diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/renesas/rswitch.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/renesas/rswitch.c
index 0fca707b36253..cad3f80764338 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/renesas/rswitch.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/renesas/rswitch.c
@@ -2609,7 +2609,7 @@ static void rswitch_set_mac_address(struct rswitch_device *rdev)
 	of_node_put(ports);
 }
 
-static int rswitch_ndev_register(struct rswitch_private *priv, int index)
+static int rswitch_ndev_create(struct rswitch_private *priv, int index)
 {
 	struct platform_device *pdev = priv->pdev;
 	struct net_device *ndev;
@@ -2650,11 +2650,6 @@ static int rswitch_ndev_register(struct rswitch_private *priv, int index)
 
 	rswitch_set_mac_address(rdev);
 
-	/* Network device register */
-	err = register_netdev(ndev);
-	if (err)
-		goto out_reg_netdev;
-
 	/* FIXME: it seems S4 VPF has FWPBFCSDC0/1 only so that we cannot set
 	 * CSD = 1 (rx_chain->index = 1) for FWPBFCS03. So, use index = 0
 	 * for the RX.
@@ -2676,9 +2671,6 @@ static int rswitch_ndev_register(struct rswitch_private *priv, int index)
 	rswitch_rxdmac_free(ndev, priv);
 
 out_rxdmac:
-	unregister_netdev(ndev);
-
-out_reg_netdev:
 	netif_napi_del(&rdev->napi);
 	free_netdev(ndev);
 
@@ -2833,7 +2825,7 @@ static int rswitch_init(struct rswitch_private *priv)
 		goto out;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < num_ndev; i++) {
-		err = rswitch_ndev_register(priv, i);
+		err = rswitch_ndev_create(priv, i);
 		if (err < 0)
 			goto out;
 	}
@@ -2852,6 +2844,14 @@ static int rswitch_init(struct rswitch_private *priv)
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto out;
 
+	/* Register devices so Linux network stack can access them now */
+
+	for (i = 0; i < num_ndev; i++) {
+		err = register_netdev(priv->rdev[i]->ndev);
+		if (err)
+			goto out;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 
 out: