diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/platform.c b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/platform.c
index ef70867a2..a01aecbd9 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/platform.c
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/platform.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <linux/init.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
+#include <linux/etherdevice.h>
 #include <linux/platform_device.h>
 #include <linux/serial_8250.h>
 #include <linux/ath9k_platform.h>
@@ -456,8 +457,15 @@ void __init ar71xx_add_device_eth(unsigned int id)
 		break;
 	}
 
-	memcpy(pdata->mac_addr, ar71xx_mac_base, ETH_ALEN);
-	pdata->mac_addr[5] += ar71xx_eth_instance;
+	if (is_valid_ether_addr(ar71xx_mac_base)) {
+		memcpy(pdata->mac_addr, ar71xx_mac_base, ETH_ALEN);
+		pdata->mac_addr[5] += ar71xx_eth_instance;
+	} else {
+		random_ether_addr(pdata->mac_addr);
+		printk(KERN_DEBUG
+			"ar71xx: using random MAC address for eth%d\n",
+			ar71xx_eth_instance);
+	}
 
 	platform_device_register(pdev);
 	ar71xx_eth_instance++;
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h
index 2db35ec12..2bbc7486e 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 #define ETH_FCS_LEN	4
 
 #define AG71XX_DRV_NAME		"ag71xx"
-#define AG71XX_DRV_VERSION	"0.5.16"
+#define AG71XX_DRV_VERSION	"0.5.17"
 
 #define AG71XX_NAPI_WEIGHT	64
 #define AG71XX_OOM_REFILL	(1 + HZ/10)
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c
index 58e3b1151..8921639ab 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c
@@ -868,16 +868,9 @@ static int __init ag71xx_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	ag->oom_timer.data = (unsigned long) dev;
 	ag->oom_timer.function = ag71xx_oom_timer_handler;
 
-	netif_napi_add(dev, &ag->napi, ag71xx_poll, AG71XX_NAPI_WEIGHT);
+	memcpy(dev->dev_addr, pdata->mac_addr, ETH_ALEN);
 
-	if (is_valid_ether_addr(pdata->mac_addr))
-		memcpy(dev->dev_addr, pdata->mac_addr, ETH_ALEN);
-	else {
-		dev->dev_addr[0] = 0xde;
-		dev->dev_addr[1] = 0xad;
-		get_random_bytes(&dev->dev_addr[2], 3);
-		dev->dev_addr[5] = pdev->id & 0xff;
-	}
+	netif_napi_add(dev, &ag->napi, ag71xx_poll, AG71XX_NAPI_WEIGHT);
 
 	err = register_netdev(dev);
 	if (err) {