diff --git a/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go b/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go
index 64f1fa537e..017e9ef094 100644
--- a/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go
+++ b/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go
@@ -1000,6 +1000,18 @@ func (s *sriov) setEswitchMode(pciAddr, eswitchMode string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+type switchdevConfigureOrder int
+
+const (
+	eswitchFirstThenVfs switchdevConfigureOrder = iota
+	vfsFirstThenEswitch
+)
+
+var driverToSwitchdevConfigureOrder map[string]switchdevConfigureOrder = map[string]switchdevConfigureOrder{
+	"ice": vfsFirstThenEswitch,
+	"mlx5_core": eswitchFirstThenVfs,
+}
+
 func (s *sriov) setEswitchModeAndNumVFs(pciAddr string, desiredEswitchMode string, numVFs int) error {
 	log.Log.V(2).Info("setEswitchModeAndNumVFs(): configure VFs for device",
 		"device", pciAddr, "count", numVFs, "mode", desiredEswitchMode)
@@ -1011,13 +1023,34 @@ func (s *sriov) setEswitchModeAndNumVFs(pciAddr string, desiredEswitchMode strin
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	if err := s.SetSriovNumVfs(pciAddr, numVFs); err != nil {
+
+
+	pfDriverName, err := s.dputilsLib.GetDriverName(pciAddr)
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if desiredEswitchMode == sriovnetworkv1.ESwithModeSwitchDev {
-		return s.setEswitchMode(pciAddr, sriovnetworkv1.ESwithModeSwitchDev)
+	configureOrder, ok := driverToSwitchdevConfigureOrder[pfDriverName]
+	if !ok || configureOrder == eswitchFirstThenVfs {
+		if err := s.SetSriovNumVfs(pciAddr, numVFs); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	
+		if desiredEswitchMode == sriovnetworkv1.ESwithModeSwitchDev {
+			return s.setEswitchMode(pciAddr, sriovnetworkv1.ESwithModeSwitchDev)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if desiredEswitchMode == sriovnetworkv1.ESwithModeSwitchDev {
+			if err := s.setEswitchMode(pciAddr, sriovnetworkv1.ESwithModeSwitchDev); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
+		if err := s.SetSriovNumVfs(pciAddr, numVFs); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -1035,3 +1068,5 @@ func (s *sriov) unbindAllVFsOnPF(addr string) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+