diff --git a/app/test-pmd/config.c b/app/test-pmd/config.c
index a5e82b7a97..a8bd664097 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/config.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/config.c
@@ -510,8 +510,6 @@ device_infos_display(const char *identifier)
 
 	if (rte_devargs_parsef(&da, "%s", identifier)) {
 		printf("cannot parse identifier\n");
-		if (da.args)
-			free(da.args);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -559,6 +557,7 @@ device_infos_display(const char *identifier)
 			}
 		}
 	};
+	rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index 96d2e0fcec..d4be23f8f8 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -3015,8 +3015,6 @@ detach_devargs(char *identifier)
 	memset(&da, 0, sizeof(da));
 	if (rte_devargs_parsef(&da, "%s", identifier)) {
 		printf("cannot parse identifier\n");
-		if (da.args)
-			free(da.args);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -3025,6 +3023,7 @@ detach_devargs(char *identifier)
 			if (ports[port_id].port_status != RTE_PORT_STOPPED) {
 				printf("Port %u not stopped\n", port_id);
 				rte_eth_iterator_cleanup(&iterator);
+				rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 				return;
 			}
 			port_flow_flush(port_id);
@@ -3034,6 +3033,7 @@ detach_devargs(char *identifier)
 	if (rte_eal_hotplug_remove(da.bus->name, da.name) != 0) {
 		TESTPMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to detach device %s(%s)\n",
 			    da.name, da.bus->name);
+		rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -3042,6 +3042,7 @@ detach_devargs(char *identifier)
 	printf("Device %s is detached\n", identifier);
 	printf("Now total ports is %d\n", nb_ports);
 	printf("Done\n");
+	rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c b/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c
index 9a673347ae..d075409942 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c
@@ -245,13 +245,14 @@ alloc_devargs(const char *name, const char *args)
 
 	devargs->bus = &rte_vdev_bus;
 	if (args)
-		devargs->args = strdup(args);
+		devargs->data = strdup(args);
 	else
-		devargs->args = strdup("");
+		devargs->data = strdup("");
+	devargs->args = devargs->data;
 
 	ret = strlcpy(devargs->name, name, sizeof(devargs->name));
 	if (ret < 0 || ret >= (int)sizeof(devargs->name)) {
-		free(devargs->args);
+		rte_devargs_reset(devargs);
 		free(devargs);
 		return NULL;
 	}
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ insert_vdev(const char *name, const char *args,
 
 	return 0;
 fail:
-	free(devargs->args);
+	rte_devargs_reset(devargs);
 	free(devargs);
 	free(dev);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_args.c b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_args.c
index 707490b94c..b203e02d9a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_args.c
+++ b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_args.c
@@ -451,8 +451,7 @@ failsafe_args_free(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 		sdev->cmdline = NULL;
 		free(sdev->fd_str);
 		sdev->fd_str = NULL;
-		free(sdev->devargs.args);
-		sdev->devargs.args = NULL;
+		rte_devargs_reset(&sdev->devargs);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_eal.c b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_eal.c
index b9fc508673..cb4a2abc02 100644
--- a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_eal.c
+++ b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_eal.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ fs_bus_init(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 					rte_eth_devices[pid].device->devargs;
 
 			/* Take control of probed device. */
-			free(da->args);
+			rte_devargs_reset(da);
 			memset(da, 0, sizeof(*da));
 			if (probed_da != NULL)
 				snprintf(devstr, sizeof(devstr), "%s,%s",
diff --git a/examples/multi_process/hotplug_mp/commands.c b/examples/multi_process/hotplug_mp/commands.c
index a8a39d07f7..48fd329583 100644
--- a/examples/multi_process/hotplug_mp/commands.c
+++ b/examples/multi_process/hotplug_mp/commands.c
@@ -121,8 +121,6 @@ static void cmd_dev_attach_parsed(void *parsed_result,
 
 	if (rte_devargs_parsef(&da, "%s", res->devargs)) {
 		cmdline_printf(cl, "cannot parse devargs\n");
-		if (da.args)
-			free(da.args);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -131,6 +129,7 @@ static void cmd_dev_attach_parsed(void *parsed_result,
 	else
 		cmdline_printf(cl, "failed to attached device %s\n",
 				da.name);
+	rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 }
 
 cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_dev_attach_attach =
@@ -168,8 +167,6 @@ static void cmd_dev_detach_parsed(void *parsed_result,
 
 	if (rte_devargs_parsef(&da, "%s", res->devargs)) {
 		cmdline_printf(cl, "cannot parse devargs\n");
-		if (da.args)
-			free(da.args);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -180,6 +177,7 @@ static void cmd_dev_detach_parsed(void *parsed_result,
 	else
 		cmdline_printf(cl, "failed to dettach device %s\n",
 			da.name);
+	rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 }
 
 cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_dev_detach_detach =
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c
index 8a3bd3100a..148a23830a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c
@@ -185,10 +185,8 @@ local_dev_probe(const char *devargs, struct rte_device **new_dev)
 	return ret;
 
 err_devarg:
-	if (rte_devargs_remove(da) != 0) {
-		free(da->args);
-		free(da);
-	}
+	if (rte_devargs_remove(da) != 0)
+		rte_devargs_reset(da);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -586,7 +584,8 @@ rte_dev_iterator_init(struct rte_dev_iterator *it,
 	it->bus_str = NULL;
 	it->cls_str = NULL;
 
-	devargs.data = dev_str;
+	/* Setting data field implies no malloc in parsing. */
+	devargs.data = (void *)(intptr_t)dev_str;
 	if (rte_devargs_layers_parse(&devargs, dev_str))
 		goto get_out;
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c
index fcf3d9a3cc..48f85ee9c0 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ rte_devargs_layers_parse(struct rte_devargs *devargs,
 	 * their parsing afterward.
 	 */
 	if (devargs->data != devstr) {
-		char *s = (void *)(intptr_t)(devargs->data);
+		char *s = devargs->data;
 
 		while ((s = strchr(s, '/'))) {
 			*s = '\0';
@@ -219,13 +219,14 @@ rte_devargs_parse(struct rte_devargs *da, const char *dev)
 	da->bus = bus;
 	/* Parse eventual device arguments */
 	if (devname[i] == ',')
-		da->args = strdup(&devname[i + 1]);
+		da->data = strdup(&devname[i + 1]);
 	else
-		da->args = strdup("");
-	if (da->args == NULL) {
+		da->data = strdup("");
+	if (da->data == NULL) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "not enough memory to parse arguments\n");
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
+	da->drv_str = da->data;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -260,6 +261,16 @@ rte_devargs_parsef(struct rte_devargs *da, const char *format, ...)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+void
+rte_devargs_reset(struct rte_devargs *da)
+{
+	if (da == NULL)
+		return;
+	if (da->data)
+		free(da->data);
+	da->data = NULL;
+}
+
 int
 rte_devargs_insert(struct rte_devargs **da)
 {
@@ -276,15 +287,8 @@ rte_devargs_insert(struct rte_devargs **da)
 		if (strcmp(listed_da->bus->name, (*da)->bus->name) == 0 &&
 				strcmp(listed_da->name, (*da)->name) == 0) {
 			/* device already in devargs list, must be updated */
-			listed_da->type = (*da)->type;
-			listed_da->policy = (*da)->policy;
-			free(listed_da->args);
-			listed_da->args = (*da)->args;
-			listed_da->bus = (*da)->bus;
-			listed_da->cls = (*da)->cls;
-			listed_da->bus_str = (*da)->bus_str;
-			listed_da->cls_str = (*da)->cls_str;
-			listed_da->data = (*da)->data;
+			rte_devargs_reset(listed_da);
+			*listed_da = **da;
 			/* replace provided devargs with found one */
 			free(*da);
 			*da = listed_da;
@@ -326,7 +330,7 @@ rte_devargs_add(enum rte_devtype devtype, const char *devargs_str)
 
 fail:
 	if (devargs) {
-		free(devargs->args);
+		rte_devargs_reset(devargs);
 		free(devargs);
 	}
 
@@ -346,7 +350,7 @@ rte_devargs_remove(struct rte_devargs *devargs)
 		if (strcmp(d->bus->name, devargs->bus->name) == 0 &&
 		    strcmp(d->name, devargs->name) == 0) {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&devargs_list, d, next);
-			free(d->args);
+			rte_devargs_reset(d);
 			free(d);
 			return 0;
 		}
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/hotplug_mp.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/hotplug_mp.c
index ee791903b3..ae6010e8f8 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/hotplug_mp.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/hotplug_mp.c
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ __handle_secondary_request(void *param)
 
 	tmp_req = *req;
 
