diff --git a/arch/mips/alchemy/common/platform.c b/arch/mips/alchemy/common/platform.c
index c233d64a0d60..1dc55ee2681b 100644
--- a/arch/mips/alchemy/common/platform.c
+++ b/arch/mips/alchemy/common/platform.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
+#include <linux/etherdevice.h>
 #include <linux/platform_device.h>
 #include <linux/serial_8250.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@
 #include <asm/mach-au1x00/au1100_mmc.h>
 #include <asm/mach-au1x00/au1xxx_eth.h>
 
+#include <prom.h>
+
 #define PORT(_base, _irq)					\
 	{							\
 		.mapbase	= _base,			\
@@ -434,17 +437,27 @@ static int __init au1xxx_platform_init(void)
 {
 	unsigned int uartclk = get_au1x00_uart_baud_base() * 16;
 	int err, i;
+	unsigned char ethaddr[6];
 
 	/* Fill up uartclk. */
 	for (i = 0; au1x00_uart_data[i].flags; i++)
 		au1x00_uart_data[i].uartclk = uartclk;
 
+	/* use firmware-provided mac addr if available and necessary */
+	i = prom_get_ethernet_addr(ethaddr);
+	if (!i && !is_valid_ether_addr(au1xxx_eth0_platform_data.mac))
+		memcpy(au1xxx_eth0_platform_data.mac, ethaddr, 6);
+
 	err = platform_add_devices(au1xxx_platform_devices,
 				   ARRAY_SIZE(au1xxx_platform_devices));
 #ifndef CONFIG_SOC_AU1100
+	ethaddr[5] += 1;	/* next addr for 2nd MAC */
+	if (!i && !is_valid_ether_addr(au1xxx_eth1_platform_data.mac))
+		memcpy(au1xxx_eth1_platform_data.mac, ethaddr, 6);
+
 	/* Register second MAC if enabled in pinfunc */
 	if (!err && !(au_readl(SYS_PINFUNC) & (u32)SYS_PF_NI2))
-		platform_device_register(&au1xxx_eth1_device);
+		err = platform_device_register(&au1xxx_eth1_device);
 #endif
 
 	return err;
diff --git a/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-au1x00/au1xxx_eth.h b/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-au1x00/au1xxx_eth.h
index bae9b758fcde..49dc8d9db186 100644
--- a/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-au1x00/au1xxx_eth.h
+++ b/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-au1x00/au1xxx_eth.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ struct au1000_eth_platform_data {
 	int phy_addr;
 	int phy_busid;
 	int phy_irq;
+	char mac[6];
 };
 
 void __init au1xxx_override_eth_cfg(unsigned port,
diff --git a/drivers/net/au1000_eth.c b/drivers/net/au1000_eth.c
index ece6128bef14..17e7e27eb222 100644
--- a/drivers/net/au1000_eth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/au1000_eth.c
@@ -104,14 +104,6 @@ MODULE_VERSION(DRV_VERSION);
  * complete immediately.
  */
 
-/* These addresses are only used if yamon doesn't tell us what
- * the mac address is, and the mac address is not passed on the
- * command line.
- */
-static unsigned char au1000_mac_addr[6] __devinitdata = {
-	0x00, 0x50, 0xc2, 0x0c, 0x30, 0x00
-};
-
 struct au1000_private *au_macs[NUM_ETH_INTERFACES];
 
 /*
@@ -1002,7 +994,6 @@ static int __devinit au1000_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	db_dest_t *pDB, *pDBfree;
 	int irq, i, err = 0;
 	struct resource *base, *macen;
-	char ethaddr[6];
 
 	base = platform_get_resource(pdev, IORESOURCE_MEM, 0);
 	if (!base) {
@@ -1079,24 +1070,13 @@ static int __devinit au1000_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	}
 	aup->mac_id = pdev->id;
 
-	if (pdev->id == 0) {
-		if (prom_get_ethernet_addr(ethaddr) == 0)
-			memcpy(au1000_mac_addr, ethaddr, sizeof(au1000_mac_addr));
-		else {
-			netdev_info(dev, "No MAC address found\n");
-				/* Use the hard coded MAC addresses */
-		}
-
+	if (pdev->id == 0)
 		au1000_setup_hw_rings(aup, MAC0_RX_DMA_ADDR, MAC0_TX_DMA_ADDR);
-	} else if (pdev->id == 1)
+	else if (pdev->id == 1)
 		au1000_setup_hw_rings(aup, MAC1_RX_DMA_ADDR, MAC1_TX_DMA_ADDR);
 
-	/*
-	 * Assign to the Ethernet ports two consecutive MAC addresses
-	 * to match those that are printed on their stickers
-	 */
-	memcpy(dev->dev_addr, au1000_mac_addr, sizeof(au1000_mac_addr));
-	dev->dev_addr[5] += pdev->id;
+	/* set a random MAC now in case platform_data doesn't provide one */
+	random_ether_addr(dev->dev_addr);
 
 	*aup->enable = 0;
 	aup->mac_enabled = 0;
@@ -1106,6 +1086,9 @@ static int __devinit au1000_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		dev_info(&pdev->dev, "no platform_data passed, PHY search on MAC0\n");
 		aup->phy1_search_mac0 = 1;
 	} else {
+		if (is_valid_ether_addr(pd->mac))
+			memcpy(dev->dev_addr, pd->mac, 6);
+
 		aup->phy_static_config = pd->phy_static_config;
 		aup->phy_search_highest_addr = pd->phy_search_highest_addr;
 		aup->phy1_search_mac0 = pd->phy1_search_mac0;