diff --git a/drivers/net/fec_mxc.c b/drivers/net/fec_mxc.c
index 107cd6e..3b2b995 100644
--- a/drivers/net/fec_mxc.c
+++ b/drivers/net/fec_mxc.c
@@ -270,49 +270,34 @@
  * @param[in] dsize desired size of each receive buffer
  * @return 0 on success
  *
- * For this task we need additional memory for the data buffers. And each
- * data buffer requires some alignment. Thy must be aligned to a specific
- * boundary each.
+ * Init all RX descriptors to default values.
  */
-static int fec_rbd_init(struct fec_priv *fec, int count, int dsize)
+static void fec_rbd_init(struct fec_priv *fec, int count, int dsize)
 {
 	uint32_t size;
+	uint8_t *data;
 	int i;
 
 	/*
-	 * Allocate memory for the buffers. This allocation respects the
-	 * alignment
+	 * Reload the RX descriptors with default values and wipe
+	 * the RX buffers.
 	 */
 	size = roundup(dsize, ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
 	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-		uint32_t data_ptr = readl(&fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer);
-		if (data_ptr == 0) {
-			uint8_t *data = memalign(ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN,
-						 size);
-			if (!data) {
-				printf("%s: error allocating rxbuf %d\n",
-				       __func__, i);
-				goto err;
-			}
-			writel((uint32_t)data, &fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer);
-		} /* needs allocation */
-		writew(FEC_RBD_EMPTY, &fec->rbd_base[i].status);
-		writew(0, &fec->rbd_base[i].data_length);
+		data = (uint8_t *)fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer;
+		memset(data, 0, dsize);
+		flush_dcache_range((uint32_t)data, (uint32_t)data + size);
+
+		fec->rbd_base[i].status = FEC_RBD_EMPTY;
+		fec->rbd_base[i].data_length = 0;
 	}
 
 	/* Mark the last RBD to close the ring. */
-	writew(FEC_RBD_WRAP | FEC_RBD_EMPTY, &fec->rbd_base[i - 1].status);
+	fec->rbd_base[i - 1].status = FEC_RBD_WRAP | FEC_RBD_EMPTY;
 	fec->rbd_index = 0;
 
-	return 0;
-
-err:
-	for (; i >= 0; i--) {
-		uint32_t data_ptr = readl(&fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer);
-		free((void *)data_ptr);
-	}
-
-	return -ENOMEM;
+	flush_dcache_range((unsigned)fec->rbd_base,
+			   (unsigned)fec->rbd_base + size);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -332,10 +317,12 @@
 	unsigned addr = (unsigned)fec->tbd_base;
 	unsigned size = roundup(2 * sizeof(struct fec_bd),
 				ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
-	writew(0x0000, &fec->tbd_base[0].status);
-	writew(FEC_TBD_WRAP, &fec->tbd_base[1].status);
+
+	memset(fec->tbd_base, 0, size);
+	fec->tbd_base[0].status = 0;
+	fec->tbd_base[1].status = FEC_TBD_WRAP;
 	fec->tbd_index = 0;
-	flush_dcache_range(addr, addr+size);
+	flush_dcache_range(addr, addr + size);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -527,51 +514,18 @@
 {
 	struct fec_priv *fec = (struct fec_priv *)dev->priv;
 	uint32_t mib_ptr = (uint32_t)&fec->eth->rmon_t_drop;
-	uint32_t size;
-	int i, ret;
+	int i;
 
 	/* Initialize MAC address */
 	fec_set_hwaddr(dev);
 
 	/*
-	 * Allocate transmit descriptors, there are two in total. This
-	 * allocation respects cache alignment.
+	 * Setup transmit descriptors, there are two in total.
 	 */
-	if (!fec->tbd_base) {
-		size = roundup(2 * sizeof(struct fec_bd),
-				ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
-		fec->tbd_base = memalign(ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN, size);
-		if (!fec->tbd_base) {
-			ret = -ENOMEM;
-			goto err1;
-		}
-		memset(fec->tbd_base, 0, size);
-		fec_tbd_init(fec);
-	}
+	fec_tbd_init(fec);
 
