diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev.h b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev.h
index 8aa074670a9c8c..07c8f77c918175 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ struct hfi1_netdev_rxq {
  *		When 0 receive queues will be freed.
  */
 struct hfi1_netdev_rx {
-	struct net_device rx_napi;
+	struct net_device *rx_napi;
 	struct hfi1_devdata *dd;
 	struct hfi1_netdev_rxq *rxq;
 	int num_rx_q;
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev_rx.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev_rx.c
index 720d4c85c9c93f..8608044203bb90 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/netdev_rx.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ static int hfi1_netdev_rxq_init(struct hfi1_netdev_rx *rx)
 	int i;
 	int rc;
 	struct hfi1_devdata *dd = rx->dd;
-	struct net_device *dev = &rx->rx_napi;
+	struct net_device *dev = rx->rx_napi;
 
 	rx->num_rx_q = dd->num_netdev_contexts;
 	rx->rxq = kcalloc_node(rx->num_rx_q, sizeof(*rx->rxq),
@@ -360,7 +360,11 @@ int hfi1_alloc_rx(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
 	if (!rx)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	rx->dd = dd;
-	init_dummy_netdev(&rx->rx_napi);
+	rx->rx_napi = alloc_netdev_dummy(0);
+	if (!rx->rx_napi) {
+		kfree(rx);
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
 
 	xa_init(&rx->dev_tbl);
 	atomic_set(&rx->enabled, 0);
@@ -374,6 +378,7 @@ void hfi1_free_rx(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
 {
 	if (dd->netdev_rx) {
 		dd_dev_info(dd, "hfi1 rx freed\n");
+		free_netdev(dd->netdev_rx->rx_napi);
 		kfree(dd->netdev_rx);
 		dd->netdev_rx = NULL;
 	}