 	struct mlx4_dev	       *dev;
@@ -521,7 +526,7 @@ struct mlx4_ib_dev {
 	struct mutex		cap_mask_mutex;
 	bool			ib_active;
 	struct mlx4_ib_iboe	iboe;
-	int			counters[MLX4_MAX_PORTS];
+	struct counter_index    counters[MLX4_MAX_PORTS];
 	int		       *eq_table;
 	struct kobject	       *iov_parent;
 	struct kobject	       *ports_parent;
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/qp.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/qp.c
index c7d916fab68a..c5a3a5f0de41 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/qp.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/qp.c
@@ -1539,9 +1539,9 @@ static int __mlx4_ib_modify_qp(struct ib_qp *ibqp,
 	}
 
 	if (cur_state == IB_QPS_INIT && new_state == IB_QPS_RTR) {
-		if (dev->counters[qp->port - 1] != -1) {
+		if (dev->counters[qp->port - 1].index != -1) {
 			context->pri_path.counter_index =
-						dev->counters[qp->port - 1];
+					dev->counters[qp->port - 1].index;
 			optpar |= MLX4_QP_OPTPAR_COUNTER_INDEX;
 		} else
 			context->pri_path.counter_index =