diff --git a/drivers/net/bnx2.c b/drivers/net/bnx2.c
index 57d3293c65bd..74580bb175f1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bnx2.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bnx2.c
@@ -416,6 +416,9 @@ struct cnic_eth_dev *bnx2_cnic_probe(struct net_device *dev)
 	struct bnx2 *bp = netdev_priv(dev);
 	struct cnic_eth_dev *cp = &bp->cnic_eth_dev;
 
+	if (!cp->max_iscsi_conn)
+		return NULL;
+
 	cp->drv_owner = THIS_MODULE;
 	cp->chip_id = bp->chip_id;
 	cp->pdev = bp->pdev;
@@ -8177,6 +8180,10 @@ bnx2_init_board(struct pci_dev *pdev, struct net_device *dev)
 	bp->timer.data = (unsigned long) bp;
 	bp->timer.function = bnx2_timer;
 
+#ifdef BCM_CNIC
+	bp->cnic_eth_dev.max_iscsi_conn =
+		bnx2_reg_rd_ind(bp, BNX2_FW_MAX_ISCSI_CONN);
+#endif
 	pci_save_state(pdev);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/cnic.c b/drivers/net/cnic.c
index 6c544b3411fa..363c7f368909 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cnic.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cnic.c
@@ -4225,14 +4225,6 @@ static void cnic_enable_bnx2_int(struct cnic_dev *dev)
 		BNX2_PCICFG_INT_ACK_CMD_INDEX_VALID | cp->last_status_idx);
 }
 
-static void cnic_get_bnx2_iscsi_info(struct cnic_dev *dev)
-{
-	u32 max_conn;
-
-	max_conn = cnic_reg_rd_ind(dev, BNX2_FW_MAX_ISCSI_CONN);
-	dev->max_iscsi_conn = max_conn;
-}
-
 static void cnic_disable_bnx2_int_sync(struct cnic_dev *dev)
 {
 	struct cnic_local *cp = dev->cnic_priv;
@@ -4557,8 +4549,6 @@ static int cnic_start_bnx2_hw(struct cnic_dev *dev)
 		return err;
 	}
 
-	cnic_get_bnx2_iscsi_info(dev);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -5224,6 +5214,8 @@ static struct cnic_dev *init_bnx2_cnic(struct net_device *dev)
 	cdev->pcidev = pdev;
 	cp->chip_id = ethdev->chip_id;
 
+	cdev->max_iscsi_conn = ethdev->max_iscsi_conn;
+
 	cp->cnic_ops = &cnic_bnx2_ops;
 	cp->start_hw = cnic_start_bnx2_hw;
 	cp->stop_hw = cnic_stop_bnx2_hw;