diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/Makefile b/kernel/linux/kni/Makefile
index 282be7b68..ee5e1e136 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ endif
 #
 SRCS-y := kni_misc.c
 SRCS-y += kni_net.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_KNI_KMOD_ETHTOOL) += kni_ethtool.c
+SRCS-y += kni_ethtool.c
 
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_KNI_KMOD_ETHTOOL) += ethtool/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_KNI_KMOD_ETHTOOL) += ethtool/ixgbe/ixgbe_api.c
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_ethtool.c b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_ethtool.c
index b1c84f8f0..ccfd58ef0 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_ethtool.c
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_ethtool.c
@@ -8,218 +8,8 @@
 #include <linux/ethtool.h>
 #include "kni_dev.h"
 
-static int
-kni_check_if_running(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	if (priv->lad_dev)
-		return 0;
-	else
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-}
-
-static void
-kni_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_drvinfo *info)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_drvinfo(priv->lad_dev, info);
-}
-
-/* ETHTOOL_GLINKSETTINGS replaces ETHTOOL_GSET */
-#ifndef ETHTOOL_GLINKSETTINGS
-static int
-kni_get_settings(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_cmd *ecmd)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_settings(priv->lad_dev, ecmd);
-}
-#endif
-
-/* ETHTOOL_SLINKSETTINGS replaces ETHTOOL_SSET */
-#ifndef ETHTOOL_SLINKSETTINGS
-static int
-kni_set_settings(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_cmd *ecmd)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->set_settings(priv->lad_dev, ecmd);
-}
-#endif
-
-static void
-kni_get_wol(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_wolinfo *wol)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_wol(priv->lad_dev, wol);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_set_wol(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_wolinfo *wol)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->set_wol(priv->lad_dev, wol);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_nway_reset(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->nway_reset(priv->lad_dev);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_get_eeprom_len(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_eeprom_len(priv->lad_dev);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_get_eeprom(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_eeprom *eeprom,
-							u8 *bytes)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_eeprom(priv->lad_dev, eeprom,
-								bytes);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_set_eeprom(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_eeprom *eeprom,
-							u8 *bytes)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->set_eeprom(priv->lad_dev, eeprom,
-								bytes);
-}
-
-static void
-kni_get_ringparam(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_ringparam *ring)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_ringparam(priv->lad_dev, ring);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_set_ringparam(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_ringparam *ring)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->set_ringparam(priv->lad_dev, ring);
-}
-
-static void
-kni_get_pauseparam(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_pauseparam *pause)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_pauseparam(priv->lad_dev, pause);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_set_pauseparam(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_pauseparam *pause)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->set_pauseparam(priv->lad_dev,
-								pause);
-}
-
-static u32
-kni_get_msglevel(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_msglevel(priv->lad_dev);
-}
-
-static void
-kni_set_msglevel(struct net_device *dev, u32 data)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->set_msglevel(priv->lad_dev, data);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_get_regs_len(struct net_device *dev)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_regs_len(priv->lad_dev);
-}
-
-static void
-kni_get_regs(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_regs *regs, void *p)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_regs(priv->lad_dev, regs, p);
-}
-
-static void
-kni_get_strings(struct net_device *dev, u32 stringset, u8 *data)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_strings(priv->lad_dev, stringset,
-								data);
-}
-
-static int
-kni_get_sset_count(struct net_device *dev, int sset)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	return priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_sset_count(priv->lad_dev, sset);
-}
-
-static void
-kni_get_ethtool_stats(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_stats *stats,
-								u64 *data)
-{
-	struct kni_dev *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
-
-	priv->lad_dev->ethtool_ops->get_ethtool_stats(priv->lad_dev, stats,
-								data);
-}
-
 struct ethtool_ops kni_ethtool_ops = {
-	.begin			= kni_check_if_running,
-	.get_drvinfo		= kni_get_drvinfo,
-#ifndef ETHTOOL_GLINKSETTINGS
-	.get_settings		= kni_get_settings,
-#endif
-#ifndef ETHTOOL_SLINKSETTINGS
-	.set_settings		= kni_set_settings,
-#endif
-	.get_regs_len		= kni_get_regs_len,
-	.get_regs		= kni_get_regs,
-	.get_wol		= kni_get_wol,
-	.set_wol		= kni_set_wol,
-	.nway_reset		= kni_nway_reset,
 	.get_link		= ethtool_op_get_link,
-	.get_eeprom_len		= kni_get_eeprom_len,
-	.get_eeprom		= kni_get_eeprom,
-	.set_eeprom		= kni_set_eeprom,
-	.get_ringparam		= kni_get_ringparam,
-	.set_ringparam		= kni_set_ringparam,
-	.get_pauseparam		= kni_get_pauseparam,
-	.set_pauseparam		= kni_set_pauseparam,
-	.get_msglevel		= kni_get_msglevel,
-	.set_msglevel		= kni_set_msglevel,
-	.get_strings		= kni_get_strings,
-	.get_sset_count		= kni_get_sset_count,
-	.get_ethtool_stats	= kni_get_ethtool_stats,
 };
 
 void
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
index 522ae23b9..1c4223185 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ kni_ioctl_create(struct net *net, uint32_t ioctl_num,
 							pci, lad_dev);
 			if (ret == 0) {
 				kni->lad_dev = lad_dev;
-				kni_set_ethtool_ops(kni->net_dev);
+				kni->net_dev->ethtool_ops = lad_dev->ethtool_ops;
 			} else {
 				pr_err("Device not supported by ethtool");
 				kni->lad_dev = NULL;
@@ -443,6 +443,10 @@ kni_ioctl_create(struct net *net, uint32_t ioctl_num,
 		pci_dev_put(pci);
 #endif
 
+	if (!kni->net_dev->ethtool_ops) {
+		kni_set_ethtool_ops(kni->net_dev);
+	}
+
 	if (kni->lad_dev)
 		ether_addr_copy(net_dev->dev_addr, kni->lad_dev->dev_addr);
 	else {
