diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_dp_tx.h b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_dp_tx.h
index 885094b67..c42d0d01f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_dp_tx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_dp_tx.h
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ sfc_dp_find_tx_by_caps(struct sfc_dp_list *head, unsigned int avail_caps)
 const struct sfc_dp_tx *sfc_dp_tx_by_dp_txq(const struct sfc_dp_txq *dp_txq);
 
 static inline int
-sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(struct rte_mbuf *m)
+sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(struct rte_mbuf *m,
+			   uint32_t tso_tcp_header_offset_limit)
 {
 #ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_SFC_EFX_DEBUG
 	int ret;
@@ -209,10 +210,15 @@ sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 		SFC_ASSERT(ret < 0);
 		return -ret;
 	}
-#else
-	RTE_SET_USED(m);
 #endif
 
+	if (m->ol_flags & PKT_TX_TCP_SEG) {
+		unsigned int tcph_off = m->l2_len + m->l3_len;
+
+		if (unlikely(tcph_off > tso_tcp_header_offset_limit))
+			return EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_tx.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_tx.c
index b317997ca..3d6ba4292 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_tx.c
@@ -320,9 +320,10 @@ sfc_ef10_try_reap(struct sfc_ef10_txq * const txq, unsigned int added,
 }
 
 static uint16_t
-sfc_ef10_prepare_pkts(__rte_unused void *tx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **tx_pkts,
+sfc_ef10_prepare_pkts(void *tx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **tx_pkts,
 		      uint16_t nb_pkts)
 {
+	struct sfc_ef10_txq * const txq = sfc_ef10_txq_by_dp_txq(tx_queue);
 	uint16_t i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nb_pkts; i++) {
@@ -347,7 +348,8 @@ sfc_ef10_prepare_pkts(__rte_unused void *tx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **tx_pkts,
 			}
 		}
 #endif
-		ret = sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(m);
+		ret = sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(m,
+				txq->tso_tcp_header_offset_limit);
 		if (unlikely(ret != 0)) {
 			rte_errno = ret;
 			break;
@@ -378,9 +380,6 @@ sfc_ef10_xmit_tso_pkt(struct sfc_ef10_txq * const txq, struct rte_mbuf *m_seg,
 	struct rte_mbuf *m_seg_to_free_up_to = first_m_seg;
 	bool eop;
 
-	if (unlikely(tcph_off > txq->tso_tcp_header_offset_limit))
-		return EMSGSIZE;
-
 	/*
 	 * Preliminary estimation of required DMA descriptors, including extra
 	 * descriptor for TSO header that is needed when the header is
diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tso.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tso.c
index 2c03c0837..f46c0e912 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tso.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tso.c
@@ -103,18 +103,9 @@ sfc_efx_tso_do(struct sfc_efx_txq *txq, unsigned int idx,
 	size_t nh_off = m->l2_len; /* IP header offset */
 	size_t tcph_off = m->l2_len + m->l3_len; /* TCP header offset */
 	size_t header_len = m->l2_len + m->l3_len + m->l4_len;
-	const efx_nic_cfg_t *encp = efx_nic_cfg_get(txq->evq->sa->nic);
 
 	idx += SFC_EF10_TSO_OPT_DESCS_NUM;
 
-	/*
-	 * The TCP header must start at most 208 bytes into the frame.
-	 * If it starts later than this then the NIC won't realise
-	 * it's a TCP packet and TSO edits won't be applied
-	 */
-	if (unlikely(tcph_off > encp->enc_tx_tso_tcp_header_offset_limit))
-		return EMSGSIZE;
-
 	header_paddr = rte_pktmbuf_iova(m);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tx.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tx.c
index 16fd220bf..e128bff90 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_tx.c
@@ -698,15 +698,19 @@ sfc_efx_tx_maybe_insert_tag(struct sfc_efx_txq *txq, struct rte_mbuf *m,
 }
 
 static uint16_t
-sfc_efx_prepare_pkts(__rte_unused void *tx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **tx_pkts,
+sfc_efx_prepare_pkts(void *tx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **tx_pkts,
 		     uint16_t nb_pkts)
 {
+	struct sfc_dp_txq *dp_txq = tx_queue;
+	struct sfc_efx_txq *txq = sfc_efx_txq_by_dp_txq(dp_txq);
+	const efx_nic_cfg_t *encp = efx_nic_cfg_get(txq->evq->sa->nic);
 	uint16_t i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nb_pkts; i++) {
 		int ret;
 
-		ret = sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(tx_pkts[i]);
+		ret = sfc_dp_tx_prepare_pkt(tx_pkts[i],
+				encp->enc_tx_tso_tcp_header_offset_limit);
 		if (unlikely(ret != 0)) {
 			rte_errno = ret;
 			break;
@@ -776,14 +780,10 @@ sfc_efx_xmit_pkts(void *tx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **tx_pkts, uint16_t nb_pkts)
 			 */
 			if (sfc_efx_tso_do(txq, added, &m_seg, &in_off, &pend,
 					   &pkt_descs, &pkt_len) != 0) {
-				/* We may have reached this place for
-				 * one of the following reasons:
-				 *
-				 * 1) Packet header linearization is needed
-				 *    and the header length is greater
-				 *    than SFC_TSOH_STD_LEN
-				 * 2) TCP header starts at more then
-				 *    208 bytes into the frame
+				/* We may have reached this place if packet
+				 * header linearization is needed but the
+				 * header length is greater than
+				 * SFC_TSOH_STD_LEN
 				 *
 				 * We will deceive RTE saying that we have sent
 				 * the packet, but we will actually drop it.
