diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
index 94aaa60..0613f70 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
@@ -1234,8 +1234,17 @@ struct mlx5_flow_id_pool *
 	/* In case mlx5_dev_stop() has not been called. */
 	mlx5_dev_interrupt_handler_uninstall(dev);
 	mlx5_dev_interrupt_handler_devx_uninstall(dev);
+	/*
+	 * If default mreg copy action is removed at the stop stage,
+	 * the search will return none and nothing will be done anymore.
+	 */
+	mlx5_flow_stop_default(dev);
 	mlx5_traffic_disable(dev);
-	mlx5_flow_flush(dev, NULL);
+	/*
+	 * If all the flows are already flushed in the device stop stage,
+	 * then this will return directly without any action.
+	 */
+	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->flows, true);
 	mlx5_flow_meter_flush(dev, NULL);
 	/* Prevent crashes when queues are still in use. */
 	dev->rx_pkt_burst = removed_rx_burst;
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
index d7c519b..98e5fa5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
@@ -712,7 +712,8 @@ struct rte_flow *mlx5_flow_create(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				  struct rte_flow_error *error);
 int mlx5_flow_destroy(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_flow *flow,
 		      struct rte_flow_error *error);
-void mlx5_flow_list_flush(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct mlx5_flows *list);
+void mlx5_flow_list_flush(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct mlx5_flows *list,
+			  bool active);
 int mlx5_flow_flush(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_flow_error *error);
 int mlx5_flow_query(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_flow *flow,
 		    const struct rte_flow_action *action, void *data,
@@ -725,6 +726,8 @@ int mlx5_dev_filter_ctrl(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 			 void *arg);
 int mlx5_flow_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct mlx5_flows *list);
 void mlx5_flow_stop(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct mlx5_flows *list);
+int mlx5_flow_start_default(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
+void mlx5_flow_stop_default(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
 int mlx5_flow_verify(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
 int mlx5_ctrl_flow_source_queue(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t queue);
 int mlx5_ctrl_flow_vlan(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c
index 2ef6558..aad9689 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <stdalign.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
 /* Verbs header. */
 /* ISO C doesn't support unnamed structs/unions, disabling -pedantic. */
@@ -4449,15 +4450,25 @@ struct rte_flow *
  *   Pointer to Ethernet device.
  * @param list
  *   Pointer to a TAILQ flow list.
+ * @param active
+ *   If flushing is called avtively.
  */
 void
-mlx5_flow_list_flush(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct mlx5_flows *list)
+mlx5_flow_list_flush(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct mlx5_flows *list,
+		     bool active)
 {
+	uint32_t num_flushed = 0;
+
 	while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(list)) {
 		struct rte_flow *flow;
 
 		flow = TAILQ_FIRST(list);
 		flow_list_destroy(dev, list, flow);
+		num_flushed++;
+	}
+	if (active) {
+		DRV_LOG(INFO, "port %u: %u flows flushed before stopping",
+			dev->data->port_id, num_flushed);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -4523,6 +4534,37 @@ struct rte_flow *
 }
 
 /**
+ * Stop all default actions for flows.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Pointer to Ethernet device.
+ * @param list
+ *   Pointer to a TAILQ flow list.
+ */
+void
+mlx5_flow_stop_default(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
+{
+	flow_mreg_del_default_copy_action(dev);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Start all default actions for flows.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Pointer to Ethernet device.
+ * @return
+ *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
+ */
+int
+mlx5_flow_start_default(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
+{
+	struct rte_flow_error error;
+
+	/* Make sure default copy action (reg_c[0] -> reg_b) is created. */
+	return flow_mreg_add_default_copy_action(dev, &error);
+}
+
+/**
  * Verify the flow list is empty
  *
  * @param dev
@@ -4737,7 +4779,7 @@ struct rte_flow *
 {
 	struct mlx5_priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
-	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->flows);
+	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->flows, false);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -5179,7 +5221,7 @@ struct rte_flow *
 {
 	struct mlx5_priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
-	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->flows);
+	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->flows, false);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c
index 571b7a0..0801cb6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c
@@ -269,7 +269,6 @@
 int
 mlx5_dev_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	struct mlx5_priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 	int ret;
 	int fine_inline;
 
@@ -318,14 +317,19 @@
 	mlx5_stats_init(dev);
 	ret = mlx5_traffic_enable(dev);
 	if (ret) {
-		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "port %u failed to set defaults flows",
+		DRV_LOG(ERR, "port %u failed to set defaults flows",
 			dev->data->port_id);
 		goto error;
 	}
-	ret = mlx5_flow_start(dev, &priv->flows);
+	/*
+	 * In non-cached mode, it only needs to start the default mreg copy
+	 * action and no flow created by application exists anymore.
+	 * But it is worth wrapping the interface for further usage.
+	 */
+	ret = mlx5_flow_start_default(dev);
 	if (ret) {
-		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "port %u failed to set flows",
-			dev->data->port_id);
+		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "port %u failed to start default actions: %s",
+			dev->data->port_id, strerror(rte_errno));
 		goto error;
 	}
 	rte_wmb();
@@ -339,7 +343,7 @@
 	ret = rte_errno; /* Save rte_errno before cleanup. */
 	/* Rollback. */
 	dev->data->dev_started = 0;
-	mlx5_flow_stop(dev, &priv->flows);
+	mlx5_flow_stop_default(dev);
 	mlx5_traffic_disable(dev);
 	mlx5_txq_stop(dev);
 	mlx5_rxq_stop(dev);
@@ -369,8 +373,11 @@
 	mlx5_mp_req_stop_rxtx(dev);
 	usleep(1000 * priv->rxqs_n);
 	DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "port %u stopping device", dev->data->port_id);
-	mlx5_flow_stop(dev, &priv->flows);
+	mlx5_flow_stop_default(dev);
+	/* Control flows for default traffic can be removed firstly. */
 	mlx5_traffic_disable(dev);
+	/* All RX queue flags will be cleared in the flush interface. */
+	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->flows, true);
 	mlx5_rx_intr_vec_disable(dev);
 	mlx5_dev_interrupt_handler_uninstall(dev);
 	mlx5_txq_stop(dev);
@@ -529,7 +536,7 @@
 	return 0;
 error:
 	ret = rte_errno; /* Save rte_errno before cleanup. */
-	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->ctrl_flows);
+	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->ctrl_flows, false);
 	rte_errno = ret; /* Restore rte_errno. */
 	return -rte_errno;
 }
@@ -546,7 +553,7 @@
 {
 	struct mlx5_priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
-	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->ctrl_flows);
+	mlx5_flow_list_flush(dev, &priv->ctrl_flows, false);
 }
 
 /**
