diff --git a/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-28g.c b/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-28g.c
index 50b991870edb..38afcd081a2a 100644
--- a/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-28g.c
+++ b/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-28g.c
@@ -968,22 +968,22 @@ static int lynx_28g_lane_enable_pcvt(struct lynx_28g_lane *lane,
 	return err;
 }
 
+static int lynx_28g_validate(struct phy *phy, enum phy_mode mode, int submode,
+			     union phy_configure_opts *opts)
+{
+	return lynx_phy_mode_to_lane_mode(phy, mode, submode, NULL);
+}
+
 static int lynx_28g_set_mode(struct phy *phy, enum phy_mode mode, int submode)
 {
-	struct lynx_28g_lane *lane = phy_get_drvdata(phy);
+	struct lynx_lane *lane = phy_get_drvdata(phy);
 	int powered_up = lane->powered_up;
 	enum lynx_lane_mode lane_mode;
-	int err = 0;
+	int err;
 
-	if (mode != PHY_MODE_ETHERNET)
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
-	if (lane->mode == LANE_MODE_UNKNOWN)
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
-	lane_mode = phy_interface_to_lane_mode(submode);
-	if (!lynx_lane_supports_mode(lane, lane_mode))
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	err = lynx_phy_mode_to_lane_mode(phy, mode, submode, &lane_mode);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 
 	if (lane_mode == lane->mode)
 		return 0;
@@ -1014,22 +1014,6 @@ static int lynx_28g_set_mode(struct phy *phy, enum phy_mode mode, int submode)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static int lynx_28g_validate(struct phy *phy, enum phy_mode mode, int submode,
-			     union phy_configure_opts *opts __always_unused)
-{
-	struct lynx_28g_lane *lane = phy_get_drvdata(phy);
-	enum lynx_lane_mode lane_mode;
-
-	if (mode != PHY_MODE_ETHERNET)
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
-	lane_mode = phy_interface_to_lane_mode(submode);
-	if (!lynx_lane_supports_mode(lane, lane_mode))
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int lynx_28g_init(struct phy *phy)
 {
 	struct lynx_28g_lane *lane = phy_get_drvdata(phy);
diff --git a/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.c b/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.c
index 226b2af2b599..1e411bfab404 100644
--- a/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.c
+++ b/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.c
@@ -89,6 +89,36 @@ bool lynx_lane_supports_mode(struct lynx_lane *lane, enum lynx_lane_mode mode)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(lynx_lane_supports_mode, "PHY_FSL_LYNX");
 
+/* Translate the mode/submode from phy_validate() and phy_set_mode_ext() to a
+ * lane_mode and return 0 if it is supported and we can transition to it from
+ * the current lane mode, or return negative error otherwise.
+ */
+int lynx_phy_mode_to_lane_mode(struct phy *phy, enum phy_mode mode,
+			       int submode, enum lynx_lane_mode *lane_mode)
+{
+	struct lynx_lane *lane = phy_get_drvdata(phy);
+	enum lynx_lane_mode tmp_lane_mode;
+
+	/* The protocol configuration tables are incomplete for full lane
+	 * reconfiguration from an arbitrary protocol.
+	 */
+	if (lane->mode == LANE_MODE_UNKNOWN)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (mode != PHY_MODE_ETHERNET)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	tmp_lane_mode = phy_interface_to_lane_mode(submode);
+	if (!lynx_lane_supports_mode(lane, tmp_lane_mode))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (lane_mode)
+		*lane_mode = tmp_lane_mode;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(lynx_phy_mode_to_lane_mode, "PHY_FSL_LYNX");
+
 struct lynx_pll *lynx_pll_get(struct lynx_priv *priv, enum lynx_lane_mode mode)
 {
 	struct lynx_pll *pll;
diff --git a/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.h b/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.h
index 3d9508dfb2c1..37fa4b544faa 100644
--- a/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.h
+++ b/drivers/phy/freescale/phy-fsl-lynx-core.h
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ void lynx_remove(struct platform_device *pdev);
 const char *lynx_lane_mode_str(enum lynx_lane_mode lane_mode);
 enum lynx_lane_mode phy_interface_to_lane_mode(phy_interface_t intf);
 bool lynx_lane_supports_mode(struct lynx_lane *lane, enum lynx_lane_mode mode);
+int lynx_phy_mode_to_lane_mode(struct phy *phy, enum phy_mode mode,
+			       int submode, enum lynx_lane_mode *lane_mode);
 
 struct lynx_pll *lynx_pll_get(struct lynx_priv *priv, enum lynx_lane_mode mode);