goto err_out_disable_msi;
 
        init_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer);
-       adapter->ahw.linkup = 0;
        adapter->watchdog_timer.function = &netxen_watchdog;
        adapter->watchdog_timer.data = (unsigned long)adapter;
        INIT_WORK(&adapter->watchdog_task, netxen_watchdog_task);
        if (adapter->set_mtu)
                adapter->set_mtu(adapter, netdev->mtu);
 
+       adapter->ahw.linkup = 0;
        mod_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer, jiffies);
 
        napi_enable(&adapter->napi);
 
        netxen_release_tx_buffers(adapter);
 
-       if (adapter->is_up == NETXEN_ADAPTER_UP_MAGIC) {
-               FLUSH_SCHEDULED_WORK();
-               del_timer_sync(&adapter->watchdog_timer);
-       }
+       FLUSH_SCHEDULED_WORK();
+       del_timer_sync(&adapter->watchdog_timer);
 
        return 0;
 }
 
        netxen_nic_handle_phy_intr(adapter);
 
-       mod_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer, jiffies + 2 * HZ);
+       if (netif_running(adapter->netdev))
+               mod_timer(&adapter->watchdog_timer, jiffies + 2 * HZ);
 }
 
 static void netxen_tx_timeout(struct net_device *netdev)