diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/poll_mode_drv.rst b/doc/guides/prog_guide/poll_mode_drv.rst
index 6a0c9f9..af639a1 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/poll_mode_drv.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/poll_mode_drv.rst
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ concurrently on the same tx queue without SW lock. This PMD feature found in som
 
 See `Hardware Offload`_ for ``DEV_TX_OFFLOAD_MT_LOCKFREE`` capability probing details.
 
-Device Identification and Configuration
+Device Identification, Ownership  and Configuration
 ---------------------------------------
 
 Device Identification
@@ -171,6 +171,16 @@ Based on their PCI identifier, NIC ports are assigned two other identifiers:
 *   A port name used to designate the port in console messages, for administration or debugging purposes.
     For ease of use, the port name includes the port index.
 
+Port Ownership
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+The Ethernet devices ports can be owned by a single DPDK entity (application, library, PMD, process, etc).
+The ownership mechanism is controlled by ethdev APIs and allows to set/remove/get a port owner by DPDK entities.
+Allowing this should prevent any multiple management of Ethernet port by different entities.
+
+.. note::
+
+    It is the DPDK entity responsibility either to check the port owner before using it or to set the port owner to prevent others from using it.
+
 Device Configuration
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
index 2d754d9..836991e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 static const char *MZ_RTE_ETH_DEV_DATA = "rte_eth_dev_data";
 struct rte_eth_dev rte_eth_devices[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS];
 static struct rte_eth_dev_data *rte_eth_dev_data;
+static uint16_t rte_eth_next_owner_id = RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER + 1;
 static uint8_t eth_dev_last_created_port;
 
 /* spinlock for eth device callbacks */
@@ -278,6 +279,7 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	memset(&eth_dev->data->owner, 0, sizeof(struct rte_eth_dev_owner));
 	eth_dev->state = RTE_ETH_DEV_UNUSED;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -293,6 +295,125 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 		return 1;
 }
 
+static int
+rte_eth_is_valid_owner_id(uint16_t owner_id)
+{
+	if (owner_id == RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER ||
+	    (rte_eth_next_owner_id != RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER &&
+	    rte_eth_next_owner_id <= owner_id)) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Invalid owner_id=%d.\n", owner_id);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return 1;
+}
+
+uint16_t
+rte_eth_find_next_owned_by(uint16_t port_id, const uint16_t owner_id)
+{
+	while (port_id < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS &&
+	       (rte_eth_devices[port_id].state != RTE_ETH_DEV_ATTACHED ||
+	       rte_eth_devices[port_id].data->owner.id != owner_id))
+		port_id++;
+
+	if (port_id >= RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS)
+		return RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS;
+
+	return port_id;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_owner_new(uint16_t *owner_id)
+{
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
+		RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Not primary process cannot own ports.\n");
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+	if (rte_eth_next_owner_id == RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER) {
+		RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Reached maximum number of Ethernet port owners.\n");
+		return -EUSERS;
+	}
+	*owner_id = rte_eth_next_owner_id++;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_owner_set(const uint16_t port_id,
+		      const struct rte_eth_dev_owner *owner)
+{
+	struct rte_eth_dev_owner *port_owner;
+	int ret;
+
+	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
+		RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Not primary process cannot own ports.\n");
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+	if (!rte_eth_is_valid_owner_id(owner->id))
+		return -EINVAL;
+	port_owner = &rte_eth_devices[port_id].data->owner;
+	if (port_owner->id != RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER &&
+	    port_owner->id != owner->id) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+			"Cannot set owner to port %d already owned by %s_%05d.\n",
+			port_id, port_owner->name, port_owner->id);
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+	ret = snprintf(port_owner->name, RTE_ETH_MAX_OWNER_NAME_LEN, "%s",
+		       owner->name);
+	if (ret < 0 || ret >= RTE_ETH_MAX_OWNER_NAME_LEN) {
+		memset(port_owner->name, 0, RTE_ETH_MAX_OWNER_NAME_LEN);
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Invalid owner name.\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+	port_owner->id = owner->id;
+	RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Port %d owner is %s_%05d.\n", port_id,
+			    owner->name, owner->id);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_owner_remove(const uint16_t port_id, const uint16_t owner_id)
+{
+	struct rte_eth_dev_owner *port_owner;
+	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
+	if (!rte_eth_is_valid_owner_id(owner_id))
+		return -EINVAL;
+	port_owner = &rte_eth_devices[port_id].data->owner;
+	if (port_owner->id != owner_id) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+			"Cannot remove port %d owner %s_%05d by different owner id %5d.\n",
+			port_id, port_owner->name, port_owner->id, owner_id);
+		return -EPERM;
+	}
+	RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Port %d owner %s_%05d has removed.\n", port_id,
+			port_owner->name, port_owner->id);
+	memset(port_owner, 0, sizeof(struct rte_eth_dev_owner));
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void
+rte_eth_dev_owner_delete(const uint16_t owner_id)
+{
+	uint16_t p;
+
+	if (!rte_eth_is_valid_owner_id(owner_id))
+		return;
+	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV_OWNED_BY(p, owner_id)
+		memset(&rte_eth_devices[p].data->owner, 0,
+		       sizeof(struct rte_eth_dev_owner));
+	RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("All port owners owned by "
+			    "%05d identifier has removed.\n", owner_id);
+}
+
+const struct rte_eth_dev_owner *
+rte_eth_dev_owner_get(const uint16_t port_id)
+{
+	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, NULL);
+	if (rte_eth_devices[port_id].data->owner.id == RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER)
+		return NULL;
+	return &rte_eth_devices[port_id].data->owner;
+}
+
 int
 rte_eth_dev_socket_id(uint16_t port_id)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
index 341c2d6..f54c26d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -1760,6 +1760,15 @@ struct rte_eth_dev_sriov {
 
