diff --git a/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-core.c b/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-core.c
index dc28e715bbe1..6162e6132ea4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-core.c
@@ -866,8 +866,8 @@ static struct slcan *slc_alloc(void)
 
 	snprintf(dev->name, sizeof(dev->name), "slcan%d", i);
 	dev->netdev_ops = &slc_netdev_ops;
+	dev->ethtool_ops = &slcan_ethtool_ops;
 	dev->base_addr  = i;
-	slcan_set_ethtool_ops(dev);
 	sl = netdev_priv(dev);
 
 	/* Initialize channel control data */
diff --git a/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-ethtool.c b/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-ethtool.c
index bf0afdc4e49d..328ae1fb065b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan-ethtool.c
@@ -52,14 +52,9 @@ static int slcan_get_sset_count(struct net_device *netdev, int sset)
 	}
 }
 
-static const struct ethtool_ops slcan_ethtool_ops = {
+const struct ethtool_ops slcan_ethtool_ops = {
 	.get_strings = slcan_get_strings,
 	.get_priv_flags = slcan_get_priv_flags,
 	.set_priv_flags = slcan_set_priv_flags,
 	.get_sset_count = slcan_get_sset_count,
 };
-
-void slcan_set_ethtool_ops(struct net_device *netdev)
-{
-	netdev->ethtool_ops = &slcan_ethtool_ops;
-}
diff --git a/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan.h b/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan.h
index d463c8d99e22..85cedf856db3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan.h
+++ b/drivers/net/can/slcan/slcan.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 bool slcan_err_rst_on_open(struct net_device *ndev);
 int slcan_enable_err_rst_on_open(struct net_device *ndev, bool on);
-void slcan_set_ethtool_ops(struct net_device *ndev);
+
+extern const struct ethtool_ops slcan_ethtool_ops;
 
 #endif /* _SLCAN_H */