Index: /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c	(revision 38053)
+++ /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c	(revision 38054)
@@ -963,12 +963,10 @@
         return;
     pOverride->pOrgOps              = pDev->OVR_OPS;
+    /* We only need to save ethtool_ops structure if it is present (#5712) */
+    if (VALID_PTR(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) */