diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_ethtool.c
index 7f7d04ab1515..e9ae95161ce4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/i40e/i40e_ethtool.c
@@ -4852,9 +4852,11 @@ static u32 i40e_get_priv_flags(struct net_device *dev)
 static int i40e_set_priv_flags(struct net_device *dev, u32 flags)
 {
 	struct i40e_netdev_priv *np = netdev_priv(dev);
+	u64 orig_flags, new_flags, changed_flags;
+	enum i40e_admin_queue_err adq_err;
 	struct i40e_vsi *vsi = np->vsi;
 	struct i40e_pf *pf = vsi->back;
-	u64 orig_flags, new_flags, changed_flags;
+	i40e_status status;
 	u32 i, j;
 
 	orig_flags = READ_ONCE(pf->flags);
@@ -5013,7 +5015,28 @@ flags_complete:
 			dcbcfg->pfc.willing = 1;
 			dcbcfg->pfc.pfccap = I40E_MAX_TRAFFIC_CLASS;
 		} else {
-			i40e_aq_start_lldp(&pf->hw, false, NULL);
+			status = i40e_aq_start_lldp(&pf->hw, false, NULL);
+			if (status) {
+				adq_err = pf->hw.aq.asq_last_status;
+				switch (adq_err) {
+				case I40E_AQ_RC_EEXIST:
+					dev_warn(&pf->pdev->dev,
+						 "FW LLDP agent is already running\n");
+					return 0;
+				case I40E_AQ_RC_EPERM:
+					dev_warn(&pf->pdev->dev,
+						 "Device configuration forbids SW from starting the LLDP agent.\n");
+					return -EINVAL;
+				default:
+					dev_warn(&pf->pdev->dev,
+						 "Starting FW LLDP agent failed: error: %s, %s\n",
+						 i40e_stat_str(&pf->hw,
+							       status),
+						 i40e_aq_str(&pf->hw,
+							     adq_err));
+					return -EINVAL;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}