diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.h
index a699c991ad2c..dda0f678339a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.h
@@ -594,6 +594,7 @@ struct ixgbe_mac_addr {
 
 /* default to trying for four seconds */
 #define IXGBE_TRY_LINK_TIMEOUT (4 * HZ)
+#define IXGBE_SFP_POLL_JIFFIES (2 * HZ)	/* SFP poll every 2 seconds */
 
 /* board specific private data structure */
 struct ixgbe_adapter {
@@ -707,6 +708,7 @@ struct ixgbe_adapter {
 
 	u32 link_speed;
 	bool link_up;
+	unsigned long sfp_poll_time;
 	unsigned long link_check_timeout;
 
 	struct timer_list service_timer;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
index 369204c18832..9986be5b84ca 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
@@ -2509,6 +2509,7 @@ static void ixgbe_check_sfp_event(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter, u32 eicr)
 		IXGBE_WRITE_REG(hw, IXGBE_EICR, eicr_mask);
 		if (!test_bit(__IXGBE_DOWN, &adapter->state)) {
 			adapter->flags2 |= IXGBE_FLAG2_SFP_NEEDS_RESET;
+			adapter->sfp_poll_time = 0;
 			ixgbe_service_event_schedule(adapter);
 		}
 	}
@@ -4804,6 +4805,7 @@ static void ixgbe_sfp_link_config(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter)
 		adapter->flags2 |= IXGBE_FLAG2_SEARCH_FOR_SFP;
 
 	adapter->flags2 |= IXGBE_FLAG2_SFP_NEEDS_RESET;
+	adapter->sfp_poll_time = 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -6709,10 +6711,16 @@ static void ixgbe_sfp_detection_subtask(struct ixgbe_adapter *adapter)
 	    !(adapter->flags2 & IXGBE_FLAG2_SFP_NEEDS_RESET))
 		return;
 
+	if (adapter->sfp_poll_time &&
+	    time_after(adapter->sfp_poll_time, jiffies))
+		return; /* If not yet time to poll for SFP */
+
 	/* someone else is in init, wait until next service event */
 	if (test_and_set_bit(__IXGBE_IN_SFP_INIT, &adapter->state))
 		return;
 
+	adapter->sfp_poll_time = jiffies + IXGBE_SFP_POLL_JIFFIES - 1;
+
 	err = hw->phy.ops.identify_sfp(hw);
 	if (err == IXGBE_ERR_SFP_NOT_SUPPORTED)
 		goto sfp_out;