diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/init/nvgpu_init.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/init/nvgpu_init.c
index 792aaa5eb..f9deb6f98 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/init/nvgpu_init.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/init/nvgpu_init.c
@@ -49,13 +49,21 @@
 
 #include "gk20a/ce2_gk20a.h"
 
-void __nvgpu_check_gpu_state(struct gk20a *g)
+bool is_nvgpu_gpu_state_valid(struct gk20a *g)
 {
 	u32 boot_0 = 0xffffffffU;
 
 	boot_0 = nvgpu_mc_boot_0(g, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	if (boot_0 == 0xffffffffU) {
 		nvgpu_err(g, "GPU has disappeared from bus!!");
+		return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+void __nvgpu_check_gpu_state(struct gk20a *g)
+{
+	if (!is_nvgpu_gpu_state_valid(g)) {
 		nvgpu_err(g, "Rebooting system!!");
 		nvgpu_kernel_restart(NULL);
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/gk20a.h
index 150897ae9..36ec4bcba 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/gk20a.h
@@ -2284,6 +2284,8 @@ struct gk20a_cyclestate_buffer_elem {
 void __nvgpu_check_gpu_state(struct gk20a *g);
 void __gk20a_warn_on_no_regs(void);
 
+bool is_nvgpu_gpu_state_valid(struct gk20a *g);
+
 /* classes that the device supports */
 /* TBD: get these from an open-sourced SDK? */
 enum {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/pci.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/pci.c
index d7b8c46c4..af9da76f0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/pci.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/pci.c
@@ -747,8 +747,11 @@ void nvgpu_pci_shutdown(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	if (gk20a_gpu_is_virtual(dev))
 		return;
 
-	err = nvgpu_nvlink_deinit(g);
-	WARN(err, "gpu failed to remove nvlink");
+	if (is_nvgpu_gpu_state_valid(g)) {
+		err = nvgpu_nvlink_deinit(g);
+		WARN(err, "gpu failed to remove nvlink");
+	} else
+		nvgpu_err(g, "skipped nvlink deinit");
 
 	nvgpu_info(g, "shut down complete");
 }