diff --git a/drivers/net/ioc3-eth.c b/drivers/net/ioc3-eth.c
index f0d30cf67b5f..4ad780719a84 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ioc3-eth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ioc3-eth.c
@@ -836,13 +836,17 @@ static int ioc3_mii_init(struct ioc3_private *ip)
 	}
 
 	ip->mii.phy_id = i;
+
+out:
+	return res;
+}
+
+static void ioc3_mii_start(struct ioc3_private *ip)
+{
 	ip->ioc3_timer.expires = jiffies + (12 * HZ)/10;  /* 1.2 sec. */
 	ip->ioc3_timer.data = (unsigned long) ip;
 	ip->ioc3_timer.function = &ioc3_timer;
 	add_timer(&ip->ioc3_timer);
-
-out:
-	return res;
 }
 
 static inline void ioc3_clean_rx_ring(struct ioc3_private *ip)
@@ -1071,6 +1075,7 @@ static int ioc3_open(struct net_device *dev)
 	ip->ehar_h = 0;
 	ip->ehar_l = 0;
 	ioc3_init(dev);
+	ioc3_mii_start(ip);
 
 	netif_start_queue(dev);
 	return 0;
@@ -1274,6 +1279,7 @@ static int ioc3_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		goto out_stop;
 	}
 
+	ioc3_mii_start(ip);
 	ioc3_ssram_disc(ip);
 	ioc3_get_eaddr(ip);
 
@@ -1314,6 +1320,7 @@ static int ioc3_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 
 out_stop:
 	ioc3_stop(ip);
+	del_timer_sync(&ip->ioc3_timer);
 	ioc3_free_rings(ip);
 out_res:
 	pci_release_regions(pdev);
@@ -1335,6 +1342,8 @@ static void __devexit ioc3_remove_one (struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	struct ioc3 *ioc3 = ip->regs;
 
 	unregister_netdev(dev);
+	del_timer_sync(&ip->ioc3_timer);
+
 	iounmap(ioc3);
 	pci_release_regions(pdev);
 	free_netdev(dev);
@@ -1492,6 +1501,7 @@ static void ioc3_timeout(struct net_device *dev)
 	ioc3_stop(ip);
 	ioc3_init(dev);
 	ioc3_mii_init(ip);
+	ioc3_mii_start(ip);
 
 	spin_unlock_irq(&ip->ioc3_lock);