diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
index 13ac104..c2592cc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.c
@@ -2607,9 +2607,12 @@ err:
 	return status;
 }
 
-/* Uses synchronous MCCQ */
+/* pmac_id_valid: true => pmac_id is supplied and MAC address is requested.
+ * pmac_id_valid: false => pmac_id or MAC address is requested.
+ *		  If pmac_id is returned, pmac_id_valid is returned as true
+ */
 int be_cmd_get_mac_from_list(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac,
-			     bool *pmac_id_active, u32 *pmac_id, u8 domain)
+			     bool *pmac_id_valid, u32 *pmac_id, u8 domain)
 {
 	struct be_mcc_wrb *wrb;
 	struct be_cmd_req_get_mac_list *req;
@@ -2645,12 +2648,25 @@ int be_cmd_get_mac_from_list(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac,
 			       get_mac_list_cmd.size, wrb, &get_mac_list_cmd);
 	req->hdr.domain = domain;
 	req->mac_type = MAC_ADDRESS_TYPE_NETWORK;
-	req->perm_override = 1;
+	if (*pmac_id_valid) {
+		req->mac_id = cpu_to_le32(*pmac_id);
+		req->iface_id = cpu_to_le16(adapter->if_handle);
+		req->perm_override = 0;
+	} else {
+		req->perm_override = 1;
+	}
 
 	status = be_mcc_notify_wait(adapter);
 	if (!status) {
 		struct be_cmd_resp_get_mac_list *resp =
 						get_mac_list_cmd.va;
+
+		if (*pmac_id_valid) {
+			memcpy(mac, resp->macid_macaddr.mac_addr_id.macaddr,
+			       ETH_ALEN);
+			goto out;
+		}
+
 		mac_count = resp->true_mac_count + resp->pseudo_mac_count;
 		/* Mac list returned could contain one or more active mac_ids
 		 * or one or more true or pseudo permanant mac addresses.
@@ -2668,14 +2684,14 @@ int be_cmd_get_mac_from_list(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac,
 			 * is 6 bytes
 			 */
 			if (mac_addr_size == sizeof(u32)) {
-				*pmac_id_active = true;
+				*pmac_id_valid = true;
 				mac_id = mac_entry->mac_addr_id.s_mac_id.mac_id;
 				*pmac_id = le32_to_cpu(mac_id);
 				goto out;
 			}
 		}
 		/* If no active mac_id found, return first mac addr */
-		*pmac_id_active = false;
+		*pmac_id_valid = false;
 		memcpy(mac, resp->macaddr_list[0].mac_addr_id.macaddr,
 								ETH_ALEN);
 	}
@@ -2687,6 +2703,23 @@ out:
 	return status;
 }
 
+int be_cmd_get_active_mac(struct be_adapter *adapter, u32 curr_pmac_id, u8 *mac)
+{
+	int status;
+	bool active = true;
+
+	/* When SH FW is ready, SH should use Lancer path too */
+	if (lancer_chip(adapter)) {
+		/* Fetch the MAC address using pmac_id */
+		status = be_cmd_get_mac_from_list(adapter, mac, &active,
+						  &curr_pmac_id, 0);
+		return status;
+	} else {
+		return be_cmd_mac_addr_query(adapter, mac, false,
+					     adapter->if_handle, curr_pmac_id);
+	}
+}
+
 /* Uses synchronous MCCQ */
 int be_cmd_set_mac_list(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_array,
 			u8 mac_count, u32 domain)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h
index 1b3b9e8..7ef4d8f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_cmds.h
@@ -1930,6 +1930,8 @@ extern int be_cmd_get_fn_privileges(struct be_adapter *adapter,
 extern int be_cmd_get_mac_from_list(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac,
 				    bool *pmac_id_active, u32 *pmac_id,
 				    u8 domain);
+extern int be_cmd_get_active_mac(struct be_adapter *adapter, u32 pmac_id,
+				 u8 *mac);
 extern int be_cmd_set_mac_list(struct be_adapter *adapter, u8 *mac_array,
 						u8 mac_count, u32 domain);
 extern int be_cmd_set_hsw_config(struct be_adapter *adapter, u16 pvid,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
index 3d91a5e..be4f1fe 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
@@ -247,54 +247,54 @@ void be_cq_notify(struct be_adapter *adapter, u16 qid, bool arm, u16 num_popped)
 static int be_mac_addr_set(struct net_device *netdev, void *p)
 {
 	struct be_adapter *adapter = netdev_priv(netdev);
+	struct device *dev = &adapter->pdev->dev;
 	struct sockaddr *addr = p;
-	int status = 0;
-	u8 current_mac[ETH_ALEN];
-	u32 pmac_id = adapter->pmac_id[0];
-	bool active_mac = true;
+	int status;
+	u8 mac[ETH_ALEN];
+	u32 old_pmac_id = adapter->pmac_id[0], curr_pmac_id = 0;
 