 #define RTE_ETH_NAME_MAX_LEN RTE_DEV_NAME_MAX_LEN
 
+#define RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER 0
+
+#define RTE_ETH_MAX_OWNER_NAME_LEN 64
+
+struct rte_eth_dev_owner {
+	uint16_t id; /**< The owner unique identifier. */
+	char name[RTE_ETH_MAX_OWNER_NAME_LEN]; /**< The owner name. */
+};
+
 /**
  * @internal
  * The data part, with no function pointers, associated with each ethernet device.
@@ -1810,6 +1819,7 @@ struct rte_eth_dev_data {
 	int numa_node;  /**< NUMA node connection */
 	struct rte_vlan_filter_conf vlan_filter_conf;
 	/**< VLAN filter configuration. */
+	struct rte_eth_dev_owner owner; /**< The port owner. */
 };
 
 /** Device supports link state interrupt */
@@ -1846,6 +1856,82 @@ struct rte_eth_dev_data {
 
 
 /**
+ * Iterates over valid ethdev ports owned by a specific owner.
+ *
+ * @param port_id
+ *   The id of the next possible valid owned port.
+ * @param	owner_id
+ *  The owner identifier.
+ *  RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER means iterate over all valid ownerless ports.
+ * @return
+ *   Next valid port id owned by owner_id, RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS if there is none.
+ */
+uint16_t rte_eth_find_next_owned_by(uint16_t port_id, const uint16_t owner_id);
+
+/**
+ * Macro to iterate over all enabled ethdev ports owned by a specific owner.
+ */
+#define RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV_OWNED_BY(p, o) \
+	for (p = rte_eth_find_next_owned_by(0, o); \
+	     (unsigned int)p < (unsigned int)RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; \
+	     p = rte_eth_find_next_owned_by(p + 1, o))
+
+/**
+ * Get a new unique owner identifier.
+ * An owner identifier is used to owns Ethernet devices by only one DPDK entity
+ * to avoid multiple management of device by different entities.
+ *
+ * @param	owner_id
+ *   Owner identifier pointer.
+ * @return
+ *   Negative errno value on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+int rte_eth_dev_owner_new(uint16_t *owner_id);
+
+/**
+ * Set an Ethernet device owner.
+ *
+ * @param	port_id
+ *  The identifier of the port to own.
+ * @param	owner
+ *  The owner pointer.
+ * @return
+ *  Negative errno value on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+int rte_eth_dev_owner_set(const uint16_t port_id,
+			  const struct rte_eth_dev_owner *owner);
+
+/**
+ * Remove Ethernet device owner to make the device ownerless.
+ *
+ * @param	port_id
+ *  The identifier of port to make ownerless.
+ * @param	owner
+ *  The owner identifier.
+ * @return
+ *  0 on success, negative errno value on error.
+ */
+int rte_eth_dev_owner_remove(const uint16_t port_id, const uint16_t owner_id);
+
+/**
+ * Remove owner from all Ethernet devices owned by a specific owner.
+ *
+ * @param	owner
+ *  The owner identifier.
+ */
+void rte_eth_dev_owner_delete(const uint16_t owner_id);
+
+/**
+ * Get the owner of an Ethernet device.
+ *
+ * @param	port_id
+ *  The port identifier.
+ * @return
+ *  NULL when the device is ownerless, else the device owner pointer.
+ */
+const struct rte_eth_dev_owner *rte_eth_dev_owner_get(const uint16_t port_id);
+
+/**
  * Get the total number of Ethernet devices that have been successfully
  * initialized by the matching Ethernet driver during the PCI probing phase
  * and that are available for applications to use. These devices must be
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map
index e9681ac..7d07edb 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map
@@ -198,6 +198,18 @@ DPDK_17.11 {
 
 } DPDK_17.08;
 
+DPDK_18.02 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_eth_find_next_owned_by;
+	rte_eth_dev_owner_new;
+	rte_eth_dev_owner_set;
+	rte_eth_dev_owner_remove;
+	rte_eth_dev_owner_delete;
+	rte_eth_dev_owner_get;
+
+} DPDK_17.11;
+
 EXPERIMENTAL {
 	global:
 
