diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c
index 4ff88a683f61a094e743042f1266281c846d65cd..e332aee386f6b79cc672466475732f2c952e2603 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c
@@ -3478,9 +3478,17 @@ static irqreturn_t e1000_intr(int irq, void *data)
 	struct e1000_hw *hw = &adapter->hw;
 	u32 icr = er32(ICR);
 
-	if (unlikely((!icr) || test_bit(__E1000_DOWN, &adapter->flags)))
+	if (unlikely((!icr)))
 		return IRQ_NONE;  /* Not our interrupt */
 
+	/*
+	 * we might have caused the interrupt, but the above
+	 * read cleared it, and just in case the driver is
+	 * down there is nothing to do so return handled
+	 */
+	if (unlikely(test_bit(__E1000_DOWN, &adapter->flags)))
+		return IRQ_HANDLED;
+
 	if (unlikely(icr & (E1000_ICR_RXSEQ | E1000_ICR_LSC))) {
 		hw->get_link_status = 1;
 		/* guard against interrupt when we're going down */