QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "vniccsch");
 
-       /* do not change anything if BridgePort is enabled */
-       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
-               return -EBUSY;
-
        /* check if characteristic and enable/disable are supported */
        if (!(card->options.vnicc.sup_chars & vnicc) ||
            !(card->options.vnicc.set_char_sup & vnicc))
                return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
+       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
+               return -EBUSY;
+
        /* set enable/disable command and store wanted characteristic */
        if (state) {
                cmd = IPA_VNICC_ENABLE;
 
        QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "vniccgch");
 
-       /* do not get anything if BridgePort is enabled */
-       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
-               return -EBUSY;
-
        /* check if characteristic is supported */
        if (!(card->options.vnicc.sup_chars & vnicc))
                return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
+       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
+               return -EBUSY;
+
        /* if card is ready, query current VNICC state */
        if (qeth_card_hw_is_reachable(card))
                rc = qeth_l2_vnicc_query_chars(card);
 
        QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "vniccsto");
 
-       /* do not change anything if BridgePort is enabled */
-       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
-               return -EBUSY;
-
        /* check if characteristic and set_timeout are supported */
        if (!(card->options.vnicc.sup_chars & QETH_VNICC_LEARNING) ||
            !(card->options.vnicc.getset_timeout_sup & QETH_VNICC_LEARNING))
                return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
+       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
+               return -EBUSY;
+
        /* do we need to do anything? */
        if (card->options.vnicc.learning_timeout == timeout)
                return rc;
 
        QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "vniccgto");
 
-       /* do not get anything if BridgePort is enabled */
-       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
-               return -EBUSY;
-
        /* check if characteristic and get_timeout are supported */
        if (!(card->options.vnicc.sup_chars & QETH_VNICC_LEARNING) ||
            !(card->options.vnicc.getset_timeout_sup & QETH_VNICC_LEARNING))
                return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
+       if (qeth_bridgeport_is_in_use(card))
+               return -EBUSY;
+
        /* if card is ready, get timeout. Otherwise, just return stored value */
        *timeout = card->options.vnicc.learning_timeout;
        if (qeth_card_hw_is_reachable(card))