diff --git a/drivers/net/usb/qmi_wwan.c b/drivers/net/usb/qmi_wwan.c
index cff0bbdd9f52558c579b2b0c5701b04b19ac173c..2a3579f679103da7864260f114f98419852eaecd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/usb/qmi_wwan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/usb/qmi_wwan.c
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ struct qmi_wwan_state {
 	struct usb_interface *data;
 };
 
+/* default ethernet address used by the modem */
+static const u8 default_modem_addr[ETH_ALEN] = {0x02, 0x50, 0xf3};
+
 /* Make up an ethernet header if the packet doesn't have one.
  *
  * A firmware bug common among several devices cause them to send raw
@@ -317,6 +320,12 @@ static int qmi_wwan_bind(struct usbnet *dev, struct usb_interface *intf)
 		usb_driver_release_interface(driver, info->data);
 	}
 
+	/* Never use the same address on both ends of the link, even
+	 * if the buggy firmware told us to.
+	 */
+	if (!compare_ether_addr(dev->net->dev_addr, default_modem_addr))
+		eth_hw_addr_random(dev->net);
+
 	/* make MAC addr easily distinguishable from an IP header */
 	if (possibly_iphdr(dev->net->dev_addr)) {
 		dev->net->dev_addr[0] |= 0x02;	/* set local assignment bit */