diff --git a/drivers/net/smc911x.c b/drivers/net/smc911x.c
index 30f2dc266bfef71d9534d41d0ae76c7ae9e1f839..8c9a2a8a0572f0bd67d6a0163f912e5a30bf25ad 100644
--- a/drivers/net/smc911x.c
+++ b/drivers/net/smc911x.c
@@ -41,8 +41,13 @@ static int smx911x_handle_mac_address(bd_t *bd)
 	unsigned long addrh, addrl;
 	uchar m[6];
 
-	/* if the environment has a valid mac address then use it */
-	if (!eth_getenv_enetaddr("ethaddr", m)) {
+	if (eth_getenv_enetaddr("ethaddr", m)) {
+		/* if the environment has a valid mac address then use it */
+		addrl = m[0] | (m[1] << 8) | (m[2] << 16) | (m[3] << 24);
+		addrh = m[4] | (m[5] << 8);
+		smc911x_set_mac_csr(ADDRL, addrl);
+		smc911x_set_mac_csr(ADDRH, addrh);
+	} else {
 		/* if not, try to get one from the eeprom */
 		addrh = smc911x_get_mac_csr(ADDRH);
 		addrl = smc911x_get_mac_csr(ADDRL);