diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_common.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_common.c
index 1159d9138f05..9595b1bfb8dd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_common.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_common.c
@@ -1188,6 +1188,7 @@ s32 ixgbe_set_rar_generic(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 index, u8 *addr, u32 vmdq,
 		IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_RAH(index), rar_high);
 	} else {
 		hw_dbg(hw, "RAR index %d is out of range.\n", index);
+		return IXGBE_ERR_RAR_INDEX;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1219,6 +1220,7 @@ s32 ixgbe_clear_rar_generic(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 index)
 		IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_RAH(index), rar_high);
 	} else {
 		hw_dbg(hw, "RAR index %d is out of range.\n", index);
+		return IXGBE_ERR_RAR_INDEX;
 	}
 
 	/* clear VMDq pool/queue selection for this RAR */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h
index 2eb6e151016c..cdd1998f18c7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h
@@ -2609,6 +2609,7 @@ struct ixgbe_info {
 #define IXGBE_ERR_EEPROM_VERSION                -24
 #define IXGBE_ERR_NO_SPACE                      -25
 #define IXGBE_ERR_OVERTEMP                      -26
+#define IXGBE_ERR_RAR_INDEX                     -27
 #define IXGBE_NOT_IMPLEMENTED                   0x7FFFFFFF
 
 #endif /* _IXGBE_TYPE_H_ */