diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x.h
index bb3ba614fb17..2a61229d3f97 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x.h
@@ -2534,6 +2534,4 @@ void bnx2x_register_phc(struct bnx2x *bp);
  * Meant for implicit re-load flows.
  */
 int bnx2x_vlan_reconfigure_vid(struct bnx2x *bp);
-int bnx2x_init_firmware(struct bnx2x *bp);
-void bnx2x_release_firmware(struct bnx2x *bp);
 #endif /* bnx2x.h */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c
index 41ebbb2c7d3a..198e041d8410 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_cmn.c
@@ -2363,24 +2363,30 @@ int bnx2x_compare_fw_ver(struct bnx2x *bp, u32 load_code, bool print_err)
 	/* is another pf loaded on this engine? */
 	if (load_code != FW_MSG_CODE_DRV_LOAD_COMMON_CHIP &&
 	    load_code != FW_MSG_CODE_DRV_LOAD_COMMON) {
-		/* build my FW version dword */
-		u32 my_fw = (bp->fw_major) + (bp->fw_minor << 8) +
-				(bp->fw_rev << 16) + (bp->fw_eng << 24);
+		u8 loaded_fw_major, loaded_fw_minor, loaded_fw_rev, loaded_fw_eng;
+		u32 loaded_fw;
 
 		/* read loaded FW from chip */
-		u32 loaded_fw = REG_RD(bp, XSEM_REG_PRAM);
+		loaded_fw = REG_RD(bp, XSEM_REG_PRAM);
 
-		DP(BNX2X_MSG_SP, "loaded fw %x, my fw %x\n",
-		   loaded_fw, my_fw);
+		loaded_fw_major = loaded_fw & 0xff;
+		loaded_fw_minor = (loaded_fw >> 8) & 0xff;
+		loaded_fw_rev = (loaded_fw >> 16) & 0xff;
+		loaded_fw_eng = (loaded_fw >> 24) & 0xff;
+
+		DP(BNX2X_MSG_SP, "loaded fw 0x%x major 0x%x minor 0x%x rev 0x%x eng 0x%x\n",
+		   loaded_fw, loaded_fw_major, loaded_fw_minor, loaded_fw_rev, loaded_fw_eng);
 
 		/* abort nic load if version mismatch */
-		if (my_fw != loaded_fw) {
+		if (loaded_fw_major != BCM_5710_FW_MAJOR_VERSION ||
+		    loaded_fw_minor != BCM_5710_FW_MINOR_VERSION ||
+		    loaded_fw_eng != BCM_5710_FW_ENGINEERING_VERSION ||
+		    loaded_fw_rev < BCM_5710_FW_REVISION_VERSION_V15) {
 			if (print_err)
-				BNX2X_ERR("bnx2x with FW %x was already loaded which mismatches my %x FW. Aborting\n",
-					  loaded_fw, my_fw);
+				BNX2X_ERR("loaded FW incompatible. Aborting\n");
 			else
-				BNX2X_DEV_INFO("bnx2x with FW %x was already loaded which mismatches my %x FW, possibly due to MF UNDI\n",
-					       loaded_fw, my_fw);
+				BNX2X_DEV_INFO("loaded FW incompatible, possibly due to MF UNDI\n");
+
 			return -EBUSY;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c
index 7fa271db41b0..6333471916be 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnx2x/bnx2x_main.c
@@ -12366,15 +12366,6 @@ static int bnx2x_init_bp(struct bnx2x *bp)
 
 	bnx2x_read_fwinfo(bp);
 
-	if (IS_PF(bp)) {
-		rc = bnx2x_init_firmware(bp);
-
-		if (rc) {
-			bnx2x_free_mem_bp(bp);
-			return rc;
-		}
-	}
-
 	func = BP_FUNC(bp);
 
 	/* need to reset chip if undi was active */
@@ -12387,7 +12378,6 @@ static int bnx2x_init_bp(struct bnx2x *bp)
 
 		rc = bnx2x_prev_unload(bp);
 		if (rc) {
-			bnx2x_release_firmware(bp);
 			bnx2x_free_mem_bp(bp);
 			return rc;
 		}
@@ -13469,7 +13459,7 @@ do {									\
 	     (u8 *)bp->arr, len);					\
 } while (0)
 
-int bnx2x_init_firmware(struct bnx2x *bp)
+static int bnx2x_init_firmware(struct bnx2x *bp)
 {
 	const char *fw_file_name, *fw_file_name_v15;
 	struct bnx2x_fw_file_hdr *fw_hdr;
@@ -13569,7 +13559,7 @@ request_firmware_exit:
 	return rc;
 }
 
-void bnx2x_release_firmware(struct bnx2x *bp)
+static void bnx2x_release_firmware(struct bnx2x *bp)
 {
 	kfree(bp->init_ops_offsets);
 	kfree(bp->init_ops);
@@ -14086,7 +14076,6 @@ static int bnx2x_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	return 0;
 
 init_one_freemem:
-	bnx2x_release_firmware(bp);
 	bnx2x_free_mem_bp(bp);
 
 init_one_exit: