diff --git a/sys/dev/gve/gve_adminq.h b/sys/dev/gve/gve_adminq.h
--- a/sys/dev/gve/gve_adminq.h
+++ b/sys/dev/gve/gve_adminq.h
@@ -377,7 +377,8 @@
 _Static_assert(sizeof(struct stats) == 16,
     "gve: bad admin queue struct length");
 
-/* These are control path types for PTYPE which are the same as the data path
+/*
+ * These are control path types for PTYPE which are the same as the data path
  * types.
  */
 struct gve_ptype_entry {
diff --git a/sys/dev/gve/gve_dqo.h b/sys/dev/gve/gve_dqo.h
--- a/sys/dev/gve/gve_dqo.h
+++ b/sys/dev/gve/gve_dqo.h
@@ -208,9 +208,14 @@
 
 #define GVE_TX_METADATA_VERSION_DQO 0
 
+/* Used to access the generation bit within a TX completion descriptor. */
+#define GVE_TX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BYTE_OFFSET 1
+#define GVE_TX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BIT_MASK 0x80
+
 /* TX completion descriptor */
 struct gve_tx_compl_desc_dqo {
-	/* For types 0-4 this is the TX queue ID associated with this
+	/*
+	 * For types 0-4 this is the TX queue ID associated with this
 	 * completion.
 	 */
 	uint16_t id:11;
@@ -222,12 +227,14 @@
 	/* Flipped by HW to notify the descriptor is populated. */
 	uint16_t generation:1;
 	union {
-		/* For descriptor completions, this is the last index fetched
+		/*
+		 * For descriptor completions, this is the last index fetched
 		 * by HW + 1.
 		 */
 		__le16 tx_head;
 
-		/* For packet completions, this is the completion tag set on the
+		/*
+		 * For packet completions, this is the completion tag set on the
 		 * TX packet descriptors.
 		 */
 		__le16 completion_tag;
@@ -258,6 +265,10 @@
 _Static_assert(sizeof(struct gve_rx_desc_dqo) == 32,
     "gve: bad dqo desc struct length");
 
+/* Used to access the generation bit within an RX completion descriptor. */
+#define GVE_RX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BYTE_OFFSET 5
+#define GVE_RX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BIT_MASK 0x40
+
 /* Descriptor for HW to notify SW of new packets received on RX queue. */
 struct gve_rx_compl_desc_dqo {
 	/* Must be 1 */
@@ -266,7 +277,8 @@
 
 	/* Packet originated from this system rather than the network. */
 	uint8_t loopback:1;
-	/* Set when IPv6 packet contains a destination options header or routing
+	/*
+	 * Set when IPv6 packet contains a destination options header or routing
 	 * header.
 	 */
 	uint8_t ipv6_ex_add:1;
diff --git a/sys/dev/gve/gve_rx_dqo.c b/sys/dev/gve/gve_rx_dqo.c
--- a/sys/dev/gve/gve_rx_dqo.c
+++ b/sys/dev/gve/gve_rx_dqo.c
@@ -962,6 +962,19 @@
 	rx->ctx = (struct gve_rx_ctx){};
 }
 
+static uint8_t
+gve_rx_get_gen_bit(uint8_t *desc)
+{
+	uint8_t byte;
+
+	/*
+	 * Prevent generation bit from being read after the rest of the
+	 * descriptor.
+	 */
+	byte = atomic_load_acq_8(desc + GVE_RX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BYTE_OFFSET);
+	return ((byte & GVE_RX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BIT_MASK) != 0);
+}
+
 static bool
 gve_rx_cleanup_dqo(struct gve_priv *priv, struct gve_rx_ring *rx, int budget)
 {
@@ -971,17 +984,14 @@
 	NET_EPOCH_ASSERT();
 
 	while (work_done < budget) {
-		bus_dmamap_sync(rx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.tag, rx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.map,
+		bus_dmamap_sync(rx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.tag,
+		    rx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.map,
 		    BUS_DMASYNC_POSTREAD);
 
 		compl_desc = &rx->dqo.compl_ring[rx->dqo.tail];
-		if (compl_desc->generation == rx->dqo.cur_gen_bit)
+		if (gve_rx_get_gen_bit((uint8_t *)compl_desc) ==
+		    rx->dqo.cur_gen_bit)
 			break;
-		/*
-		 * Prevent generation bit from being read after the rest of the
-		 * descriptor.
-		 */
-		atomic_thread_fence_acq();
 
 		rx->cnt++;
 		rx->dqo.tail = (rx->dqo.tail + 1) & rx->dqo.mask;
diff --git a/sys/dev/gve/gve_tx_dqo.c b/sys/dev/gve/gve_tx_dqo.c
--- a/sys/dev/gve/gve_tx_dqo.c
+++ b/sys/dev/gve/gve_tx_dqo.c
@@ -1029,6 +1029,19 @@
 	gve_tx_clear_compl_ring_dqo(tx);
 }
 
+static uint8_t
+gve_tx_get_gen_bit(uint8_t *desc)
+{
+	uint8_t byte;
+
+	/*
+	 * Prevent generation bit from being read after the rest of the
+	 * descriptor.
+	 */
+	byte = atomic_load_acq_8(desc + GVE_TX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BYTE_OFFSET);
+	return ((byte & GVE_TX_DESC_DQO_GEN_BIT_MASK) != 0);
+}
+
 static bool
 gve_tx_cleanup_dqo(struct gve_priv *priv, struct gve_tx_ring *tx, int budget)
 {
@@ -1041,20 +1054,16 @@
 	uint16_t type;
 
 	while (work_done < budget) {
-		bus_dmamap_sync(tx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.tag, tx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.map,
+		bus_dmamap_sync(tx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.tag,
+		    tx->dqo.compl_ring_mem.map,
 		    BUS_DMASYNC_POSTREAD);
 
 		compl_desc = &tx->dqo.compl_ring[tx->dqo.compl_head];
-		if (compl_desc->generation == tx->dqo.cur_gen_bit)
+		if (gve_tx_get_gen_bit((uint8_t *)compl_desc) ==
+		    tx->dqo.cur_gen_bit)
 			break;
 
-		/*
-		 * Prevent generation bit from being read after the rest of the
-		 * descriptor.
-		 */
-		atomic_thread_fence_acq();
 		type = compl_desc->type;
-
 		if (type == GVE_COMPL_TYPE_DQO_DESC) {
 			/* This is the last descriptor fetched by HW plus one */
 			tx_head = le16toh(compl_desc->tx_head);