diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c b/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
index c5c3f0b62d7f2..7f0c49c2b09d9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
@@ -305,17 +305,15 @@ void phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, unsigned long caps)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_caps_to_linkmodes);
 
 /**
- * phylink_get_linkmodes() - get acceptable link modes
- * @linkmodes: ethtool linkmode mask (must be already initialised)
+ * phylink_get_capabilities() - get capabilities for a given MAC
  * @interface: phy interface mode defined by &typedef phy_interface_t
  * @mac_capabilities: bitmask of MAC capabilities
  *
- * Set all possible pause, speed and duplex linkmodes in @linkmodes that
- * are supported by the @interface mode and @mac_capabilities. @linkmodes
- * must have been initialised previously.
+ * Get the MAC capabilities that are supported by the @interface mode and
+ * @mac_capabilities.
  */
-void phylink_get_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, phy_interface_t interface,
-			   unsigned long mac_capabilities)
+unsigned long phylink_get_capabilities(phy_interface_t interface,
+				       unsigned long mac_capabilities)
 {
 	unsigned long caps = MAC_SYM_PAUSE | MAC_ASYM_PAUSE;
 
@@ -391,9 +389,9 @@ void phylink_get_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, phy_interface_t interface,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(linkmodes, caps & mac_capabilities);
+	return caps & mac_capabilities;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_get_linkmodes);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_get_capabilities);
 
 /**
  * phylink_generic_validate() - generic validate() callback implementation
@@ -410,10 +408,13 @@ void phylink_generic_validate(struct phylink_config *config,
 			      struct phylink_link_state *state)
 {
 	__ETHTOOL_DECLARE_LINK_MODE_MASK(mask) = { 0, };
+	unsigned long caps;
 
 	phylink_set_port_modes(mask);
 	phylink_set(mask, Autoneg);
-	phylink_get_linkmodes(mask, state->interface, config->mac_capabilities);
+	caps = phylink_get_capabilities(state->interface,
+					config->mac_capabilities);
+	phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(mask, caps);
 
 	linkmode_and(supported, supported, mask);
 	linkmode_and(state->advertising, state->advertising, mask);
diff --git a/include/linux/phylink.h b/include/linux/phylink.h
index 7cf26d7a522d0..cc039ae7e80c6 100644
--- a/include/linux/phylink.h
+++ b/include/linux/phylink.h
@@ -548,8 +548,8 @@ void pcs_link_up(struct phylink_pcs *pcs, unsigned int mode,
 #endif
 
 void phylink_caps_to_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, unsigned long caps);
-void phylink_get_linkmodes(unsigned long *linkmodes, phy_interface_t interface,
-			   unsigned long mac_capabilities);
+unsigned long phylink_get_capabilities(phy_interface_t interface,
+				       unsigned long mac_capabilities);
 void phylink_generic_validate(struct phylink_config *config,
 			      unsigned long *supported,
 			      struct phylink_link_state *state);