diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cmd.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cmd.c
index 887d62576f54..65d41b76fa2c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cmd.c
@@ -1718,6 +1718,7 @@ static void mlx4_master_do_cmd(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int slave, u8 cmd,
 	if (cmd == MLX4_COMM_CMD_RESET) {
 		mlx4_warn(dev, "Received reset from slave:%d\n", slave);
 		slave_state[slave].active = false;
+		slave_state[slave].old_vlan_api = false;
 		mlx4_master_deactivate_admin_state(priv, slave);
 		for (i = 0; i < MLX4_EVENT_TYPES_NUM; ++i) {
 				slave_state[slave].event_eq[i].eqn = -1;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
index f2ad4f61f58c..97941269bc14 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ struct mlx4_slave_state {
 	u8 last_cmd;
 	u8 init_port_mask;
 	bool active;
+	bool old_vlan_api;
 	u8 function;
 	dma_addr_t vhcr_dma;
 	u16 mtu[MLX4_MAX_PORTS + 1];
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/resource_tracker.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/resource_tracker.c
index e18bfff04ced..35863889bec0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/resource_tracker.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/resource_tracker.c
@@ -1555,15 +1555,26 @@ static void rem_slave_vlans(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int slave)
 }
 
 static int vlan_alloc_res(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int slave, int op, int cmd,
-			  u64 in_param, u64 *out_param, int port)
+			  u64 in_param, u64 *out_param, int in_port)
 {
+	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
+	struct mlx4_slave_state *slave_state = priv->mfunc.master.slave_state;
 	int err;
 	u16 vlan;
 	int vlan_index;
+	int port;
+
+	port = !in_port ? get_param_l(out_param) : in_port;
 
 	if (!port || op != RES_OP_RESERVE_AND_MAP)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	/* upstream kernels had NOP for reg/unreg vlan. Continue this. */
+	if (!in_port && port > 0 && port <= dev->caps.num_ports) {
+		slave_state[slave].old_vlan_api = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	vlan = (u16) in_param;
 
 	err = __mlx4_register_vlan(dev, port, vlan, &vlan_index);
@@ -1856,10 +1867,14 @@ static int mac_free_res(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int slave, int op, int cmd,
 static int vlan_free_res(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int slave, int op, int cmd,
 			    u64 in_param, u64 *out_param, int port)
 {
+	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
+	struct mlx4_slave_state *slave_state = priv->mfunc.master.slave_state;
 	int err = 0;
 
 	switch (op) {
 	case RES_OP_RESERVE_AND_MAP:
+		if (slave_state[slave].old_vlan_api)
+			return 0;
 		if (!port)
 			return -EINVAL;
 		vlan_del_from_slave(dev, slave, in_param, port);