ICE_FLAG_VF_VLAN_PRUNING,
        ICE_FLAG_LINK_LENIENT_MODE_ENA,
        ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV,
+       ICE_FLAG_UNPLUG_AUX_DEV,
        ICE_FLAG_MTU_CHANGED,
        ICE_FLAG_GNSS,                  /* GNSS successfully initialized */
        ICE_PF_FLAGS_NBITS              /* must be last */
  */
 static inline void ice_clear_rdma_cap(struct ice_pf *pf)
 {
-       /* We can directly unplug aux device here only if the flag bit
-        * ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV is not set because ice_unplug_aux_dev()
-        * could race with ice_plug_aux_dev() called from
-        * ice_service_task(). In this case we only clear that bit now and
-        * aux device will be unplugged later once ice_plug_aux_device()
-        * called from ice_service_task() finishes (see ice_service_task()).
+       /* defer unplug to service task to avoid RTNL lock and
+        * clear PLUG bit so that pending plugs don't interfere
         */
-       if (!test_and_clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags))
-               ice_unplug_aux_dev(pf);
-
+       clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags);
+       set_bit(ICE_FLAG_UNPLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags);
        clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_RDMA_ENA, pf->flags);
 }
 #endif /* _ICE_H_ */
 
                }
        }
 
-       if (test_bit(ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags)) {
-               /* Plug aux device per request */
-               ice_plug_aux_dev(pf);
+       /* unplug aux dev per request, if an unplug request came in
+        * while processing a plug request, this will handle it
+        */
+       if (test_and_clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_UNPLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags))
+               ice_unplug_aux_dev(pf);
 
-               /* Mark plugging as done but check whether unplug was
-                * requested during ice_plug_aux_dev() call
-                * (e.g. from ice_clear_rdma_cap()) and if so then
-                * plug aux device.
-                */
-               if (!test_and_clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags))
-                       ice_unplug_aux_dev(pf);
-       }
+       /* Plug aux device per request */
+       if (test_and_clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_PLUG_AUX_DEV, pf->flags))
+               ice_plug_aux_dev(pf);
 
        if (test_and_clear_bit(ICE_FLAG_MTU_CHANGED, pf->flags)) {
                struct iidc_event *event;