struct skge_hw *hw = skge->hw;
        unsigned port = skge->port;
        const struct sockaddr *addr = p;
+       u16 ctrl;
 
        if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr->sa_data))
                return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 
-       mutex_lock(&hw->phy_mutex);
        memcpy(dev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data, ETH_ALEN);
-       memcpy_toio(hw->regs + B2_MAC_1 + port*8,
-                   dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN);
-       memcpy_toio(hw->regs + B2_MAC_2 + port*8,
-                   dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN);
 
-       if (hw->chip_id == CHIP_ID_GENESIS)
-               xm_outaddr(hw, port, XM_SA, dev->dev_addr);
-       else {
-               gma_set_addr(hw, port, GM_SRC_ADDR_1L, dev->dev_addr);
-               gma_set_addr(hw, port, GM_SRC_ADDR_2L, dev->dev_addr);
+       /* disable Rx */
+       ctrl = gma_read16(hw, port, GM_GP_CTRL);
+       gma_write16(hw, port, GM_GP_CTRL, ctrl & ~GM_GPCR_RX_ENA);
+
+       memcpy_toio(hw->regs + B2_MAC_1 + port*8, dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN);
+       memcpy_toio(hw->regs + B2_MAC_2 + port*8, dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN);
+
+       if (netif_running(dev)) {
+               if (hw->chip_id == CHIP_ID_GENESIS)
+                       xm_outaddr(hw, port, XM_SA, dev->dev_addr);
+               else {
+                       gma_set_addr(hw, port, GM_SRC_ADDR_1L, dev->dev_addr);
+                       gma_set_addr(hw, port, GM_SRC_ADDR_2L, dev->dev_addr);
+               }
        }
-       mutex_unlock(&hw->phy_mutex);
+
+       gma_write16(hw, port, GM_GP_CTRL, ctrl);
 
        return 0;
 }