list_add_tail(&f->list, &adapter->mac_filter_list);
                f->add = true;
                f->is_new_mac = true;
+               f->is_primary = false;
                adapter->aq_required |= IAVF_FLAG_AQ_ADD_MAC_FILTER;
        } else {
                f->remove = false;
        f = iavf_find_filter(adapter, hw->mac.addr);
        if (f) {
                f->remove = true;
+               f->is_primary = true;
                adapter->aq_required |= IAVF_FLAG_AQ_DEL_MAC_FILTER;
        }
 
        f = iavf_add_filter(adapter, addr->sa_data);
-
-       spin_unlock_bh(&adapter->mac_vlan_list_lock);
-
        if (f) {
+               f->is_primary = true;
                ether_addr_copy(hw->mac.addr, addr->sa_data);
        }
 
+       spin_unlock_bh(&adapter->mac_vlan_list_lock);
+
+       /* schedule the watchdog task to immediately process the request */
+       if (f)
+               queue_work(iavf_wq, &adapter->watchdog_task.work);
+
        return (f == NULL) ? -ENOMEM : 0;
 }
 
 
        kfree(vimi);
 }
 
+/**
+ * iavf_set_mac_addr_type - Set the correct request type from the filter type
+ * @virtchnl_ether_addr: pointer to requested list element
+ * @filter: pointer to requested filter
+ **/
+static void
+iavf_set_mac_addr_type(struct virtchnl_ether_addr *virtchnl_ether_addr,
+                      const struct iavf_mac_filter *filter)
+{
+       virtchnl_ether_addr->type = filter->is_primary ?
+               VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_PRIMARY :
+               VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA;
+}
+
 /**
  * iavf_add_ether_addrs
  * @adapter: adapter structure
        list_for_each_entry(f, &adapter->mac_filter_list, list) {
                if (f->add) {
                        ether_addr_copy(veal->list[i].addr, f->macaddr);
+                       iavf_set_mac_addr_type(&veal->list[i], f);
                        i++;
                        f->add = false;
                        if (i == count)
        list_for_each_entry_safe(f, ftmp, &adapter->mac_filter_list, list) {
                if (f->remove) {
                        ether_addr_copy(veal->list[i].addr, f->macaddr);
+                       iavf_set_mac_addr_type(&veal->list[i], f);
                        i++;
                        list_del(&f->list);
                        kfree(f);