Index: /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c	(revision 37992)
+++ /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c	(revision 37993)
@@ -960,8 +960,12 @@
         return;
     pOverride->pOrgOps              = pDev->OVR_OPS;
-    pOverride->Ops                  = *pDev->OVR_OPS;
 # if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 29)
+    /**
+     * There is no need to save ethtool_ops structure since we only modify
+     * the pointer itself and the structure is optional (#5712).
+     */
     pOverride->pfnStartXmit         = pDev->hard_start_xmit;
 # else /* LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 29) */
+    pOverride->Ops                  = *pDev->OVR_OPS;
     pOverride->Ops.ndo_start_xmit   = vboxNetFltLinuxStartXmitFilter;
 # endif /* LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 29) */