diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index f794ff3a10c285298a81f34a2442ee3cc287c07b..2a2aaa5f3e74fd53a92da177dbd3548f227add0d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -1739,13 +1739,17 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(genphy_update_link);
  */
 int genphy_read_status(struct phy_device *phydev)
 {
-	int adv, lpa, lpagb, err;
+	int adv, lpa, lpagb, err, old_link = phydev->link;
 
 	/* Update the link, but return if there was an error */
 	err = genphy_update_link(phydev);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
+	/* why bother the PHY if nothing can have changed */
+	if (phydev->autoneg == AUTONEG_ENABLE && old_link && phydev->link)
+		return 0;
+
 	phydev->speed = SPEED_UNKNOWN;
 	phydev->duplex = DUPLEX_UNKNOWN;
 	phydev->pause = 0;