diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_bus_pci.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_bus_pci.c
index ce436e97324a..4b9caec6eb9b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_bus_pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_bus_pci.c
@@ -380,6 +380,10 @@ static void ionic_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	del_timer_sync(&ionic->watchdog_timer);
 
 	if (ionic->lif) {
+		/* prevent adminq cmds if already known as down */
+		if (test_and_clear_bit(IONIC_LIF_F_FW_RESET, ionic->lif->state))
+			set_bit(IONIC_LIF_F_FW_STOPPING, ionic->lif->state);
+
 		ionic_lif_unregister(ionic->lif);
 		ionic_devlink_unregister(ionic);
 		ionic_lif_deinit(ionic->lif);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
index f7634884c750..fcc3faecb060 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_lif.c
@@ -3008,6 +3008,9 @@ static void ionic_lif_reset(struct ionic_lif *lif)
 {
 	struct ionic_dev *idev = &lif->ionic->idev;
 
+	if (!ionic_is_fw_running(idev))
+		return;
+
 	mutex_lock(&lif->ionic->dev_cmd_lock);
 	ionic_dev_cmd_lif_reset(idev, lif->index);
 	ionic_dev_cmd_wait(lif->ionic, DEVCMD_TIMEOUT);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c
index 9ecbbe7a02ec..d2038ff316ca 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/pensando/ionic/ionic_main.c
@@ -410,22 +410,28 @@ int ionic_adminq_wait(struct ionic_lif *lif, struct ionic_admin_ctx *ctx,
 				      do_msg);
 }
 
-int ionic_adminq_post_wait(struct ionic_lif *lif, struct ionic_admin_ctx *ctx)
+static int __ionic_adminq_post_wait(struct ionic_lif *lif,
+				    struct ionic_admin_ctx *ctx,
+				    const bool do_msg)
 {
 	int err;
 
+	if (!ionic_is_fw_running(&lif->ionic->idev))
+		return 0;
+
 	err = ionic_adminq_post(lif, ctx);
 
-	return ionic_adminq_wait(lif, ctx, err, true);
+	return ionic_adminq_wait(lif, ctx, err, do_msg);
+}
+
+int ionic_adminq_post_wait(struct ionic_lif *lif, struct ionic_admin_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	return __ionic_adminq_post_wait(lif, ctx, true);
 }
 
 int ionic_adminq_post_wait_nomsg(struct ionic_lif *lif, struct ionic_admin_ctx *ctx)
 {
-	int err;
-
-	err = ionic_adminq_post(lif, ctx);
-
-	return ionic_adminq_wait(lif, ctx, err, false);
+	return __ionic_adminq_post_wait(lif, ctx, false);
 }
 
 static void ionic_dev_cmd_clean(struct ionic *ionic)