int port = p->port;
        union mgmt_port_ring_entry re;
        unsigned long flags;
+       int rv = NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
 
        re.d64 = 0;
        re.s.len = skb->len;
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(&p->tx_list.lock, flags);
 
+       if (unlikely(p->tx_current_fill >= ring_max_fill(OCTEON_MGMT_TX_RING_SIZE) - 1)) {
+               spin_unlock_irqrestore(&p->tx_list.lock, flags);
+               netif_stop_queue(netdev);
+               spin_lock_irqsave(&p->tx_list.lock, flags);
+       }
+
        if (unlikely(p->tx_current_fill >=
                     ring_max_fill(OCTEON_MGMT_TX_RING_SIZE))) {
                spin_unlock_irqrestore(&p->tx_list.lock, flags);
-
                dma_unmap_single(p->dev, re.s.addr, re.s.len,
                                 DMA_TO_DEVICE);
-
-               netif_stop_queue(netdev);
-               return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
+               goto out;
        }
 
        __skb_queue_tail(&p->tx_list, skb);
        cvmx_write_csr(CVMX_MIXX_ORING2(port), 1);
 
        netdev->trans_start = jiffies;
+       rv = NETDEV_TX_OK;
+out:
        octeon_mgmt_update_tx_stats(netdev);
-       return NETDEV_TX_OK;
+       return rv;
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET_POLL_CONTROLLER