diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/nvidia/nvethernet/ether_linux.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/nvidia/nvethernet/ether_linux.c
index f89e3f36..c58368ca 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/nvidia/nvethernet/ether_linux.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/nvidia/nvethernet/ether_linux.c
@@ -2178,6 +2178,10 @@ static int ether_vlan_rx_kill_vid(struct net_device *ndev, __be16 vlan_proto,
 	struct osi_core_priv_data *osi_core = pdata->osi_core;
 	int ret = -1;
 
+	if (!netif_running(ndev)) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (pdata->vlan_hash_filtering == OSI_HASH_FILTER_MODE) {
 		dev_err(pdata->dev,
 			"HASH FILTERING for VLAN tag is not supported in SW\n");