diff --git a/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac.h b/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac.h
index 28c476f28c20..d3166da753ef 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 /* This is a simple check to prevent use of this driver on non-tested SoCs */
 #if !defined(CONFIG_405GP) && !defined(CONFIG_405GPR) && !defined(CONFIG_405EP) && \
     !defined(CONFIG_440GP) && !defined(CONFIG_440GX) && !defined(CONFIG_440SP) && \
-    !defined(CONFIG_440EP) && !defined(CONFIG_NP405H)
+    !defined(CONFIG_440EP) && !defined(CONFIG_NP405H) && !defined(CONFIG_440SPE)
 #error	"Unknown SoC. Please, check chip user manual and make sure EMAC defines are OK"
 #endif
 
@@ -246,6 +246,25 @@ struct emac_regs {
 #define EMAC_STACR_PCDA_SHIFT		5
 #define EMAC_STACR_PRA_MASK		0x1f
 
+/*
+ * For the 440SPe, AMCC inexplicably changed the polarity of
+ * the "operation complete" bit in the MII control register.
+ */
+#if defined(CONFIG_440SPE)
+static inline int emac_phy_done(u32 stacr)
+{
+	return !(stacr & EMAC_STACR_OC);
+};
+#define EMAC_STACR_START 		EMAC_STACR_OC
+
+#else /* CONFIG_440SPE */
+static inline int emac_phy_done(u32 stacr)
+{
+	return stacr & EMAC_STACR_OC;
+};
+#define EMAC_STACR_START 		0
+#endif /* !CONFIG_440SPE */
+
 /* EMACx_TRTR */
 #if !defined(CONFIG_IBM_EMAC4)
 #define EMAC_TRTR_SHIFT			27
diff --git a/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_core.c b/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_core.c
index 943fbd1546ff..48239e17d351 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_core.c
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ static int __emac_mdio_read(struct ocp_enet_private *dev, u8 id, u8 reg)
 
 	/* Wait for management interface to become idle */
 	n = 10;
-	while (!(in_be32(&p->stacr) & EMAC_STACR_OC)) {
+	while (!emac_phy_done(in_be32(&p->stacr))) {
 		udelay(1);
 		if (!--n)
 			goto to;
@@ -556,11 +556,12 @@ static int __emac_mdio_read(struct ocp_enet_private *dev, u8 id, u8 reg)
 	out_be32(&p->stacr,
 		 EMAC_STACR_BASE(emac_opb_mhz()) | EMAC_STACR_STAC_READ |
 		 (reg & EMAC_STACR_PRA_MASK)
-		 | ((id & EMAC_STACR_PCDA_MASK) << EMAC_STACR_PCDA_SHIFT));
+		 | ((id & EMAC_STACR_PCDA_MASK) << EMAC_STACR_PCDA_SHIFT)
+		 | EMAC_STACR_START);
 
 	/* Wait for read to complete */
 	n = 100;
-	while (!((r = in_be32(&p->stacr)) & EMAC_STACR_OC)) {
+	while (!emac_phy_done(r = in_be32(&p->stacr))) {
 		udelay(1);
 		if (!--n)
 			goto to;
@@ -594,7 +595,7 @@ static void __emac_mdio_write(struct ocp_enet_private *dev, u8 id, u8 reg,
 
 	/* Wait for management interface to be idle */
 	n = 10;
-	while (!(in_be32(&p->stacr) & EMAC_STACR_OC)) {
+	while (!emac_phy_done(in_be32(&p->stacr))) {
 		udelay(1);
 		if (!--n)
 			goto to;
@@ -605,11 +606,11 @@ static void __emac_mdio_write(struct ocp_enet_private *dev, u8 id, u8 reg,
 		 EMAC_STACR_BASE(emac_opb_mhz()) | EMAC_STACR_STAC_WRITE |
 		 (reg & EMAC_STACR_PRA_MASK) |
 		 ((id & EMAC_STACR_PCDA_MASK) << EMAC_STACR_PCDA_SHIFT) |
-		 (val << EMAC_STACR_PHYD_SHIFT));
+		 (val << EMAC_STACR_PHYD_SHIFT) | EMAC_STACR_START);
 
 	/* Wait for write to complete */
 	n = 100;
-	while (!(in_be32(&p->stacr) & EMAC_STACR_OC)) {
+	while (!emac_phy_done(in_be32(&p->stacr))) {
 		udelay(1);
 		if (!--n)
 			goto to;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_mal.h b/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_mal.h
index 15b0bdae26ac..fb6dfe1197b2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_mal.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ibm_emac/ibm_emac_mal.h
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 #if defined(CONFIG_405GP) || defined(CONFIG_405GPR) || defined(CONFIG_405EP) || \
     defined(CONFIG_440EP) || defined(CONFIG_NP405H)
 #define MAL_VERSION		1
-#elif defined(CONFIG_440GP) || defined(CONFIG_440GX) || defined(CONFIG_440SP)
+#elif defined(CONFIG_440GP) || defined(CONFIG_440GX) || defined(CONFIG_440SP) || \
+      defined(CONFIG_440SPE)
 #define MAL_VERSION		2
 #else
 #error "Unknown SoC, please check chip manual and choose MAL 'version'"