diff --git a/sys/dev/ixgbe/if_ixv.c b/sys/dev/ixgbe/if_ixv.c
--- a/sys/dev/ixgbe/if_ixv.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ixgbe/if_ixv.c
@@ -463,6 +463,13 @@
 		goto err_out;
 	}
 
+	/* Check if VF was disabled by PF */
+	error = hw->mac.ops.get_link_state(hw, &sc->link_enabled);
+	if (error) {
+		/* PF is not capable of controlling VF state. Enable the link. */
+		sc->link_enabled = true;
+	}
+
 	/* If no mac address was assigned, make a random one */
 	if (!ixv_check_ether_addr(hw->mac.addr)) {
 		ether_gen_addr(iflib_get_ifp(ctx),
@@ -648,6 +655,13 @@
 	ixv_init_stats(sc);
 
 	/* Config/Enable Link */
+	error = hw->mac.ops.get_link_state(hw, &sc->link_enabled);
+	if (error) {
+		/* PF is not capable of controlling VF state. Enable the link. */
+		sc->link_enabled = true;
+	} else if (sc->link_enabled == false)
+		device_printf(dev, "VF is disabled by PF\n");
+
 	hw->mac.ops.check_link(hw, &sc->link_speed, &sc->link_up,
 	    false);
 
@@ -805,7 +819,8 @@
 ixv_negotiate_api(struct ixgbe_softc *sc)
 {
 	struct ixgbe_hw *hw = &sc->hw;
-	int             mbx_api[] = { ixgbe_mbox_api_11,
+	int             mbx_api[] = { ixgbe_mbox_api_12,
+	                              ixgbe_mbox_api_11,
 	                              ixgbe_mbox_api_10,
 	                              ixgbe_mbox_api_unknown };
 	int             i = 0;
@@ -914,7 +929,7 @@
 		iflib_get_ifp(ctx)->if_init(ctx);
 	}
 
-	if (sc->link_up) {
+	if (sc->link_up && sc->link_enabled) {
 		if (sc->link_active == false) {
 			if (bootverbose)
 				device_printf(dev, "Link is up %d Gbps %s \n",
diff --git a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe.h b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe.h
--- a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe.h
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@
 	u16			num_segs;
 	u32			link_speed;
 	bool			link_up;
+	bool			link_enabled;
 	u32			vector;
 	u16			dmac;
 	u32			phy_layer;
diff --git a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_mbx.h b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_mbx.h
--- a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_mbx.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_mbx.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
 #define IXGBE_VF_GET_RETA      0x0a    /* VF request for RETA */
 #define IXGBE_VF_GET_RSS_KEY	0x0b    /* get RSS key */
 #define IXGBE_VF_UPDATE_XCAST_MODE	0x0c
+#define IXGBE_VF_GET_LINK_STATE  0x10
 
 /* mode choices for IXGBE_VF_UPDATE_XCAST_MODE */
 enum ixgbevf_xcast_modes {
diff --git a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h
--- a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_type.h
@@ -4012,6 +4012,7 @@
 				   ixgbe_mc_addr_itr);
 	s32 (*update_mc_addr_list)(struct ixgbe_hw *, u8 *, u32,
 				   ixgbe_mc_addr_itr, bool clear);
+	s32 (*get_link_state)(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, bool *link_state);
 	s32 (*enable_mc)(struct ixgbe_hw *);
 	s32 (*disable_mc)(struct ixgbe_hw *);
 	s32 (*clear_vfta)(struct ixgbe_hw *);
diff --git a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.h b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.h
--- a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.h
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@
 				 u32 mc_addr_count, ixgbe_mc_addr_itr,
 				 bool clear);
 s32 ixgbevf_update_xcast_mode(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, int xcast_mode);
+s32 ixgbe_get_link_state_vf(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, bool *link_state);
 s32 ixgbe_set_vfta_vf(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u32 vlan, u32 vind,
 		      bool vlan_on, bool vlvf_bypass);
 s32 ixgbevf_rlpml_set_vf(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, u16 max_size);
diff --git a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.c b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.c
--- a/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ixgbe/ixgbe_vf.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 	hw->mac.ops.init_rx_addrs = NULL;
 	hw->mac.ops.update_mc_addr_list = ixgbe_update_mc_addr_list_vf;
 	hw->mac.ops.update_xcast_mode = ixgbevf_update_xcast_mode;
+	hw->mac.ops.get_link_state = ixgbe_get_link_state_vf;
 	hw->mac.ops.enable_mc = NULL;
 	hw->mac.ops.disable_mc = NULL;
 	hw->mac.ops.clear_vfta = NULL;
@@ -452,6 +453,34 @@
 	return IXGBE_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+/**
+ * ixgbe_get_link_state_vf - Get VF link state from PF
+ * @hw: pointer to the HW structure
+ * @link_state: link state storage
+ *
+ * Returns state of the operation error or success.
+ **/
+s32 ixgbe_get_link_state_vf(struct ixgbe_hw *hw, bool *link_state)
+{
+	u32 msgbuf[2];
+	s32 err;
+	s32 ret_val;
+
+	msgbuf[0] = IXGBE_VF_GET_LINK_STATE;
+	msgbuf[1] = 0x0;
+
+	err = ixgbevf_write_msg_read_ack(hw, msgbuf, msgbuf, 2);
+
+	if (err || (msgbuf[0] & IXGBE_VT_MSGTYPE_NACK)) {
+		ret_val = IXGBE_ERR_MBX;
+	} else {
+		ret_val = IXGBE_SUCCESS;
+		*link_state = msgbuf[1];
+	}
+
+	return ret_val;
+}
+
 /**
  * ixgbe_set_vfta_vf - Set/Unset vlan filter table address
  * @hw: pointer to the HW structure