}
 
                if (mac == (MLX4_MAC_MASK & be64_to_cpu(table->entries[i]))) {
-                       /* MAC already registered, Must not have duplicates */
-                       err = -EEXIST;
+                       /* MAC already registered, increment ref count */
+                       err = i;
+                       ++table->refs[i];
                        goto out;
                }
        }
                table->entries[free] = 0;
                goto out;
        }
-
+       table->refs[free] = 1;
        err = free;
        ++table->total;
 out:
        struct mlx4_mac_table *table = &info->mac_table;
        int index;
 
-       index = find_index(dev, table, mac);
-
        mutex_lock(&table->mutex);
+       index = find_index(dev, table, mac);
 
        if (validate_index(dev, table, index))
                goto out;
+       if (--table->refs[index]) {
+               mlx4_dbg(dev, "Have more references for index %d,"
+                        "no need to modify mac table\n", index);
+               goto out;
+       }
 
        table->entries[index] = 0;
        mlx4_set_port_mac_table(dev, port, table->entries);