u32 off;
        struct pci_dev *pdev = adapter->pdev;
 
-       /* resetall */
+       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE, 0);
+       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_RCVPEG_STATE, 0);
+
        qlcnic_rom_lock(adapter);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_ROMUSB_GLB_SW_RESET, 0xfeffffff);
        qlcnic_rom_unlock(adapter);
 
+       /* Init HW CRB block */
        if (qlcnic_rom_fast_read(adapter, 0, &n) != 0 || (n != 0xcafecafe) ||
                        qlcnic_rom_fast_read(adapter, 4, &n) != 0) {
                dev_err(&pdev->dev, "ERROR Reading crb_init area: val:%x\n", n);
        }
        kfree(buf);
 
-       /* p2dn replyCount */
+       /* Initialize protocol process engine */
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_D + 0xec, 0x1e);
-       /* disable_peg_cache 0 & 1*/
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_D + 0x4c, 8);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_I + 0x4c, 8);
-
-       /* peg_clr_all */
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_0 + 0x8, 0);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_0 + 0xc, 0);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_1 + 0x8, 0);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_2 + 0xc, 0);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_3 + 0x8, 0);
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_3 + 0xc, 0);
+       QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_4 + 0x8, 0);
+       QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_PEG_NET_4 + 0xc, 0);
+       msleep(1);
+       QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_HALT_STATUS1, 0);
+       QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_HALT_STATUS2, 0);
        return 0;
 }
 
+int
+qlcnic_check_fw_status(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter)
+{
+       u32 heartbit, ret = -EIO;
+       int retries = QLCNIC_HEARTBEAT_RETRY_COUNT;
+
+       adapter->heartbit = QLCRD32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_ALIVE_COUNTER);
+       do {
+               msleep(QLCNIC_HEARTBEAT_PERIOD_MSECS);
+               heartbit = QLCRD32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_ALIVE_COUNTER);
+               if (heartbit != adapter->heartbit) {
+                       /* Complete firmware handshake */
+                       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE, PHAN_INITIALIZE_ACK);
+                       ret = QLCNIC_RCODE_SUCCESS;
+                       break;
+               }
+       } while (--retries);
+
+       return ret;
+}
+
 int
 qlcnic_setup_idc_param(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter) {
 
 int
 qlcnic_need_fw_reset(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter)
 {
-       u32 count, old_count;
        u32 val, version, major, minor, build;
-       int i, timeout;
 
        if (adapter->need_fw_reset)
                return 1;
 
-       /* last attempt had failed */
-       if (QLCRD32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE) == PHAN_INITIALIZE_FAILED)
-               return 1;
-
-       old_count = QLCRD32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_ALIVE_COUNTER);
-
-       for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
-
-               timeout = msleep_interruptible(200);
-               if (timeout) {
-                       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE,
-                                       PHAN_INITIALIZE_FAILED);
-                       return -EINTR;
-               }
-
-               count = QLCRD32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_ALIVE_COUNTER);
-               if (count != old_count)
-                       break;
-       }
-
-       /* firmware is dead */
-       if (count == old_count)
+       if (qlcnic_check_fw_status(adapter))
                return 1;
 
        /* check if we have got newer or different file firmware */
        adapter->fw = NULL;
 }
 
-static int qlcnic_cmd_peg_ready(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter)
-{
-       u32 val;
-       int retries = 60;
-
-       do {
-               val = QLCRD32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE);
-
-               switch (val) {
-               case PHAN_INITIALIZE_COMPLETE:
-               case PHAN_INITIALIZE_ACK:
-                       return 0;
-               case PHAN_INITIALIZE_FAILED:
-                       goto out_err;
-               default:
-                       break;
-               }
-
-               msleep(500);
-
-       } while (--retries);
-
-       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE, PHAN_INITIALIZE_FAILED);
-
-out_err:
-       dev_err(&adapter->pdev->dev, "Command Peg initialization not "
-                     "complete, state: 0x%x.\n", val);
-       return -EIO;
-}
-
-static int
-qlcnic_receive_peg_ready(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter)
-{
-       u32 val;
-       int retries = 2000;
-
-       do {
-               val = QLCRD32(adapter, CRB_RCVPEG_STATE);
-
-               if (val == PHAN_PEG_RCV_INITIALIZED)
-                       return 0;
-
-               msleep(10);
-
-       } while (--retries);
-
-       if (!retries) {
-               dev_err(&adapter->pdev->dev, "Receive Peg initialization not "
-                             "complete, state: 0x%x.\n", val);
-               return -EIO;
-       }
-
-       return 0;
-}
-
-int qlcnic_init_firmware(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter)
-{
-       int err;
-
-       err = qlcnic_cmd_peg_ready(adapter);
-       if (err)
-               return err;
-
-       err = qlcnic_receive_peg_ready(adapter);
-       if (err)
-               return err;
-
-       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE, PHAN_INITIALIZE_ACK);
-
-       return err;
-}
-
 static void
 qlcnic_handle_linkevent(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter,
                                struct qlcnic_fw_msg *msg)
 
 static int
 qlcnic_start_firmware(struct qlcnic_adapter *adapter)
 {
-       int val, err, first_boot;
+       int err;
 
        err = qlcnic_can_start_firmware(adapter);
        if (err < 0)
                return err;
        else if (!err)
-               goto wait_init;
-
-       first_boot = QLCRD32(adapter, QLCNIC_CAM_RAM(0x1fc));
-       if (first_boot == 0x55555555)
-               /* This is the first boot after power up */
-               QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CAM_RAM(0x1fc), QLCNIC_BDINFO_MAGIC);
+               goto check_fw_status;
 
        if (load_fw_file)
                qlcnic_request_firmware(adapter);
        }
 
        err = qlcnic_need_fw_reset(adapter);
-       if (err < 0)
-               goto err_out;
        if (err == 0)
-               goto wait_init;
-
-       if (first_boot != 0x55555555) {
-               QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_CMDPEG_STATE, 0);
-               QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_RCVPEG_STATE, 0);
-               qlcnic_pinit_from_rom(adapter);
-               msleep(1);
-       }
-
-       QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_HALT_STATUS1, 0);
-       QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_PEG_HALT_STATUS2, 0);
+               goto set_dev_ready;
 
+       err = qlcnic_pinit_from_rom(adapter);
+       if (err)
+               goto err_out;
        qlcnic_set_port_mode(adapter);
 
        err = qlcnic_load_firmware(adapter);
                goto err_out;
 
        qlcnic_release_firmware(adapter);
+       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_DRIVER_VERSION, QLCNIC_DRIVER_VERSION);
 
-       val = (_QLCNIC_LINUX_MAJOR << 16)
-               | ((_QLCNIC_LINUX_MINOR << 8))
-               | (_QLCNIC_LINUX_SUBVERSION);
-       QLCWR32(adapter, CRB_DRIVER_VERSION, val);
-
-wait_init:
-       /* Handshake with the card before we register the devices. */
-       err = qlcnic_init_firmware(adapter);
+check_fw_status:
+       err = qlcnic_check_fw_status(adapter);
        if (err)
                goto err_out;
 
+set_dev_ready:
        QLCWR32(adapter, QLCNIC_CRB_DEV_STATE, QLCNIC_DEV_READY);
        qlcnic_idc_debug_info(adapter, 1);
        err = qlcnic_check_npar_opertional(adapter);