+	memset(&da, 0, sizeof(da));
 	if (req->t == EAL_DEV_REQ_TYPE_ATTACH) {
 		ret = local_dev_probe(req->devargs, &dev);
 		if (ret != 0) {
@@ -118,8 +119,6 @@ __handle_secondary_request(void *param)
 		ret = rte_devargs_parse(&da, req->devargs);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			goto finish;
-		free(da.args); /* we don't need those */
-		da.args = NULL;
 
 		ret = eal_dev_hotplug_request_to_secondary(&tmp_req);
 		if (ret != 0) {
@@ -176,6 +175,7 @@ __handle_secondary_request(void *param)
 	if (ret)
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to send response to secondary\n");
 
+	rte_devargs_reset(&da);
 	free(bundle->peer);
 	free(bundle);
 }
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ static void __handle_primary_request(void *param)
 
 		ret = local_dev_remove(dev);
 quit:
-		free(da->args);
+		rte_devargs_reset(da);
 		free(da);
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_devargs.h b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_devargs.h
index 296f19324f..134b44a887 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_devargs.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_devargs.h
@@ -60,16 +60,16 @@ struct rte_devargs {
 	/** Name of the device. */
 	char name[RTE_DEV_NAME_MAX_LEN];
 	RTE_STD_C11
-	union {
-	/** Arguments string as given by user or "" for no argument. */
-		char *args;
+	union { /**< driver-related part of device string. */
+		const char *args; /**< legacy name. */
 		const char *drv_str;
 	};
 	struct rte_bus *bus; /**< bus handle. */
 	struct rte_class *cls; /**< class handle. */
 	const char *bus_str; /**< bus-related part of device string. */
 	const char *cls_str; /**< class-related part of device string. */
-	const char *data; /**< Device string storage. */
+	char *data;
+	/**< Raw string including bus, class and driver arguments. */
 };
 
 /**
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ rte_devargs_parsef(struct rte_devargs *da,
 		   const char *format, ...)
 __rte_format_printf(2, 0);
 
+/**
+ * Free resources in devargs.
+ *
+ * @param da
+ *   The devargs structure holding the device information.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+void
+rte_devargs_reset(struct rte_devargs *da);
+
 /**
  * Insert an rte_devargs in the global list.
  *
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/version.map b/lib/librte_eal/version.map
index e7217ae288..fe5c3dac98 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/version.map
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_power_pause; # WINDOWS_NO_EXPORT
 
 	# added in 21.05
+	rte_devargs_reset;
 	rte_intr_callback_unregister_sync;
 	rte_log_list_types;
 	rte_thread_key_create;
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 6b5cfd696d..0419500fc3 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -193,13 +193,14 @@ int
 rte_eth_iterator_init(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter, const char *devargs_str)
 {
 	int ret;
-	struct rte_devargs devargs = {.args = NULL};
+	struct rte_devargs devargs;
 	const char *bus_param_key;
 	char *bus_str = NULL;
 	char *cls_str = NULL;
 	int str_size;
 
 	memset(iter, 0, sizeof(*iter));
+	memset(&devargs, 0, sizeof(devargs));
 
 	/*
 	 * The devargs string may use various syntaxes:
@@ -244,8 +245,6 @@ rte_eth_iterator_init(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter, const char *devargs_str)
 		goto error;
 	}
 	iter->cls_str = cls_str;
-	free(devargs.args); /* allocated by rte_devargs_parse() */
-	devargs.args = NULL;
 
 	iter->bus = devargs.bus;
 	if (iter->bus->dev_iterate == NULL) {
@@ -278,13 +277,14 @@ rte_eth_iterator_init(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter, const char *devargs_str)
 
 end:
 	iter->cls = rte_class_find_by_name("eth");
+	rte_devargs_reset(&devargs);
 	return 0;
 
 error:
 	if (ret == -ENOTSUP)
 		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR, "Bus %s does not support iterating.\n",
 				iter->bus->name);
-	free(devargs.args);
+	rte_devargs_reset(&devargs);
 	free(bus_str);
 	free(cls_str);
 	return ret;
