diff --git a/drivers/net/Kconfig b/drivers/net/Kconfig
index 287d0873c60d..4d69474b6125 100644
--- a/drivers/net/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/net/Kconfig
@@ -938,6 +938,15 @@ config DM9000
 	  To compile this driver as a module, choose M here.  The module
 	  will be called dm9000.
 
+config DM9000_FORCE_SIMPLE_PHY_POLL
+	bool "Force simple NSR based PHY polling"
+	depends on DM9000
+	---help---
+	  This configuration forces the DM9000 to use the NSR's LinkStatus
+	  bit to determine if the link is up or down instead of the more
+	  costly MII PHY reads. Note, this will not work if the chip is
+	  operating with an external PHY.
+
 config ENC28J60
 	tristate "ENC28J60 support"
 	depends on EXPERIMENTAL && SPI && NET_ETHERNET
diff --git a/drivers/net/dm9000.c b/drivers/net/dm9000.c
index 7c38f6129b55..5ad2ec537684 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dm9000.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dm9000.c
@@ -552,15 +552,48 @@ static const struct ethtool_ops dm9000_ethtool_ops = {
  	.set_eeprom		= dm9000_set_eeprom,
 };
 
+static void dm9000_show_carrier(board_info_t *db,
+				unsigned carrier, unsigned nsr)
+{
+	struct net_device *ndev = db->ndev;
+	unsigned ncr = dm9000_read_locked(db, DM9000_NCR);
+
+	if (carrier)
+		dev_info(db->dev, "%s: link up, %dMbps, %s-duplex, no LPA\n",
+			 ndev->name, (nsr & NSR_SPEED) ? 10 : 100,
+			 (ncr & NCR_FDX) ? "full" : "half");
+	else
+		dev_info(db->dev, "%s: link down\n", ndev->name);
+}
+
 static void
 dm9000_poll_work(struct work_struct *w)
 {
 	struct delayed_work *dw = container_of(w, struct delayed_work, work);
 	board_info_t *db = container_of(dw, board_info_t, phy_poll);
+	struct net_device *ndev = db->ndev;
 
-	mii_check_media(&db->mii, netif_msg_link(db), 0);
+	if (db->flags & DM9000_PLATF_SIMPLE_PHY &&
+	    !(db->flags & DM9000_PLATF_EXT_PHY)) {
+		unsigned nsr = dm9000_read_locked(db, DM9000_NSR);
+		unsigned old_carrier = netif_carrier_ok(ndev) ? 1 : 0;
+		unsigned new_carrier;
+
+		new_carrier = (nsr & NSR_LINKST) ? 1 : 0;
+
+		if (old_carrier != new_carrier) {
+			if (netif_msg_link(db))
+				dm9000_show_carrier(db, new_carrier, nsr);
+
+			if (!new_carrier)
+				netif_carrier_off(ndev);
+			else
+				netif_carrier_on(ndev);
+		}
+	} else
+		mii_check_media(&db->mii, netif_msg_link(db), 0);
 	
-	if (netif_running(db->ndev))
+	if (netif_running(ndev))
 		dm9000_schedule_poll(db);
 }
 
@@ -1267,6 +1300,10 @@ dm9000_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		db->flags = pdata->flags;
 	}
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_DM9000_FORCE_SIMPLE_PHY_POLL
+	db->flags |= DM9000_PLATF_SIMPLE_PHY;
+#endif
+
 	dm9000_reset(db);
 
 	/* try multiple times, DM9000 sometimes gets the read wrong */
diff --git a/include/linux/dm9000.h b/include/linux/dm9000.h
index a3750462f9e3..fc82446b6425 100644
--- a/include/linux/dm9000.h
+++ b/include/linux/dm9000.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define DM9000_PLATF_32BITONLY	(0x0004)
 #define DM9000_PLATF_EXT_PHY	(0x0008)
 #define DM9000_PLATF_NO_EEPROM	(0x0010)
+#define DM9000_PLATF_SIMPLE_PHY (0x0020)  /* Use NSR to find LinkStatus */
 
 /* platfrom data for platfrom device structure's platfrom_data field */