diff --git a/bindata/manifests/daemon/daemonset.yaml b/bindata/manifests/daemon/daemonset.yaml
index b5126ae28e..7b45496a3b 100644
--- a/bindata/manifests/daemon/daemonset.yaml
+++ b/bindata/manifests/daemon/daemonset.yaml
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ spec:
         {{- if .ParallelNicConfig }}
           - --parallel-nic-config
         {{- end }}
+        {{- if .MlxFWReset }}
+          - --mlx-fw-reset
+        {{- end }}
         env:
           - name: NODE_NAME
             valueFrom:
diff --git a/cmd/sriov-network-config-daemon/start.go b/cmd/sriov-network-config-daemon/start.go
index 4311db11ba..fbebcd1ad0 100644
--- a/cmd/sriov-network-config-daemon/start.go
+++ b/cmd/sriov-network-config-daemon/start.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ var (
 		systemd           bool
 		disabledPlugins   stringList
 		parallelNicConfig bool
+		mlxFWReset        bool
 	}
 )
 
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ func init() {
 	startCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&startOpts.systemd, "use-systemd-service", false, "use config daemon in systemd mode")
 	startCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&startOpts.disabledPlugins, "disable-plugins", "", "comma-separated list of plugins to disable")
 	startCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&startOpts.parallelNicConfig, "parallel-nic-config", false, "perform NIC configuration in parallel")
+	startCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&startOpts.mlxFWReset, "mlx-fw-reset", false, "enable Mellanox FW reset before reboot")
 }
 
 func runStartCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ func runStartCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	vars.ParallelNicConfig = startOpts.parallelNicConfig
+	vars.MlxFWReset = startOpts.mlxFWReset
 
 	if startOpts.nodeName == "" {
 		name, ok := os.LookupEnv("NODE_NAME")
diff --git a/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go b/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go
index 6a5088a95c..dbeea51353 100644
--- a/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ func (r *SriovOperatorConfigReconciler) syncConfigDaemonSet(ctx context.Context,
 		data.Data["UsedSystemdMode"] = false
 	}
 	data.Data["ParallelNicConfig"] = r.FeatureGate.IsEnabled(consts.ParallelNicConfigFeatureGate)
+	data.Data["MlxFWReset"] = r.FeatureGate.IsEnabled(consts.MellanoxFWResetFeatureGate)
 
 	envCniBinPath := os.Getenv("SRIOV_CNI_BIN_PATH")
 	if envCniBinPath == "" {
diff --git a/pkg/consts/constants.go b/pkg/consts/constants.go
index 282f31adde..d32a0afeba 100644
--- a/pkg/consts/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/consts/constants.go
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ const (
 
 	// MetricsExporterFeatureGate: enable SriovNetworkMetricsExporter on the same node as where the config-daemon run
 	MetricsExporterFeatureGate = "metricsExporter"
+
+	// MellanoxFWResetFeatureGate: enables mstfwreset before rebooting a node on VF changes
+	MellanoxFWResetFeatureGate = "mlxFWReset"
 )
 
 const (
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/mellanox/mellanox_plugin.go b/pkg/plugins/mellanox/mellanox_plugin.go
index 3aa6e26ab5..49c3f82f3e 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/mellanox/mellanox_plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/mellanox/mellanox_plugin.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	sriovnetworkv1 "github.com/k8snetworkplumbingwg/sriov-network-operator/api/v1"
 	"github.com/k8snetworkplumbingwg/sriov-network-operator/pkg/helper"
 	plugin "github.com/k8snetworkplumbingwg/sriov-network-operator/pkg/plugins"
+	"github.com/k8snetworkplumbingwg/sriov-network-operator/pkg/vars"
 	mlx "github.com/k8snetworkplumbingwg/sriov-network-operator/pkg/vendors/mellanox"
 )
 
@@ -190,9 +191,12 @@ func (p *MellanoxPlugin) Apply() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 	log.Log.Info("mellanox plugin Apply()")
-	err := p.helpers.MlxResetFW(pciAddressesToChange)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	// Only mstfwreset if the featuregate is enabled.
+	if vars.MlxFWReset {
+		err := p.helpers.MlxResetFW(pciAddressesToChange)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return p.helpers.MlxConfigFW(attributesToChange)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/vars/vars.go b/pkg/vars/vars.go
index 0d2b9a39da..f039220c88 100644
--- a/pkg/vars/vars.go
+++ b/pkg/vars/vars.go
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ var (
 	// ParallelNicConfig global variable to perform NIC configuration in parallel
 	ParallelNicConfig = false
 
+	// MlxFWReset global variable enables mstfwreset before rebooting a node on VF changes
+	MlxFWReset = false
+
 	// FilesystemRoot used by test to mock interactions with filesystem
 	FilesystemRoot = ""