diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
index 084c68479f73..8245a149cdf8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ struct net_device *
 mlx5e_create_netdev(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev, const struct mlx5e_profile *profile);
 int mlx5e_attach_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
 void mlx5e_detach_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
-void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
+void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *netdev);
 int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
 				struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
 				const struct mlx5e_profile *new_profile,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index 4e2f985273a3..5085bc8965df 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -6311,11 +6311,12 @@ void mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
 	mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(netdev, mdev, &mlx5e_nic_profile, NULL);
 }
 
-void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
+void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
-	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
 
-	mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
+	if (priv->profile)
+		mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
 	free_netdev(netdev);
 }
 
@@ -6472,7 +6473,7 @@ err_resume:
 err_profile_cleanup:
 	profile->cleanup(priv);
 err_destroy_netdev:
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 err_devlink_port_unregister:
 	mlx5e_devlink_port_unregister(mlx5e_dev);
 err_devlink_unregister:
@@ -6507,7 +6508,9 @@ static void _mlx5e_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = edev->mdev;
 
 	mlx5_core_uplink_netdev_set(mdev, NULL);
-	mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
+
+	if (priv->profile)
+		mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
 	/* When unload driver, the netdev is in registered state
 	 * if it's from legacy mode. If from switchdev mode, it
 	 * is already unregistered before changing to NIC profile.
@@ -6528,7 +6531,7 @@ static void _mlx5e_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 	/* Avoid cleanup if profile rollback failed. */
 	if (priv->profile)
 		priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 	mlx5e_devlink_port_unregister(mlx5e_dev);
 	mlx5e_destroy_devlink(mlx5e_dev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index b461954b974c..763b264721af 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -1602,7 +1602,7 @@ err_cleanup_profile:
 	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
 
 err_destroy_netdev:
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev_priv(netdev));
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -1657,7 +1657,7 @@ mlx5e_vport_rep_unload(struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 	mlx5e_rep_vnic_reporter_destroy(priv);
 	mlx5e_detach_netdev(priv);
 	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 free_ppriv:
 	kvfree(ppriv); /* mlx5e_rep_priv */
 }