diff --git a/drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c b/drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c
index 733f120c852b..b45ca6b0a79e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c
+++ b/drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c
@@ -274,12 +274,17 @@ static int write_mii_word(rtl8150_t * dev, u8 phy, __u8 indx, u16 reg)
 		return 1;
 }
 
-static inline void set_ethernet_addr(rtl8150_t * dev)
+static bool set_ethernet_addr(rtl8150_t *dev)
 {
 	u8 node_id[6];
+	int ret;
 
-	get_registers(dev, IDR, sizeof(node_id), node_id);
-	memcpy(dev->netdev->dev_addr, node_id, sizeof(node_id));
+	ret = get_registers(dev, IDR, sizeof(node_id), node_id);
+	if(ret == sizeof(node_id)) {
+		memcpy(dev->netdev->dev_addr, node_id, sizeof(node_id));
+		return true;
+	}
+	return false;
 }
 
 static int rtl8150_set_mac_address(struct net_device *netdev, void *p)
@@ -909,7 +914,10 @@ static int rtl8150_probe(struct usb_interface *intf,
 		goto out1;
 	}
 	fill_skb_pool(dev);
-	set_ethernet_addr(dev);
+	if(!set_ethernet_addr(dev)) {
+		dev_err(&intf->dev, "software assigned MAC address.\n");
+		eth_hw_addr_random(dev->netdev);
+	}
 
 	usb_set_intfdata(intf, dev);
 	SET_NETDEV_DEV(netdev, &intf->dev);