diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
index b0632e859564b..f7a92e7edff7e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy.c
@@ -818,23 +818,6 @@ int phy_start_interrupts(struct phy_device *phydev)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_start_interrupts);
 
-/**
- * phy_stop_interrupts - disable interrupts from a PHY device
- * @phydev: target phy_device struct
- */
-int phy_stop_interrupts(struct phy_device *phydev)
-{
-	int err = phy_disable_interrupts(phydev);
-
-	if (err)
-		phy_error(phydev);
-
-	free_irq(phydev->irq, phydev);
-
-	return err;
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_stop_interrupts);
-
 /**
  * phy_stop - Bring down the PHY link, and stop checking the status
  * @phydev: target phy_device struct
@@ -858,6 +841,7 @@ void phy_stop(struct phy_device *phydev)
 	mutex_unlock(&phydev->lock);
 
 	phy_state_machine(&phydev->state_queue.work);
+	phy_stop_machine(phydev);
 
 	/* Cannot call flush_scheduled_work() here as desired because
 	 * of rtnl_lock(), but PHY_HALTED shall guarantee irq handler
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index 3860dd85d0976..7b31641742519 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -999,10 +999,11 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_connect);
  */
 void phy_disconnect(struct phy_device *phydev)
 {
-	if (phydev->irq > 0)
-		phy_stop_interrupts(phydev);
+	if (phy_is_started(phydev))
+		phy_stop(phydev);
 
-	phy_stop_machine(phydev);
+	if (phy_interrupt_is_valid(phydev))
+		free_irq(phydev->irq, phydev);
 
 	phydev->adjust_link = NULL;
 
diff --git a/include/linux/phy.h b/include/linux/phy.h
index 232d93b9cea47..0990f913d6490 100644
--- a/include/linux/phy.h
+++ b/include/linux/phy.h
@@ -951,7 +951,6 @@ int phy_aneg_done(struct phy_device *phydev);
 int phy_speed_down(struct phy_device *phydev, bool sync);
 int phy_speed_up(struct phy_device *phydev);
 
-int phy_stop_interrupts(struct phy_device *phydev);
 int phy_restart_aneg(struct phy_device *phydev);
 int phy_reset_after_clk_enable(struct phy_device *phydev);