-	/*
-	 * Allocate receive descriptors. This allocation respects cache
-	 * alignment.
-	 */
-	if (!fec->rbd_base) {
-		size = roundup(FEC_RBD_NUM * sizeof(struct fec_bd),
-				ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
-		fec->rbd_base = memalign(ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN, size);
-		if (!fec->rbd_base) {
-			ret = -ENOMEM;
-			goto err2;
-		}
-		memset(fec->rbd_base, 0, size);
-		/*
-		 * Initialize RxBD ring
-		 */
-		if (fec_rbd_init(fec, FEC_RBD_NUM, FEC_MAX_PKT_SIZE) < 0) {
-			ret = -ENOMEM;
-			goto err3;
-		}
-		flush_dcache_range((unsigned)fec->rbd_base,
-				   (unsigned)fec->rbd_base + size);
-	}
+	/* Setup receive descriptors. */
+	fec_rbd_init(fec, FEC_RBD_NUM, FEC_MAX_PKT_SIZE);
 
 	fec_reg_setup(fec);
 
@@ -608,13 +562,6 @@
 #endif
 	fec_open(dev);
 	return 0;
-
-err3:
-	free(fec->rbd_base);
-err2:
-	free(fec->tbd_base);
-err1:
-	return ret;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -907,6 +854,74 @@
 	sprintf(dest, (dev_id == -1) ? "FEC" : "FEC%i", dev_id);
 }
 
+static int fec_alloc_descs(struct fec_priv *fec)
+{
+	unsigned int size;
+	int i;
+	uint8_t *data;
+
+	/* Allocate TX descriptors. */
+	size = roundup(2 * sizeof(struct fec_bd), ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
+	fec->tbd_base = memalign(ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN, size);
+	if (!fec->tbd_base)
+		goto err_tx;
+
+	/* Allocate RX descriptors. */
+	size = roundup(FEC_RBD_NUM * sizeof(struct fec_bd), ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
+	fec->rbd_base = memalign(ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN, size);
+	if (!fec->rbd_base)
+		goto err_rx;
+
+	memset(fec->rbd_base, 0, size);
+
+	/* Allocate RX buffers. */
+
+	/* Maximum RX buffer size. */
+	size = roundup(FEC_MAX_PKT_SIZE, ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN);
+	for (i = 0; i < FEC_RBD_NUM; i++) {
+		data = memalign(ARCH_DMA_MINALIGN, size);
+		if (!data) {
+			printf("%s: error allocating rxbuf %d\n", __func__, i);
+			goto err_ring;
+		}
+
+		memset(data, 0, size);
+
+		fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer = (uint32_t)data;
+		fec->rbd_base[i].status = FEC_RBD_EMPTY;
+		fec->rbd_base[i].data_length = 0;
+		/* Flush the buffer to memory. */
+		flush_dcache_range((uint32_t)data, (uint32_t)data + size);
+	}
+
+	/* Mark the last RBD to close the ring. */
+	fec->rbd_base[i - 1].status = FEC_RBD_WRAP | FEC_RBD_EMPTY;
+
+	fec->rbd_index = 0;
+	fec->tbd_index = 0;
+
+	return 0;
+
+err_ring:
+	for (; i >= 0; i--)
+		free((void *)fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer);
+	free(fec->rbd_base);
+err_rx:
+	free(fec->tbd_base);
+err_tx:
+	return -ENOMEM;
+}
+
+static void fec_free_descs(struct fec_priv *fec)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < FEC_RBD_NUM; i++)
+		free((void *)fec->rbd_base[i].data_pointer);
+	free(fec->rbd_base);
+	free(fec->tbd_base);
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_PHYLIB
 int fec_probe(bd_t *bd, int dev_id, uint32_t base_addr,
 		struct mii_dev *bus, struct phy_device *phydev)
@@ -939,6 +954,10 @@
 	memset(edev, 0, sizeof(*edev));
 	memset(fec, 0, sizeof(*fec));
 
+	ret = fec_alloc_descs(fec);
+	if (ret)
+		goto err3;
+
 	edev->priv = fec;
 	edev->init = fec_init;
 	edev->send = fec_send;
@@ -957,7 +976,7 @@
 	while (readl(&fec->eth->ecntrl) & FEC_ECNTRL_RESET) {
 		if (get_timer(start) > (CONFIG_SYS_HZ * 5)) {
 			printf("FEC MXC: Timeout reseting chip\n");
-			goto err3;
+			goto err4;
 		}
 		udelay(10);
 	}
@@ -984,6 +1003,8 @@
 			eth_setenv_enetaddr("ethaddr", ethaddr);
 	}
 	return ret;
+err4:
+	fec_free_descs(fec);
 err3:
 	free(fec);
 err2: