diff -ru linux-2.6.29.1-orig/drivers/net/via-velocity.c linux-2.6.29.1/drivers/net/via-velocity.c
--- linux-2.6.29.1-orig/drivers/net/via-velocity.c	2009-04-02 22:55:27.000000000 +0200
+++ linux-2.6.29.1/drivers/net/via-velocity.c	2009-04-24 13:09:45.945318255 +0200
@@ -2226,8 +2226,8 @@
 	spin_lock(&vptr->lock);
 	isr_status = mac_read_isr(vptr->mac_regs);
 
-	/* Not us ? */
-	if (isr_status == 0) {
+	/* Not us or garbage ? */
+	if (isr_status == 0 || isr_status == 0xffffffff) {
 		spin_unlock(&vptr->lock);
 		return IRQ_NONE;
 	}
@@ -2236,10 +2236,11 @@
 
 	/*
 	 *	Keep processing the ISR until we have completed
-	 *	processing and the isr_status becomes zero
+	 *	processing and the isr_status becomes zero or
+	 *	we read out some garbage
 	 */
 
-	while (isr_status != 0) {
+	while (isr_status != 0 && isr_status != 0xffffffff) {
 		mac_write_isr(vptr->mac_regs, isr_status);
 		if (isr_status & (~(ISR_PRXI | ISR_PPRXI | ISR_PTXI | ISR_PPTXI)))
 			velocity_error(vptr, isr_status);