return -EINVAL;
 }
 
+static int rtnl_set_vf_rate(struct net_device *dev, int vf, int min_tx_rate,
+                            int max_tx_rate)
+{
+       const struct net_device_ops *ops = dev->netdev_ops;
+
+       if (!ops->ndo_set_vf_rate)
+               return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+       if (max_tx_rate && max_tx_rate < min_tx_rate)
+               return -EINVAL;
+
+       return ops->ndo_set_vf_rate(dev, vf, min_tx_rate, max_tx_rate);
+}
+
 static int validate_linkmsg(struct net_device *dev, struct nlattr *tb[],
                            struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
 
-               err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
-               if (ops->ndo_set_vf_rate)
-                       err = ops->ndo_set_vf_rate(dev, ivt->vf,
-                                                  ivf.min_tx_rate,
-                                                  ivt->rate);
+               err = rtnl_set_vf_rate(dev, ivt->vf,
+                                      ivf.min_tx_rate, ivt->rate);
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
        }
 
                if (ivt->vf >= INT_MAX)
                        return -EINVAL;
-               err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
-               if (ops->ndo_set_vf_rate)
-                       err = ops->ndo_set_vf_rate(dev, ivt->vf,
-                                                  ivt->min_tx_rate,
-                                                  ivt->max_tx_rate);
+
+               err = rtnl_set_vf_rate(dev, ivt->vf,
+                                      ivt->min_tx_rate, ivt->max_tx_rate);
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
        }