diff --git a/drivers/ethernet/i8254x.asm b/drivers/ethernet/i8254x.asm
index f18566359b..746c00d6ba 100644
--- a/drivers/ethernet/i8254x.asm
+++ b/drivers/ethernet/i8254x.asm
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ start_i8254x:
         mov     eax, [esi + REG_ICR]                    ; Clear pending interrupts
 
         mov     [ebx + device.mtu], 1514
-        mov     [ebx + device.state], ETH_LINK_UNKNOWN  ; Set link state to unknown
+        call    link_status
 
         xor     eax, eax
         ret
@@ -704,6 +704,41 @@ read_mac:
         ret
 
 
+link_status:
+
+        DEBUGF  1,"Verifying link status\n"
+
+        xor     ecx, ecx                        ; ETH_LINK_DOWN
+        mov     esi, [ebx + device.mmio_addr]
+        mov     eax, [esi + REG_STATUS]
+        test    eax, STATUS_LU
+        jz      .ok
+
+        test    eax, STATUS_FD
+        jz      @f
+        or      cl, ETH_LINK_FD
+  @@:
+        shr     eax, STATUS_SPEED_SHIFT
+        and     al, 3
+        test    al, al
+        jnz     @f
+        or      cl, ETH_LINK_10M
+        jmp     .ok
+  @@:
+        cmp     al, 1
+        jne     @f
+        or      cl, ETH_LINK_100M
+        jmp     .ok
+  @@:
+        or      cl, ETH_LINK_1G
+;        jmp     .ok
+
+  .ok:
+        mov     [ebx + device.state], ecx
+        invoke  NetLinkChanged
+        ret
+
+
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;;                                         ;;
 ;; Transmit                                ;;
@@ -891,6 +926,8 @@ int_handler:
 
         DEBUGF  2,"Link Changed\n"
 
+        call    link_status
+
   .no_link:
 
 ;---------------