diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index 0b265a3f9b766a..99b3843396f337 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -1160,6 +1160,10 @@ static int mlx5e_init_rep_tx(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 		return err;
 	}
 
+	err = mlx5e_rep_neigh_init(rpriv);
+	if (err)
+		goto err_neigh_init;
+
 	if (rpriv->rep->vport == MLX5_VPORT_UPLINK) {
 		err = mlx5e_init_uplink_rep_tx(rpriv);
 		if (err)
@@ -1176,6 +1180,8 @@ static int mlx5e_init_rep_tx(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	if (rpriv->rep->vport == MLX5_VPORT_UPLINK)
 		mlx5e_cleanup_uplink_rep_tx(rpriv);
 err_init_tx:
+	mlx5e_rep_neigh_cleanup(rpriv);
+err_neigh_init:
 	mlx5e_destroy_tises(priv);
 	return err;
 }
@@ -1189,22 +1195,17 @@ static void mlx5e_cleanup_rep_tx(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	if (rpriv->rep->vport == MLX5_VPORT_UPLINK)
 		mlx5e_cleanup_uplink_rep_tx(rpriv);
 
+	mlx5e_rep_neigh_cleanup(rpriv);
 	mlx5e_destroy_tises(priv);
 }
 
 static void mlx5e_rep_enable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 {
-	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = priv->ppriv;
-
 	mlx5e_set_netdev_mtu_boundaries(priv);
-	mlx5e_rep_neigh_init(rpriv);
 }
 
 static void mlx5e_rep_disable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 {
-	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = priv->ppriv;
-
-	mlx5e_rep_neigh_cleanup(rpriv);
 }
 
 static int mlx5e_update_rep_rx(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
@@ -1254,7 +1255,6 @@ static int uplink_rep_async_event(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long event
 
 static void mlx5e_uplink_rep_enable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 {
-	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = priv->ppriv;
 	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = priv->mdev;
 	u16 max_mtu;
@@ -1276,7 +1276,6 @@ static void mlx5e_uplink_rep_enable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	mlx5_notifier_register(mdev, &priv->events_nb);
 	mlx5e_dcbnl_initialize(priv);
 	mlx5e_dcbnl_init_app(priv);
-	mlx5e_rep_neigh_init(rpriv);
 	mlx5e_rep_bridge_init(priv);
 
 	netdev->wanted_features |= NETIF_F_HW_TC;
@@ -1291,7 +1290,6 @@ static void mlx5e_uplink_rep_enable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 
 static void mlx5e_uplink_rep_disable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 {
-	struct mlx5e_rep_priv *rpriv = priv->ppriv;
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = priv->mdev;
 
 	rtnl_lock();
@@ -1301,7 +1299,6 @@ static void mlx5e_uplink_rep_disable(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
 	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	mlx5e_rep_bridge_cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_rep_neigh_cleanup(rpriv);
 	mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
 	mlx5_notifier_unregister(mdev, &priv->events_nb);
 	mlx5e_rep_tc_disable(priv);