struct sas_internal *i =
                to_sas_internal(sas_ha->core.shost->transportt);
        struct sas_phy_linkrates rates;
+       struct asd_sas_phy *asd_phy;
 
        if (phy_id >= sas_ha->num_phys) {
                resp_data[2] = SMP_RESP_NO_PHY;
                return;
        }
+
+       asd_phy = sas_ha->sas_phy[phy_id];
        switch (phy_op) {
        case PHY_FUNC_NOP:
        case PHY_FUNC_LINK_RESET:
        rates.minimum_linkrate = min;
        rates.maximum_linkrate = max;
 
-       if (i->dft->lldd_control_phy(sas_ha->sas_phy[phy_id], phy_op, &rates))
+       /* filter reset requests through libata eh */
+       if (phy_op == PHY_FUNC_LINK_RESET && sas_try_ata_reset(asd_phy) == 0) {
+               resp_data[2] = SMP_RESP_FUNC_ACC;
+               return;
+       }
+
+       if (i->dft->lldd_control_phy(asd_phy, phy_op, &rates))
                resp_data[2] = SMP_RESP_FUNC_FAILED;
        else
                resp_data[2] = SMP_RESP_FUNC_ACC;
 
        return sas_smp_get_phy_events(phy);
 }
 
+int sas_try_ata_reset(struct asd_sas_phy *asd_phy)
+{
+       struct domain_device *dev = NULL;
+
+       /* try to route user requested link resets through libata */
+       if (asd_phy->port)
+               dev = asd_phy->port->port_dev;
+
+       /* validate that dev has been probed */
+       if (dev)
+               dev = sas_find_dev_by_rphy(dev->rphy);
+
+       if (dev && dev_is_sata(dev)) {
+               sas_ata_schedule_reset(dev);
+               sas_ata_wait_eh(dev);
+               return 0;
+       }
+
+       return -ENODEV;
+}
+
 /**
  * transport_sas_phy_reset - reset a phy and permit libata to manage the link
  *
  */
 static int transport_sas_phy_reset(struct sas_phy *phy, int hard_reset)
 {
-       int ret;
        enum phy_func reset_type;
 
        if (hard_reset)
                struct asd_sas_phy *asd_phy = sas_ha->sas_phy[phy->number];
                struct sas_internal *i =
                        to_sas_internal(sas_ha->core.shost->transportt);
-               struct domain_device *dev = NULL;
-
-               if (asd_phy->port)
-                       dev = asd_phy->port->port_dev;
-
-               /* validate that dev has been probed */
-               if (dev)
-                       dev = sas_find_dev_by_rphy(dev->rphy);
 
-               if (dev && dev_is_sata(dev) && !hard_reset) {
-                       sas_ata_schedule_reset(dev);
-                       sas_ata_wait_eh(dev);
-                       ret = 0;
-               } else
-                       ret = i->dft->lldd_control_phy(asd_phy, reset_type, NULL);
+               if (!hard_reset && sas_try_ata_reset(asd_phy) == 0)
+                       return 0;
+               return i->dft->lldd_control_phy(asd_phy, reset_type, NULL);
        } else {
                struct sas_rphy *rphy = dev_to_rphy(phy->dev.parent);
                struct domain_device *ddev = sas_find_dev_by_rphy(rphy);
                if (ata_dev && !hard_reset) {
                        sas_ata_schedule_reset(ata_dev);
                        sas_ata_wait_eh(ata_dev);
-                       ret = 0;
+                       return 0;
                } else
-                       ret = sas_smp_phy_control(ddev, phy->number, reset_type, NULL);
+                       return sas_smp_phy_control(ddev, phy->number, reset_type, NULL);
        }
-
-       return ret;
 }
 
 static int sas_phy_enable(struct sas_phy *phy, int enable)