diff --git a/Documentation/netlink/specs/devlink.yaml b/Documentation/netlink/specs/devlink.yaml
index 3db59c965869..426d5aa7d955 100644
--- a/Documentation/netlink/specs/devlink.yaml
+++ b/Documentation/netlink/specs/devlink.yaml
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ definitions:
         name: legacy
       -
         name: switchdev
+      -
+        name: switchdev-inactive
   -
     type: enum
     name: eswitch-inline-mode
diff --git a/Documentation/networking/devlink/devlink-eswitch-attr.rst b/Documentation/networking/devlink/devlink-eswitch-attr.rst
index 08bb39ab1528..eafe09abc40c 100644
--- a/Documentation/networking/devlink/devlink-eswitch-attr.rst
+++ b/Documentation/networking/devlink/devlink-eswitch-attr.rst
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ The following is a list of E-Switch attributes.
          rules.
        * ``switchdev`` allows for more advanced offloading capabilities of
          the E-Switch to hardware.
+       * ``switchdev_inactive`` switchdev mode but starts inactive, doesn't allow traffic
+         until explicitly activated. This mode is useful for orchestrators that
+         want to prepare the device in switchdev mode but only activate it when
+         all configurations are done.
    * - ``inline-mode``
      - enum
      - Some HWs need the VF driver to put part of the packet
@@ -74,3 +78,12 @@ Example Usage
 
     # enable encap-mode with legacy mode
     $ devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:08:00.0 mode legacy inline-mode none encap-mode basic
+
+    # start switchdev mode in inactive state
+    $ devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:08:00.0 mode switchdev_inactive
+
+    # setup switchdev configurations, representors, FDB entries, etc..
+    ...
+
+    # activate switchdev mode to allow traffic
+    $ devlink dev eswitch set pci/0000:08:00.0 mode switchdev
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/devlink.h b/include/uapi/linux/devlink.h
index bcad11a787a5..157f11d3fb72 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/devlink.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/devlink.h
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ enum devlink_sb_threshold_type {
 enum devlink_eswitch_mode {
 	DEVLINK_ESWITCH_MODE_LEGACY,
 	DEVLINK_ESWITCH_MODE_SWITCHDEV,
+	DEVLINK_ESWITCH_MODE_SWITCHDEV_INACTIVE,
 };
 
 enum devlink_eswitch_inline_mode {
diff --git a/net/devlink/netlink_gen.c b/net/devlink/netlink_gen.c
index 9fd00977d59e..5ad435aee29d 100644
--- a/net/devlink/netlink_gen.c
+++ b/net/devlink/netlink_gen.c
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ static const struct nla_policy devlink_eswitch_get_nl_policy[DEVLINK_ATTR_DEV_NA
 static const struct nla_policy devlink_eswitch_set_nl_policy[DEVLINK_ATTR_ESWITCH_ENCAP_MODE + 1] = {
 	[DEVLINK_ATTR_BUS_NAME] = { .type = NLA_NUL_STRING, },
 	[DEVLINK_ATTR_DEV_NAME] = { .type = NLA_NUL_STRING, },
-	[DEVLINK_ATTR_ESWITCH_MODE] = NLA_POLICY_MAX(NLA_U16, 1),
+	[DEVLINK_ATTR_ESWITCH_MODE] = NLA_POLICY_MAX(NLA_U16, 2),
 	[DEVLINK_ATTR_ESWITCH_INLINE_MODE] = NLA_POLICY_MAX(NLA_U8, 3),
 	[DEVLINK_ATTR_ESWITCH_ENCAP_MODE] = NLA_POLICY_MAX(NLA_U8, 1),
 };