 	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr->sa_data))
 		return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 
-	/* For BE VF, MAC address is already activated by PF.
-	 * Hence only operation left is updating netdev->devaddr.
-	 * Update it if user is passing the same MAC which was used
-	 * during configuring VF MAC from PF(Hypervisor).
+	/* The PMAC_ADD cmd may fail if the VF doesn't have FILTMGMT
+	 * privilege or if PF did not provision the new MAC address.
+	 * On BE3, this cmd will always fail if the VF doesn't have the
+	 * FILTMGMT privilege. This failure is OK, only if the PF programmed
+	 * the MAC for the VF.
 	 */
-	if (!lancer_chip(adapter) && !be_physfn(adapter)) {
-		status = be_cmd_mac_addr_query(adapter, current_mac,
-					       false, adapter->if_handle, 0);
-		if (!status && !memcmp(current_mac, addr->sa_data, ETH_ALEN))
-			goto done;
-		else
-			goto err;
-	}
+	status = be_cmd_pmac_add(adapter, (u8 *)addr->sa_data,
+				 adapter->if_handle, &adapter->pmac_id[0], 0);
+	if (!status) {
+		curr_pmac_id = adapter->pmac_id[0];
 
-	if (!memcmp(addr->sa_data, netdev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN))
-		goto done;
+		/* Delete the old programmed MAC. This call may fail if the
+		 * old MAC was already deleted by the PF driver.
+		 */
+		if (adapter->pmac_id[0] != old_pmac_id)
+			be_cmd_pmac_del(adapter, adapter->if_handle,
+					old_pmac_id, 0);
+	}
 
-	/* For Lancer check if any MAC is active.
-	 * If active, get its mac id.
+	/* Decide if the new MAC is successfully activated only after
+	 * querying the FW
 	 */
-	if (lancer_chip(adapter) && !be_physfn(adapter))
-		be_cmd_get_mac_from_list(adapter, current_mac, &active_mac,
-					 &pmac_id, 0);
-
-	status = be_cmd_pmac_add(adapter, (u8 *)addr->sa_data,
-				 adapter->if_handle,
-				 &adapter->pmac_id[0], 0);
-
+	status = be_cmd_get_active_mac(adapter, curr_pmac_id, mac);
 	if (status)
 		goto err;
 
-	if (active_mac)
-		be_cmd_pmac_del(adapter, adapter->if_handle,
-				pmac_id, 0);
-done:
+	/* The MAC change did not happen, either due to lack of privilege
+	 * or PF didn't pre-provision.
+	 */
+	if (memcmp(addr->sa_data, mac, ETH_ALEN)) {
+		status = -EPERM;
+		goto err;
+	}
+
 	memcpy(netdev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data, netdev->addr_len);
+	dev_info(dev, "MAC address changed to %pM\n", mac);
 	return 0;
 err:
-	dev_err(&adapter->pdev->dev, "MAC %pM set Failed\n", addr->sa_data);
+	dev_warn(dev, "MAC address change to %pM failed\n", addr->sa_data);
 	return status;
 }
 
