QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "L2Setmac");
        rc = qeth_l2_send_setdelmac(card, mac, IPA_CMD_SETVMAC);
        if (rc == 0) {
-               card->info.mac_bits |= QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED;
-               ether_addr_copy(card->dev->dev_addr, mac);
                dev_info(&card->gdev->dev,
-                       "MAC address %pM successfully registered on device %s\n",
-                       card->dev->dev_addr, card->dev->name);
+                        "MAC address %pM successfully registered on device %s\n",
+                        mac, card->dev->name);
        } else {
-               card->info.mac_bits &= ~QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED;
                switch (rc) {
                case -EEXIST:
                        dev_warn(&card->gdev->dev,
        return rc;
 }
 
-static int qeth_l2_send_delmac(struct qeth_card *card, __u8 *mac)
-{
-       int rc;
-
-       QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 2, "L2Delmac");
-       if (!(card->info.mac_bits & QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED))
-               return 0;
-       rc = qeth_l2_send_setdelmac(card, mac, IPA_CMD_DELVMAC);
-       if (rc == 0)
-               card->info.mac_bits &= ~QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED;
-       return rc;
-}
-
 static int qeth_l2_write_mac(struct qeth_card *card, u8 *mac)
 {
        enum qeth_ipa_cmds cmd = is_multicast_ether_addr_64bits(mac) ?
 {
        struct sockaddr *addr = p;
        struct qeth_card *card = dev->ml_priv;
+       u8 old_addr[ETH_ALEN];
        int rc = 0;
 
        QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 3, "setmac");
                return -EOPNOTSUPP;
        }
        QETH_CARD_HEX(card, 3, addr->sa_data, ETH_ALEN);
+       if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr->sa_data))
+               return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
+
        if (qeth_wait_for_threads(card, QETH_RECOVER_THREAD)) {
                QETH_CARD_TEXT(card, 3, "setmcREC");
                return -ERESTARTSYS;
        }
-       rc = qeth_l2_send_delmac(card, &card->dev->dev_addr[0]);
-       if (!rc || (rc == -ENOENT))
-               rc = qeth_l2_send_setmac(card, addr->sa_data);
-       return rc ? -EINVAL : 0;
+
+       if (!qeth_card_hw_is_reachable(card)) {
+               ether_addr_copy(dev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data);
+               return 0;
+       }
+
+       /* don't register the same address twice */
+       if (ether_addr_equal_64bits(dev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data) &&
+           (card->info.mac_bits & QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED))
+               return 0;
+
+       /* add the new address, switch over, drop the old */
+       rc = qeth_l2_send_setmac(card, addr->sa_data);
+       if (rc)
+               return rc;
+       ether_addr_copy(old_addr, dev->dev_addr);
+       ether_addr_copy(dev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data);
+
+       if (card->info.mac_bits & QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED)
+               qeth_l2_remove_mac(card, old_addr);
+       card->info.mac_bits |= QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED;
+       return 0;
 }
 
 static void qeth_promisc_to_bridge(struct qeth_card *card)
                goto out_remove;
        }
 
-       if (card->info.type != QETH_CARD_TYPE_OSN)
-               qeth_l2_send_setmac(card, &card->dev->dev_addr[0]);
+       if (card->info.type != QETH_CARD_TYPE_OSN &&
+           !qeth_l2_send_setmac(card, card->dev->dev_addr))
+               card->info.mac_bits |= QETH_LAYER2_MAC_REGISTERED;
 
        if (qeth_is_diagass_supported(card, QETH_DIAGS_CMD_TRAP)) {
                if (card->info.hwtrap &&