diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.c b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.c
index d53e607c4e..fbc911fbb7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.c
@@ -367,7 +367,6 @@ mlx4_txq_complete(struct txq *txq, const unsigned int elts_m,
 	/* Update CQ consumer index. */
 	cq->cons_index = cons_index;
 	*cq->set_ci_db = rte_cpu_to_be_32(cons_index & MLX4_CQ_DB_CI_MASK);
-	txq->elts_comp -= completed;
 	txq->elts_tail = elts_tail;
 }
 
@@ -585,15 +584,15 @@ mlx4_tx_burst(void *dpdk_txq, struct rte_mbuf **pkts, uint16_t pkts_n)
 	const unsigned int elts_m = elts_n - 1;
 	unsigned int bytes_sent = 0;
 	unsigned int i;
-	unsigned int max;
+	unsigned int max = elts_head - txq->elts_tail;
 	struct mlx4_sq *sq = &txq->msq;
 	volatile struct mlx4_wqe_ctrl_seg *ctrl;
 	struct txq_elt *elt;
 
 	assert(txq->elts_comp_cd != 0);
-	if (likely(txq->elts_comp != 0))
+	if (likely(max >= txq->elts_comp_cd_init))
 		mlx4_txq_complete(txq, elts_m, sq);
-	max = (elts_n - (elts_head - txq->elts_tail));
+	max = elts_n - max;
 	assert(max >= 1);
 	assert(max <= elts_n);
 	/* Always leave one free entry in the ring. */
@@ -740,7 +739,6 @@ mlx4_tx_burst(void *dpdk_txq, struct rte_mbuf **pkts, uint16_t pkts_n)
 	/* Ring QP doorbell. */
 	rte_write32(txq->msq.doorbell_qpn, txq->msq.db);
 	txq->elts_head += i;
-	txq->elts_comp += i;
 	return i;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.h b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.h
index 36ae03a0ce..b93e2bcda5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_rxtx.h
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ struct txq {
 	struct mlx4_cq mcq; /**< Info for directly manipulating the CQ. */
 	unsigned int elts_head; /**< Current index in (*elts)[]. */
 	unsigned int elts_tail; /**< First element awaiting completion. */
-	unsigned int elts_comp; /**< Number of packets awaiting completion. */
 	int elts_comp_cd; /**< Countdown for next completion. */
 	unsigned int elts_comp_cd_init; /**< Initial value for countdown. */
 	unsigned int elts_n; /**< (*elts)[] length. */
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_txq.c b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_txq.c
index c5048dbf07..d651e49800 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_txq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_txq.c
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ mlx4_tx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t idx, uint16_t desc,
 		.elts = elts,
 		.elts_head = 0,
 		.elts_tail = 0,
-		.elts_comp = 0,
 		/*
 		 * Request send completion every MLX4_PMD_TX_PER_COMP_REQ
 		 * packets or at least 4 times per ring.