EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_caps_to_linkmodes);
 
 /**
- * phylink_get_linkmodes() - get acceptable link modes
- * @linkmodes: ethtool linkmode mask (must be already initialised)
+ * phylink_get_capabilities() - get capabilities for a given MAC
  * @interface: phy interface mode defined by &typedef phy_interface_t
  * @mac_capabilities: bitmask of MAC capabilities
  *
- * Set all possible pause, speed and duplex linkmodes in @linkmodes that
- * are supported by the @interface mode and @mac_capabilities. @linkmodes
- * must have been initialised previously.
+ * Get the MAC capabilities that are supported by the @interface mode and
+ * @mac_capabilities.
  */
-void phylink_get_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, phy_interface_t interface,
-                          unsigned long mac_capabilities)
+unsigned long phylink_get_capabilities(phy_interface_t interface,
+                                      unsigned long mac_capabilities)
 {
        unsigned long caps = MAC_SYM_PAUSE | MAC_ASYM_PAUSE;
 
                break;
        }
 
-       phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(linkmodes, caps & mac_capabilities);
+       return caps & mac_capabilities;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_get_linkmodes);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_get_capabilities);
 
 /**
  * phylink_generic_validate() - generic validate() callback implementation
                              struct phylink_link_state *state)
 {
        __ETHTOOL_DECLARE_LINK_MODE_MASK(mask) = { 0, };
+       unsigned long caps;
 
        phylink_set_port_modes(mask);
        phylink_set(mask, Autoneg);
-       phylink_get_linkmodes(mask, state->interface, config->mac_capabilities);
+       caps = phylink_get_capabilities(state->interface,
+                                       config->mac_capabilities);
+       phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(mask, caps);
 
        linkmode_and(supported, supported, mask);
        linkmode_and(state->advertising, state->advertising, mask);
 
 #endif
 
 void phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, unsigned long caps);
-void phylink_get_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, phy_interface_t interface,
-                          unsigned long mac_capabilities);
+unsigned long phylink_get_capabilities(phy_interface_t interface,
+                                      unsigned long mac_capabilities);
 void phylink_generic_validate(struct phylink_config *config,
                              unsigned long *supported,
                              struct phylink_link_state *state);