diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index 478405e544cc8..fe16f58940922 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -1012,10 +1012,17 @@ int phy_attach_direct(struct net_device *dev, struct phy_device *phydev,
 	err = sysfs_create_link(&phydev->mdio.dev.kobj, &dev->dev.kobj,
 				"attached_dev");
 	if (!err) {
-		err = sysfs_create_link(&dev->dev.kobj, &phydev->mdio.dev.kobj,
-					"phydev");
-		if (err)
-			goto error;
+		err = sysfs_create_link_nowarn(&dev->dev.kobj,
+					       &phydev->mdio.dev.kobj,
+					       "phydev");
+		if (err) {
+			dev_err(&dev->dev, "could not add device link to %s err %d\n",
+				kobject_name(&phydev->mdio.dev.kobj),
+				err);
+			/* non-fatal - some net drivers can use one netdevice
+			 * with more then one phy
+			 */
+		}
 
 		phydev->sysfs_links = true;
 	}
diff --git a/fs/sysfs/symlink.c b/fs/sysfs/symlink.c
index 8664db25a9a6f..215c225b2ca17 100644
--- a/fs/sysfs/symlink.c
+++ b/fs/sysfs/symlink.c
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ int sysfs_create_link_nowarn(struct kobject *kobj, struct kobject *target,
 {
 	return sysfs_do_create_link(kobj, target, name, 0);
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(sysfs_create_link_nowarn);
 
 /**
  *	sysfs_delete_link - remove symlink in object's directory.