diff --git a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.10-ethercat.c b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.10-ethercat.c
index 9508e74d..b00c04af 100644
--- a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.10-ethercat.c
+++ b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.10-ethercat.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/in.h>
 #include <linux/io.h>
 #include <linux/ip.h>
+#include <linux/irq_work.h>
 #include <linux/tcp.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
@@ -633,6 +634,7 @@ struct rtl8169_private {
 
 	ec_device_t *ecdev;
 	unsigned long ec_watchdog_jiffies;
+	struct irq_work ec_watchdog_kicker;
 };
 
 typedef void (*rtl_generic_fct)(struct rtl8169_private *tp);
@@ -5079,6 +5081,7 @@ static void rtl_remove_one(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
 		ecdev_close(tp->ecdev);
+		irq_work_sync(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 		ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
 	} else {
 		unregister_netdev(tp->dev);
@@ -5369,6 +5372,14 @@ done:
 	rtl_rar_set(tp, mac_addr);
 }
 
+static void ec_kick_watchdog(struct irq_work *work)
+{
+	struct rtl8169_private *tp =
+		container_of(work, struct rtl8169_private, ec_watchdog_kicker);
+
+	phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+}
+
 static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct rtl8169_private *tp = netdev_priv(dev);
@@ -5387,8 +5398,7 @@ static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 	rtl_rx(dev, tp, 100);
 
 	if (status & LinkChg)
-		phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
-
+		irq_work_queue(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 
 	rtl_ack_events(tp, status);
 }
@@ -5588,6 +5598,7 @@ static int rtl_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		pm_runtime_put_sync(&pdev->dev);
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
+		init_irq_work(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker, ec_kick_watchdog);
 		rc = ecdev_open(tp->ecdev);
 		if (rc) {
 			ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
diff --git a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.14-ethercat.c b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.14-ethercat.c
index 58ed3d95..51c54f47 100644
--- a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.14-ethercat.c
+++ b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.14-ethercat.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/in.h>
 #include <linux/io.h>
 #include <linux/ip.h>
+#include <linux/irq_work.h>
 #include <linux/tcp.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
@@ -653,6 +654,7 @@ struct rtl8169_private {
 
 	ec_device_t *ecdev;
 	unsigned long ec_watchdog_jiffies;
+	struct irq_work ec_watchdog_kicker;
 };
 
 typedef void (*rtl_generic_fct)(struct rtl8169_private *tp);
@@ -5048,6 +5050,7 @@ static void rtl_remove_one(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
 		ecdev_close(tp->ecdev);
+		irq_work_sync(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 		ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
 	} else {
 		unregister_netdev(tp->dev);
@@ -5338,6 +5341,14 @@ done:
 	rtl_rar_set(tp, mac_addr);
 }
 
+static void ec_kick_watchdog(struct irq_work *work)
+{
+	struct rtl8169_private *tp =
+		container_of(work, struct rtl8169_private, ec_watchdog_kicker);
+
+	phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+}
+
 static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct rtl8169_private *tp = netdev_priv(dev);
@@ -5356,7 +5367,7 @@ static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 	rtl_rx(dev, tp, 100);
 
 	if (status & LinkChg)
-		phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+		irq_work_queue(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 
 	rtl_ack_events(tp, status);
 }
@@ -5560,6 +5571,7 @@ static int rtl_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		pm_runtime_put_sync(&pdev->dev);
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
+		init_irq_work(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker, ec_kick_watchdog);
 		rc = ecdev_open(tp->ecdev);
 		if (rc) {
 			ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
diff --git a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.15-ethercat.c b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.15-ethercat.c
index f2bc5230..df956257 100644
--- a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.15-ethercat.c
+++ b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-5.15-ethercat.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/in.h>
 #include <linux/io.h>
 #include <linux/ip.h>
+#include <linux/irq_work.h>
 #include <linux/tcp.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
@@ -641,6 +642,7 @@ struct rtl8169_private {
 
 	ec_device_t *ecdev;
 	unsigned long ec_watchdog_jiffies;
+	struct irq_work ec_watchdog_kicker;
 };
 
 typedef void (*rtl_generic_fct)(struct rtl8169_private *tp);
@@ -5041,6 +5043,7 @@ static void rtl_remove_one(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
 		ecdev_close(tp->ecdev);
+		irq_work_sync(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 		ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
 	} else {
 		unregister_netdev(tp->dev);
@@ -5331,6 +5334,14 @@ done:
 	rtl_rar_set(tp, mac_addr);
 }
 
+static void ec_kick_watchdog(struct irq_work *work)
+{
+	struct rtl8169_private *tp =
+		container_of(work, struct rtl8169_private, ec_watchdog_kicker);
+
+	phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+}
+
 static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct rtl8169_private *tp = netdev_priv(dev);
@@ -5349,7 +5360,7 @@ static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 	rtl_rx(dev, tp, 100);
 
 	if (status & LinkChg)
-		phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+		irq_work_queue(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 
 	rtl_ack_events(tp, status);
 }
@@ -5552,6 +5563,7 @@ static int rtl_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		pm_runtime_put_sync(&pdev->dev);
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
+		init_irq_work(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker, ec_kick_watchdog);
 		rc = ecdev_open(tp->ecdev);
 		if (rc) {
 			ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
diff --git a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-6.1-ethercat.c b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-6.1-ethercat.c
index 82405979..06e02bc6 100644
--- a/devices/r8169/r8169_main-6.1-ethercat.c
+++ b/devices/r8169/r8169_main-6.1-ethercat.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/in.h>
 #include <linux/io.h>
 #include <linux/ip.h>
+#include <linux/irq_work.h>
 #include <linux/tcp.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
@@ -630,6 +631,7 @@ struct rtl8169_private {
 
 	ec_device_t *ecdev;
 	unsigned long ec_watchdog_jiffies;
+	struct irq_work ec_watchdog_kicker;
 };
 
 typedef void (*rtl_generic_fct)(struct rtl8169_private *tp);
@@ -4919,6 +4921,7 @@ static void rtl_remove_one(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
 		ecdev_close(tp->ecdev);
+		irq_work_sync(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 		ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);
 	} else {
 		unregister_netdev(tp->dev);
@@ -5189,6 +5192,14 @@ static bool rtl_aspm_is_safe(struct rtl8169_private *tp)
 	return false;
 }
 
+static void ec_kick_watchdog(struct irq_work *work)
+{
+	struct rtl8169_private *tp =
+		container_of(work, struct rtl8169_private, ec_watchdog_kicker);
+
+	phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+}
+
 static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct rtl8169_private *tp = netdev_priv(dev);
@@ -5207,7 +5218,7 @@ static void ec_poll(struct net_device *dev)
 	rtl_rx(dev, tp, 100);
 
 	if (status & LinkChg)
-		phy_mac_interrupt(tp->phydev);
+		irq_work_queue(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker);
 
 	rtl_ack_events(tp, status);
 }
@@ -5416,6 +5427,7 @@ static int rtl_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 		pm_runtime_put_sync(&pdev->dev);
 
 	if (tp->ecdev) {
+		init_irq_work(&tp->ec_watchdog_kicker, ec_kick_watchdog);
 		rc = ecdev_open(tp->ecdev);
 		if (rc) {
 			ecdev_withdraw(tp->ecdev);