return RX_HANDLER_ANOTHER;
 }
 
+static const struct team_mode __team_no_mode = {
+       .kind           = "*NOMODE*",
+};
+
+static bool team_is_mode_set(struct team *team)
+{
+       return team->mode != &__team_no_mode;
+}
+
+static void team_set_no_mode(struct team *team)
+{
+       team->mode = &__team_no_mode;
+}
+
 static void team_adjust_ops(struct team *team)
 {
        /*
         */
 
        if (list_empty(&team->port_list) ||
-           !team->mode || !team->mode->ops->transmit)
+           !team_is_mode_set(team) || !team->mode->ops->transmit)
                team->ops.transmit = team_dummy_transmit;
        else
                team->ops.transmit = team->mode->ops->transmit;
 
        if (list_empty(&team->port_list) ||
-           !team->mode || !team->mode->ops->receive)
+           !team_is_mode_set(team) || !team->mode->ops->receive)
                team->ops.receive = team_dummy_receive;
        else
                team->ops.receive = team->mode->ops->receive;
                              const struct team_mode *new_mode)
 {
        /* Check if mode was previously set and do cleanup if so */
-       if (team->mode) {
+       if (team_is_mode_set(team)) {
                void (*exit_op)(struct team *team) = team->ops.exit;
 
                /* Clear ops area so no callback is called any longer */
                if (exit_op)
                        exit_op(team);
                team_mode_put(team->mode);
-               team->mode = NULL;
+               team_set_no_mode(team);
                /* zero private data area */
                memset(&team->mode_priv, 0,
                       sizeof(struct team) - offsetof(struct team, mode_priv));
                return -EBUSY;
        }
 
-       if (team->mode && strcmp(team->mode->kind, kind) == 0) {
+       if (team_is_mode_set(team) && strcmp(team->mode->kind, kind) == 0) {
                netdev_err(dev, "Unable to change to the same mode the team is in\n");
                return -EINVAL;
        }
  * Net device ops
  *****************/
 
-static const char team_no_mode_kind[] = "*NOMODE*";
-
 static int team_mode_option_get(struct team *team, struct team_gsetter_ctx *ctx)
 {
-       ctx->data.str_val = team->mode ? team->mode->kind : team_no_mode_kind;
+       ctx->data.str_val = team->mode->kind;
        return 0;
 }
 
 
        team->dev = dev;
        mutex_init(&team->lock);
+       team_set_no_mode(team);
 
        team->pcpu_stats = alloc_percpu(struct team_pcpu_stats);
        if (!team->pcpu_stats)