u8 channel, bcn_ord, sf_ord;
        u8 page;
        int pan_coord, blx, coord_realign;
-       int ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+       int ret = -EBUSY;
 
        if (!info->attrs[IEEE802154_ATTR_COORD_PAN_ID] ||
            !info->attrs[IEEE802154_ATTR_COORD_SHORT_ADDR] ||
        dev = ieee802154_nl_get_dev(info);
        if (!dev)
                return -ENODEV;
-       if (!ieee802154_mlme_ops(dev)->start_req)
+
+       if (netif_running(dev))
                goto out;
 
+       if (!ieee802154_mlme_ops(dev)->start_req) {
+               ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+               goto out;
+       }
+
        addr.mode = IEEE802154_ADDR_SHORT;
        addr.short_addr = nla_get_shortaddr(
                        info->attrs[IEEE802154_ATTR_COORD_SHORT_ADDR]);