.list = LIST_HEAD_INIT(smc_ib_devices.list),
 };
 
-#define SMC_LOCAL_SYSTEMID_RESET       "%%%%%%%"
-
-u8 local_systemid[SMC_SYSTEMID_LEN] = SMC_LOCAL_SYSTEMID_RESET;        /* unique system
-                                                                * identifier
-                                                                */
+u8 local_systemid[SMC_SYSTEMID_LEN];           /* unique system identifier */
 
 static int smc_ib_modify_qp_init(struct smc_link *lnk)
 {
 {
        memcpy(&local_systemid[2], &smcibdev->mac[ibport - 1],
               sizeof(smcibdev->mac[ibport - 1]));
+}
+
+static bool smc_ib_is_valid_local_systemid(void)
+{
+       return !is_zero_ether_addr(&local_systemid[2]);
+}
+
+static void smc_ib_init_local_systemid(void)
+{
        get_random_bytes(&local_systemid[0], 2);
 }
 
        rc = smc_ib_fill_mac(smcibdev, ibport);
        if (rc)
                goto out;
-       if (!strncmp(local_systemid, SMC_LOCAL_SYSTEMID_RESET,
-                    sizeof(local_systemid)) &&
+       if (!smc_ib_is_valid_local_systemid() &&
            smc_ib_port_active(smcibdev, ibport))
                /* create unique system identifier */
                smc_ib_define_local_systemid(smcibdev, ibport);
 
 int __init smc_ib_register_client(void)
 {
+       smc_ib_init_local_systemid();
        return ib_register_client(&smc_ib_client);
 }