diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.c
index 19e52c9..e117b86 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.c
@@ -1639,6 +1639,20 @@ void ixgbe_release_swfw_semaphore(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 mask)
 		hw->mac.ops.release_swfw_sync(hw, mask);
 }
 
+/**
+ *  ixgbe_init_swfw_semaphore - Clean up SWFW semaphore
+ *  @hw: pointer to hardware structure
+ *
+ *  Attempts to acquire the SWFW semaphore through SW_FW_SYNC register.
+ *  Regardless of whether is succeeds or not it then release the semaphore.
+ *  This is function is called to recover from catastrophic failures that
+ *  may have left the semaphore locked.
+ **/
+void ixgbe_init_swfw_semaphore(struct ixgbe_hw *hw)
+{
+	if (hw->mac.ops.init_swfw_sync)
+		hw->mac.ops.init_swfw_sync(hw);
+}
 
 void ixgbe_disable_rx(struct ixgbe_hw *hw)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.h b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.h
index ae26a6a..f5970a8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_api.h
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ s32 ixgbe_set_san_mac_addr(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u8 *san_mac_addr);
 s32 ixgbe_get_device_caps(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u16 *device_caps);
 s32 ixgbe_acquire_swfw_semaphore(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 mask);
 void ixgbe_release_swfw_semaphore(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 mask);
+void ixgbe_init_swfw_semaphore(struct ixgbe_hw *hw);
 s32 ixgbe_get_wwn_prefix(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u16 *wwnn_prefix,
 			 u16 *wwpn_prefix);
 s32 ixgbe_get_fcoe_boot_status(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u16 *bs);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_common.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_common.c
index d211303..0a74714 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_common.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_common.c
@@ -4390,6 +4390,7 @@ s32 ixgbe_host_interface_command(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 *buffer,
 		DEBUGOUT1("Buffer length failure buffersize=%d.\n", length);
 		return IXGBE_ERR_HOST_INTERFACE_COMMAND;
 	}
+
 	/* Set bit 9 of FWSTS clearing FW reset indication */
 	fwsts = IXGBE_READ_REG(hw, IXGBE_FWSTS);
 	IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_FWSTS, fwsts | IXGBE_FWSTS_FWRI);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_type.h b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_type.h
index 6a837f1..f40580d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_type.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_type.h
@@ -3785,6 +3785,7 @@ struct ixgbe_mac_operations {
 	s32 (*enable_sec_rx_path)(struct ixgbe_hw *);
 	s32 (*acquire_swfw_sync)(struct ixgbe_hw *, u32);
 	void (*release_swfw_sync)(struct ixgbe_hw *, u32);
+	void (*init_swfw_sync)(struct ixgbe_hw *);
 	s32 (*prot_autoc_read)(struct ixgbe_hw *, bool *, u32 *);
 	s32 (*prot_autoc_write)(struct ixgbe_hw *, u32, bool);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.c
index 0678913..31dead0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ s32 ixgbe_init_ops_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw)
 	mac->ops.get_fcoe_boot_status = ixgbe_get_fcoe_boot_status_generic;
 	mac->ops.acquire_swfw_sync = ixgbe_acquire_swfw_sync_X540;
 	mac->ops.release_swfw_sync = ixgbe_release_swfw_sync_X540;
+	mac->ops.init_swfw_sync = ixgbe_init_swfw_sync_X540;
 	mac->ops.disable_sec_rx_path = ixgbe_disable_sec_rx_path_generic;
 	mac->ops.enable_sec_rx_path = ixgbe_enable_sec_rx_path_generic;
 
@@ -946,6 +947,25 @@ STATIC void ixgbe_release_swfw_sync_semaphore(struct ixgbe_hw *hw)
 }
 
 /**
+ *  ixgbe_init_swfw_sync_X540 - Release hardware semaphore
+ *  @hw: pointer to hardware structure
+ *
+ *  This function reset hardware semaphore bits for a semaphore that may
+ *  have be left locked due to a catastrophic failure.
+ **/
+void ixgbe_init_swfw_sync_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw)
+{
+	/* First try to grab the semaphore but we don't need to bother
+	 * looking to see whether we got the lock or  not since we do
+	 * the same thing regardless of whether we got the lock or not.
+	 * We got the lock - we release it.
+	 * We timeout trying to get the lock - we force its release.
+	 */
+	ixgbe_get_swfw_sync_semaphore(hw);
+	ixgbe_release_swfw_sync_semaphore(hw);
+}
+
+/**
  * ixgbe_blink_led_start_X540 - Blink LED based on index.
  * @hw: pointer to hardware structure
  * @index: led number to blink
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.h b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.h
index 42c08a8..e4baf6f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/base/ixgbe_x540.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ s32 ixgbe_update_flash_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw);
 
 s32 ixgbe_acquire_swfw_sync_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 mask);
 void ixgbe_release_swfw_sync_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 mask);
+void ixgbe_init_swfw_sync_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw);
 
 s32 ixgbe_blink_led_start_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 index);
 s32 ixgbe_blink_led_stop_X540(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 index);
