diff --git a/drivers/pci/controller/dwc/pcie-designware-host.c b/drivers/pci/controller/dwc/pcie-designware-host.c
index d02c7e74738d7..674f32db85ca4 100644
--- a/drivers/pci/controller/dwc/pcie-designware-host.c
+++ b/drivers/pci/controller/dwc/pcie-designware-host.c
@@ -444,6 +444,17 @@ static void __iomem *dw_pcie_other_conf_map_bus(struct pci_bus *bus,
 	struct pcie_port *pp = bus->sysdata;
 	struct dw_pcie *pci = to_dw_pcie_from_pp(pp);
 
+	/*
+	 * Checking whether the link is up here is a last line of defense
+	 * against platforms that forward errors on the system bus as
+	 * SError upon PCI configuration transactions issued when the link
+	 * is down. This check is racy by definition and does not stop
+	 * the system from triggering an SError if the link goes down
+	 * after this check is performed.
+	 */
+	if (!dw_pcie_link_up(pci))
+		return NULL;
+
 	busdev = PCIE_ATU_BUS(bus->number) | PCIE_ATU_DEV(PCI_SLOT(devfn)) |
 		 PCIE_ATU_FUNC(PCI_FUNC(devfn));