diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c
index 2c965ad0d744..3df3604e8929 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch.c
@@ -1928,8 +1928,10 @@ static void mlx5_eswitch_clear_vf_vports_info(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw)
 	struct mlx5_vport *vport;
 	int i;
 
-	mlx5_esw_for_each_vf_vport(esw, i, vport, esw->esw_funcs.num_vfs)
+	mlx5_esw_for_each_vf_vport(esw, i, vport, esw->esw_funcs.num_vfs) {
 		memset(&vport->info, 0, sizeof(vport->info));
+		vport->info.link_state = MLX5_VPORT_ADMIN_STATE_AUTO;
+	}
 }
 
 /* Public E-Switch API */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c
index b8fe44ea44c3..3e6412783078 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads.c
@@ -1377,7 +1377,7 @@ static int esw_offloads_start(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	mlx5_eswitch_disable(esw, false);
+	mlx5_eswitch_disable(esw, true);
 	mlx5_eswitch_update_num_of_vfs(esw, esw->dev->priv.sriov.num_vfs);
 	err = mlx5_eswitch_enable(esw, MLX5_ESWITCH_OFFLOADS);
 	if (err) {
@@ -2220,7 +2220,8 @@ int mlx5_esw_funcs_changed_handler(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long type
 
 int esw_offloads_enable(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw)
 {
-	int err;
+	struct mlx5_vport *vport;
+	int err, i;
 
 	if (MLX5_CAP_ESW_FLOWTABLE_FDB(esw->dev, reformat) &&
 	    MLX5_CAP_ESW_FLOWTABLE_FDB(esw->dev, decap))
@@ -2237,6 +2238,10 @@ int esw_offloads_enable(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw)
 	if (err)
 		goto err_vport_metadata;
 
+	/* Representor will control the vport link state */
+	mlx5_esw_for_each_vf_vport(esw, i, vport, esw->esw_funcs.num_vfs)
+		vport->info.link_state = MLX5_VPORT_ADMIN_STATE_DOWN;
+
 	err = mlx5_eswitch_enable_pf_vf_vports(esw, MLX5_VPORT_UC_ADDR_CHANGE);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_vports;
@@ -2266,7 +2271,7 @@ static int esw_offloads_stop(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
 {
 	int err, err1;
 
-	mlx5_eswitch_disable(esw, false);
+	mlx5_eswitch_disable(esw, true);
 	err = mlx5_eswitch_enable(esw, MLX5_ESWITCH_LEGACY);
 	if (err) {
 		NL_SET_ERR_MSG_MOD(extack, "Failed setting eswitch to legacy");