diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac.h
index f05cae103d83..c602ace572b2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac.h
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ struct stmmac_priv {
 
 	int speed;
 	unsigned int flow_ctrl;
-	unsigned int pause;
+	unsigned int pause_time;
 	struct mii_bus *mii;
 
 	struct phylink_config phylink_config;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c
index fd8ca1524e43..c3a13bd8c9b3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_main.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ MODULE_PARM_DESC(flow_ctrl, "Flow control ability [on/off]");
 
 static int pause = PAUSE_TIME;
 module_param(pause, int, 0644);
-MODULE_PARM_DESC(pause, "Flow Control Pause Time");
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(pause, "Flow Control Pause Time (units of 512 bit times)");
 
 #define TC_DEFAULT 64
 static int tc = TC_DEFAULT;
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ static void stmmac_mac_flow_ctrl(struct stmmac_priv *priv, u32 duplex)
 	u32 tx_cnt = priv->plat->tx_queues_to_use;
 
 	stmmac_flow_ctrl(priv, priv->hw, duplex, priv->flow_ctrl,
-			priv->pause, tx_cnt);
+			 priv->pause_time, tx_cnt);
 }
 
 static unsigned long stmmac_mac_get_caps(struct phylink_config *config,
@@ -7404,7 +7404,7 @@ int stmmac_dvr_probe(struct device *device,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	stmmac_set_ethtool_ops(ndev);
-	priv->pause = pause;
+	priv->pause_time = pause;
 	priv->plat = plat_dat;
 	priv->ioaddr = res->addr;
 	priv->dev->base_addr = (unsigned long)res->addr;