Index: sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c
+++ sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c
@@ -394,17 +394,15 @@
 	/* check if there are no segments */
 	if (unlikely(xsegs == 0)) {
 		bus_dmamap_unload(sq->dma_tag, sq->mbuf[pi].dma_map);
-		m_freem(mb);
-		*mbp = NULL;	/* safety clear */
-		return (0);
+		err = 0;
+		goto tx_drop;
 	}
 
 	/* return ENOBUFS if the queue is full */
 	if (unlikely(!mlx5e_sq_has_room_for(sq, xsegs))) {
 		bus_dmamap_unload(sq->dma_tag, sq->mbuf[pi].dma_map);
-		m_freem(mb);
-		*mbp = NULL;	/* safety clear */
-		return (ENOBUFS);
+		err = ENOBUFS;
+		goto tx_drop;
 	}
 
 	wqe = mlx5_wq_cyc_get_wqe(&sq->wq, pi);
@@ -792,6 +790,7 @@
 	if (unlikely((ifp->if_drv_flags & IFF_DRV_RUNNING) == 0 ||
 	    READ_ONCE(sq->running) == 0)) {
 		m_freem(mb);
+		sq->stats.dropped++;
 		return (ENETDOWN);
 	}
 
@@ -799,6 +798,7 @@
 	if (mlx5e_sq_xmit(sq, &mb) != 0) {
 		/* NOTE: m_freem() is NULL safe */
 		m_freem(mb);
+		sq->stats.dropped++;
 		err = ENOBUFS;
 	}