return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
+/* Reserve a single MSI-X vector for management (admin + aenq).
+ * plus reserve one vector for each potential io queue.
+ * the number of potential io queues is the minimum of what the device
+ * supports and the number of vCPUs.
+ */
 static int ena_enable_msix(struct ena_adapter *adapter, int num_queues)
 {
-       int msix_vecs, rc;
+       int msix_vecs, irq_cnt;
+
+       if (test_bit(ENA_FLAG_MSIX_ENABLED, &adapter->flags)) {
+               netif_err(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev,
+                         "Error, MSI-X is already enabled\n");
+               return -EPERM;
+       }
 
        /* Reserved the max msix vectors we might need */
        msix_vecs = ENA_MAX_MSIX_VEC(num_queues);
        netif_dbg(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev,
                  "trying to enable MSI-X, vectors %d\n", msix_vecs);
 
-       rc = pci_alloc_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev, msix_vecs, msix_vecs,
-                       PCI_IRQ_MSIX);
-       if (rc < 0) {
+       irq_cnt = pci_alloc_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev, ENA_MIN_MSIX_VEC,
+                                       msix_vecs, PCI_IRQ_MSIX);
+
+       if (irq_cnt < 0) {
                netif_err(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev,
-                         "Failed to enable MSI-X, vectors %d rc %d\n",
-                         msix_vecs, rc);
+                         "Failed to enable MSI-X. irq_cnt %d\n", irq_cnt);
                return -ENOSPC;
        }
 
-       netif_dbg(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev, "enable MSI-X, vectors %d\n",
-                 msix_vecs);
-
-       if (msix_vecs >= 1) {
-               if (ena_init_rx_cpu_rmap(adapter))
-                       netif_warn(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev,
-                                  "Failed to map IRQs to CPUs\n");
+       if (irq_cnt != msix_vecs) {
+               netif_notice(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev,
+                            "enable only %d MSI-X (out of %d), reduce the number of queues\n",
+                            irq_cnt, msix_vecs);
+               adapter->num_queues = irq_cnt - ENA_ADMIN_MSIX_VEC;
        }
 
-       adapter->msix_vecs = msix_vecs;
+       if (ena_init_rx_cpu_rmap(adapter))
+               netif_warn(adapter, probe, adapter->netdev,
+                          "Failed to map IRQs to CPUs\n");
+
+       adapter->msix_vecs = irq_cnt;
+       set_bit(ENA_FLAG_MSIX_ENABLED, &adapter->flags);
 
        return 0;
 }
        struct ena_irq *irq;
        int rc = 0, i, k;
 
+       if (!test_bit(ENA_FLAG_MSIX_ENABLED, &adapter->flags)) {
+               netif_err(adapter, ifup, adapter->netdev,
+                         "Failed to request I/O IRQ: MSI-X is not enabled\n");
+               return -EINVAL;
+       }
+
        for (i = ENA_IO_IRQ_FIRST_IDX; i < adapter->msix_vecs; i++) {
                irq = &adapter->irq_tbl[i];
                rc = request_irq(irq->vector, irq->handler, flags, irq->name,
        }
 }
 
+static void ena_disable_msix(struct ena_adapter *adapter)
+{
+       if (test_and_clear_bit(ENA_FLAG_MSIX_ENABLED, &adapter->flags))
+               pci_free_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev);
+}
+
 static void ena_disable_io_intr_sync(struct ena_adapter *adapter)
 {
        int i;
        return 0;
 
 err_disable_msix:
-       pci_free_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev);
+       ena_disable_msix(adapter);
+
        return rc;
 }
 
 
        ena_free_mgmnt_irq(adapter);
 
-       pci_free_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev);
+       ena_disable_msix(adapter);
 
        ena_com_abort_admin_commands(ena_dev);
 
        return;
 err_disable_msix:
        ena_free_mgmnt_irq(adapter);
-       pci_free_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev);
+       ena_disable_msix(adapter);
 err_device_destroy:
        ena_com_admin_destroy(ena_dev);
 err:
 err_free_msix:
        ena_com_dev_reset(ena_dev, ENA_REGS_RESET_INIT_ERR);
        ena_free_mgmnt_irq(adapter);
-       pci_free_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev);
+       ena_disable_msix(adapter);
 err_worker_destroy:
        ena_com_destroy_interrupt_moderation(ena_dev);
        del_timer(&adapter->timer_service);
 
        ena_free_mgmnt_irq(adapter);
 
-       pci_free_irq_vectors(adapter->pdev);
+       ena_disable_msix(adapter);
 
        free_netdev(netdev);