diff --git a/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt b/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt
index e3abfbd32f71..b020e6ce6dd4 100644
--- a/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt
+++ b/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt
@@ -191,11 +191,12 @@ ad_actor_sys_prio
 ad_actor_system
 
 	In an AD system, this specifies the mac-address for the actor in
-	protocol packet exchanges (LACPDUs). The value cannot be NULL or
-	multicast. It is preferred to have the local-admin bit set for this
-	mac but driver does not enforce it. If the value is not given then
-	system defaults to using the masters' mac address as actors' system
-	address.
+	protocol packet exchanges (LACPDUs). The value cannot be a multicast
+	address. If the all-zeroes MAC is specified, bonding will internally
+	use the MAC of the bond itself. It is preferred to have the
+	local-admin bit set for this mac but driver does not enforce it. If
+	the value is not given then system defaults to using the masters'
+	mac address as actors' system address.
 
 	This parameter has effect only in 802.3ad mode and is available through
 	SysFs interface.
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_options.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_options.c
index 215c10923289..933087d85549 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_options.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_options.c
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ static int bond_option_ad_actor_system_set(struct bonding *bond,
 		mac = (u8 *)&newval->value;
 	}
 
-	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(mac))
+	if (is_multicast_ether_addr(mac))
 		goto err;
 
 	netdev_dbg(bond->dev, "Setting ad_actor_system to %pM\n", mac);