diff --git a/app/test-pmd/config.c b/app/test-pmd/config.c
index 857b6dabc..33a4e9827 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/config.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/config.c
@@ -484,7 +484,9 @@ port_infos_display(portid_t port_id)
 		return;
 	}
 	port = &ports[port_id];
-	rte_eth_link_get_nowait(port_id, &link);
+	ret = eth_link_get_nowait_print_err(port_id, &link);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return;
 
 	ret = eth_dev_info_get_print_err(port_id, &dev_info);
 	if (ret != 0)
@@ -635,7 +637,9 @@ port_summary_display(portid_t port_id)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	rte_eth_link_get_nowait(port_id, &link);
+	ret = eth_link_get_nowait_print_err(port_id, &link);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return;
 
 	ret = eth_dev_info_get_print_err(port_id, &dev_info);
 	if (ret != 0)
@@ -3521,10 +3525,13 @@ set_queue_rate_limit(portid_t port_id, uint16_t queue_idx, uint16_t rate)
 {
 	int diag;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (port_id_is_invalid(port_id, ENABLED_WARN))
 		return 1;
-	rte_eth_link_get_nowait(port_id, &link);
+	ret = eth_link_get_nowait_print_err(port_id, &link);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return 1;
 	if (rate > link.link_speed) {
 		printf("Invalid rate value:%u bigger than link speed: %u\n",
 			rate, link.link_speed);
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/softnicfwd.c b/app/test-pmd/softnicfwd.c
index 94e6669d3..e9d437364 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/softnicfwd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/softnicfwd.c
@@ -163,16 +163,22 @@ softnic_begin(void *arg __rte_unused)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 set_tm_hiearchy_nodes_shaper_rate(portid_t port_id,
 	struct tm_hierarchy *h)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_link link_params;
 	uint64_t tm_port_rate;
+	int ret;
 
 	memset(&link_params, 0, sizeof(link_params));
 
-	rte_eth_link_get(port_id, &link_params);
+	ret = rte_eth_link_get(port_id, &link_params);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		printf("Error during getting device (port %u) link info: %s\n",
+			port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
+		return ret;
+	}
 	tm_port_rate = (uint64_t)ETH_SPEED_NUM_10G * BYTES_IN_MBPS;
 
 	/* Set tm hierarchy shapers rate */
@@ -183,6 +189,8 @@ set_tm_hiearchy_nodes_shaper_rate(portid_t port_id,
 		= h->subport_node_shaper_rate / PIPE_NODES_PER_SUBPORT;
 	h->tc_node_shaper_rate = h->pipe_node_shaper_rate;
 	h->tc_node_shared_shaper_rate = h->subport_node_shaper_rate;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -554,7 +562,9 @@ softport_tm_hierarchy_specify(portid_t port_id,
 	memset(&h, 0, sizeof(struct tm_hierarchy));
 
 	/* TM hierarchy shapers rate */
-	set_tm_hiearchy_nodes_shaper_rate(port_id, &h);
+	status = set_tm_hiearchy_nodes_shaper_rate(port_id, &h);
+	if (status)
+		return status;
 
 	/* Add root node (level 0) */
 	status = softport_tm_root_node_add(port_id, &h, error);
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index 2a57978fd..0f6e27962 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -2625,6 +2625,7 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 	portid_t portid;
 	uint8_t count, all_ports_up, print_flag = 0;
 	struct rte_eth_link link;
+	int ret;
 
 	printf("Checking link statuses...\n");
 	fflush(stdout);
@@ -2634,7 +2635,14 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint32_t port_mask)
 			if ((port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 				continue;
 			memset(&link, 0, sizeof(link));
-			rte_eth_link_get_nowait(portid, &link);
+			ret = rte_eth_link_get_nowait(portid, &link);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				all_ports_up = 0;
+				if (print_flag == 1)
+					printf("Port %u link get failed: %s\n",
+						portid, rte_strerror(-ret));
+				continue;
+			}
 			/* print link status if flag set */
 			if (print_flag == 1) {
 				if (link.link_status)
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index f1529696f..c039e2961 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ int eth_dev_info_get_print_err(uint16_t port_id,
 			struct rte_eth_dev_info *dev_info);
 void eth_set_promisc_mode(uint16_t port_id, int enable);
 void eth_set_allmulticast_mode(uint16_t port, int enable);
+int eth_link_get_nowait_print_err(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *link);
 
 
 /* Functions to manage the set of filtered Multicast MAC addresses */
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/util.c b/app/test-pmd/util.c
index 1aec5d755..6c24bf8d9 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/util.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/util.c
@@ -277,3 +277,17 @@ eth_set_allmulticast_mode(uint16_t port, int enable)
 			enable ? "enabling" : "disabling",
 			port, rte_strerror(-ret));
 }
+
+int
+eth_link_get_nowait_print_err(uint16_t port_id,
+					struct rte_eth_link *link)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = rte_eth_link_get_nowait(port_id, link);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		printf("Device (port %u) link get (without wait) failed: %s\n",
+			port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
+
+	return ret;
+}
