diff --git a/drivers/net/benet/be_main.c b/drivers/net/benet/be_main.c
index 6b80a06eb3a7..c36cd2ffbadc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/benet/be_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/benet/be_main.c
@@ -1802,6 +1802,20 @@ static void be_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	struct be_rx_obj *rxo;
 	int i;
 
+	/* when interrupts are not yet enabled, just reap any pending
+	* mcc completions */
+	if (!netif_running(adapter->netdev)) {
+		int mcc_compl, status = 0;
+
+		mcc_compl = be_process_mcc(adapter, &status);
+
+		if (mcc_compl) {
+			struct be_mcc_obj *mcc_obj = &adapter->mcc_obj;
+			be_cq_notify(adapter, mcc_obj->cq.id, false, mcc_compl);
+		}
+		goto reschedule;
+	}
+
 	if (!adapter->stats_ioctl_sent)
 		be_cmd_get_stats(adapter, &adapter->stats_cmd);
 
@@ -1820,6 +1834,7 @@ static void be_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (!adapter->ue_detected)
 		be_detect_dump_ue(adapter);
 
+reschedule:
 	schedule_delayed_work(&adapter->work, msecs_to_jiffies(1000));
 }
 
@@ -2015,8 +2030,6 @@ static int be_close(struct net_device *netdev)
 	struct be_eq_obj *tx_eq = &adapter->tx_eq;
 	int vec, i;
 
-	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&adapter->work);
-
 	be_async_mcc_disable(adapter);
 
 	netif_stop_queue(netdev);
@@ -2081,8 +2094,6 @@ static int be_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	/* Now that interrupts are on we can process async mcc */
 	be_async_mcc_enable(adapter);
 
-	schedule_delayed_work(&adapter->work, msecs_to_jiffies(100));
-
 	status = be_cmd_link_status_query(adapter, &link_up, &mac_speed,
 			&link_speed);
 	if (status)
@@ -2707,6 +2718,8 @@ static void __devexit be_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 	if (!adapter)
 		return;
 
+	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&adapter->work);
+
 	unregister_netdev(adapter->netdev);
 
 	be_clear(adapter);
@@ -2863,6 +2876,7 @@ static int __devinit be_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	netif_carrier_off(netdev);
 
 	dev_info(&pdev->dev, "%s port %d\n", nic_name(pdev), adapter->port_num);
+	schedule_delayed_work(&adapter->work, msecs_to_jiffies(100));
 	return 0;
 
 unsetup: