diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_main.c
index 07f5541a0f01..8f310e520b06 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_main.c
@@ -804,7 +804,6 @@ static int iavf_set_mac(struct net_device *netdev, void *p)
 
 	if (f) {
 		ether_addr_copy(hw->mac.addr, addr->sa_data);
-		ether_addr_copy(netdev->dev_addr, adapter->hw.mac.addr);
 	}
 
 	return (f == NULL) ? -ENOMEM : 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_virtchnl.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_virtchnl.c
index d49d58a6de80..c46770eba320 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_virtchnl.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/iavf/iavf_virtchnl.c
@@ -1252,6 +1252,8 @@ void iavf_virtchnl_completion(struct iavf_adapter *adapter,
 		case VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR:
 			dev_err(&adapter->pdev->dev, "Failed to add MAC filter, error %s\n",
 				iavf_stat_str(&adapter->hw, v_retval));
+			/* restore administratively set MAC address */
+			ether_addr_copy(adapter->hw.mac.addr, netdev->dev_addr);
 			break;
 		case VIRTCHNL_OP_DEL_VLAN:
 			dev_err(&adapter->pdev->dev, "Failed to delete VLAN filter, error %s\n",
@@ -1319,6 +1321,11 @@ void iavf_virtchnl_completion(struct iavf_adapter *adapter,
 		}
 	}
 	switch (v_opcode) {
+	case VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR: {
+		if (!ether_addr_equal(netdev->dev_addr, adapter->hw.mac.addr))
+			ether_addr_copy(netdev->dev_addr, adapter->hw.mac.addr);
+		}
+		break;
 	case VIRTCHNL_OP_GET_STATS: {
 		struct iavf_eth_stats *stats =
 			(struct iavf_eth_stats *)msg;