diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/e1000.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/e1000.h
index 7877b9c26edb31e6833368e27532885194082f56..9fe18d1d53d8eaf34f4b2825c5a7fd9bc2c14b2b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/e1000.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/e1000.h
@@ -469,6 +469,7 @@ struct e1000_info {
 enum e1000_state_t {
 	__E1000_TESTING,
 	__E1000_RESETTING,
+	__E1000_ACCESS_SHARED_RESOURCE,
 	__E1000_DOWN
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c
index 4f709749dbce0299e74076c2c56abd1fccbd8b65..6a17c62cb86f5ad5210d9b5a1452b00995e7da7d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/ich8lan.c
@@ -852,8 +852,6 @@ static void e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
 }
 
-static DEFINE_MUTEX(swflag_mutex);
-
 /**
  *  e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan - Acquire software control flag
  *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
@@ -866,7 +864,12 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	u32 extcnf_ctrl, timeout = PHY_CFG_TIMEOUT;
 	s32 ret_val = 0;
 
-	mutex_lock(&swflag_mutex);
+	if (test_and_set_bit(__E1000_ACCESS_SHARED_RESOURCE,
+			     &hw->adapter->state)) {
+		WARN(1, "e1000e: %s: contention for Phy access\n",
+		     hw->adapter->netdev->name);
+		return -E1000_ERR_PHY;
+	}
 
 	while (timeout) {
 		extcnf_ctrl = er32(EXTCNF_CTRL);
@@ -878,7 +881,7 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	}
 
 	if (!timeout) {
-		e_dbg("SW/FW/HW has locked the resource for too long.\n");
+		e_dbg("SW has already locked the resource.\n");
 		ret_val = -E1000_ERR_CONFIG;
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -898,7 +901,9 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	}
 
 	if (!timeout) {
-		e_dbg("Failed to acquire the semaphore.\n");
+		e_dbg("Failed to acquire the semaphore, FW or HW has it: "
+		      "FWSM=0x%8.8x EXTCNF_CTRL=0x%8.8x)\n",
+		      er32(FWSM), extcnf_ctrl);
 		extcnf_ctrl &= ~E1000_EXTCNF_CTRL_SWFLAG;
 		ew32(EXTCNF_CTRL, extcnf_ctrl);
 		ret_val = -E1000_ERR_CONFIG;
@@ -907,7 +912,7 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 
 out:
 	if (ret_val)
-		mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
+		clear_bit(__E1000_ACCESS_SHARED_RESOURCE, &hw->adapter->state);
 
 	return ret_val;
 }
@@ -932,7 +937,7 @@ static void e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 		e_dbg("Semaphore unexpectedly released by sw/fw/hw\n");
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
+	clear_bit(__E1000_ACCESS_SHARED_RESOURCE, &hw->adapter->state);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3139,7 +3144,7 @@ static s32 e1000_reset_hw_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	msleep(20);
 
 	if (!ret_val)
-		mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
+		clear_bit(__E1000_ACCESS_SHARED_RESOURCE, &hw->adapter->state);
 
 	if (ctrl & E1000_CTRL_PHY_RST) {
 		ret_val = hw->phy.ops.get_cfg_done(hw);