diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
index b0e9f9c51721..0295097d6c44 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
@@ -410,7 +410,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_start_aneg);
 
 
 static void phy_change(struct work_struct *work);
-static void phy_state_machine(struct work_struct *work);
 
 /**
  * phy_start_machine - start PHY state machine tracking
@@ -430,7 +429,6 @@ void phy_start_machine(struct phy_device *phydev,
 {
 	phydev->adjust_state = handler;
 
-	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&phydev->state_queue, phy_state_machine);
 	schedule_delayed_work(&phydev->state_queue, HZ);
 }
 
@@ -761,7 +759,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_start);
  * phy_state_machine - Handle the state machine
  * @work: work_struct that describes the work to be done
  */
-static void phy_state_machine(struct work_struct *work)
+void phy_state_machine(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct delayed_work *dwork = to_delayed_work(work);
 	struct phy_device *phydev =
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index 8212b2b93422..adbc0fded130 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ struct phy_device* phy_device_create(struct mii_bus *bus, int addr, int phy_id)
 	dev->state = PHY_DOWN;
 
 	mutex_init(&dev->lock);
+	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&dev->state_queue, phy_state_machine);
 
 	return dev;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/phy.h b/include/linux/phy.h
index 7968defd2fa7..6a7eb402165d 100644
--- a/include/linux/phy.h
+++ b/include/linux/phy.h
@@ -485,6 +485,7 @@ void phy_driver_unregister(struct phy_driver *drv);
 int phy_driver_register(struct phy_driver *new_driver);
 void phy_prepare_link(struct phy_device *phydev,
 		void (*adjust_link)(struct net_device *));
+void phy_state_machine(struct work_struct *work);
 void phy_start_machine(struct phy_device *phydev,
 		void (*handler)(struct net_device *));
 void phy_stop_machine(struct phy_device *phydev);