diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c
index 7b94784a1465ec1b8d0891f7a8f9fa89c1fd3bff..478d80882f01c6a61f991d40428a2490c04993b3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/xilinx/xilinx_axienet_main.c
@@ -632,6 +632,8 @@ static int axienet_free_tx_chain(struct net_device *ndev, u32 first_bd,
 		if (nr_bds == -1 && !(status & XAXIDMA_BD_STS_COMPLETE_MASK))
 			break;
 
+		/* Ensure we see complete descriptor update */
+		dma_rmb();
 		phys = desc_get_phys_addr(lp, cur_p);
 		dma_unmap_single(ndev->dev.parent, phys,
 				 (cur_p->cntrl & XAXIDMA_BD_CTRL_LENGTH_MASK),
@@ -645,8 +647,10 @@ static int axienet_free_tx_chain(struct net_device *ndev, u32 first_bd,
 		cur_p->app1 = 0;
 		cur_p->app2 = 0;
 		cur_p->app4 = 0;
-		cur_p->status = 0;
 		cur_p->skb = NULL;
+		/* ensure our transmit path and device don't prematurely see status cleared */
+		wmb();
+		cur_p->status = 0;
 
 		if (sizep)
 			*sizep += status & XAXIDMA_BD_STS_ACTUAL_LEN_MASK;
@@ -704,6 +708,9 @@ static inline int axienet_check_tx_bd_space(struct axienet_local *lp,
 					    int num_frag)
 {
 	struct axidma_bd *cur_p;
+
+	/* Ensure we see all descriptor updates from device or TX IRQ path */
+	rmb();
 	cur_p = &lp->tx_bd_v[(lp->tx_bd_tail + num_frag) % lp->tx_bd_num];
 	if (cur_p->status & XAXIDMA_BD_STS_ALL_MASK)
 		return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
@@ -843,6 +850,8 @@ static void axienet_recv(struct net_device *ndev)
 
 		tail_p = lp->rx_bd_p + sizeof(*lp->rx_bd_v) * lp->rx_bd_ci;
 
+		/* Ensure we see complete descriptor update */
+		dma_rmb();
 		phys = desc_get_phys_addr(lp, cur_p);
 		dma_unmap_single(ndev->dev.parent, phys, lp->max_frm_size,
 				 DMA_FROM_DEVICE);