diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
index 8dad3095f..4845d44b0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ set_rxtx_funcs(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 {
 	struct virtio_hw *hw = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
 
-	if (hw->use_simple_rxtx) {
+	if (hw->use_simple_rx) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "virtio: using simple Rx path on port %u",
 			eth_dev->data->port_id);
 		eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = virtio_recv_pkts_vec;
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@ set_rxtx_funcs(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 		eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = &virtio_recv_pkts;
 	}
 
-	if (hw->use_simple_rxtx) {
+	if (hw->use_simple_tx) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "virtio: using simple Tx path on port %u",
 			eth_dev->data->port_id);
 		eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = virtio_xmit_pkts_simple;
@@ -1741,17 +1741,24 @@ virtio_dev_configure(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 			return -EBUSY;
 		}
 
-	hw->use_simple_rxtx = 1;
+	hw->use_simple_rx = 1;
+	hw->use_simple_tx = 1;
 
 #if defined RTE_ARCH_X86
-	if (!rte_cpu_get_flag_enabled(RTE_CPUFLAG_SSE3))
-		hw->use_simple_rxtx = 0;
+	if (!rte_cpu_get_flag_enabled(RTE_CPUFLAG_SSE3)) {
+		hw->use_simple_rx = 0;
+		hw->use_simple_tx = 0;
+	}
 #elif defined RTE_ARCH_ARM64 || defined CONFIG_RTE_ARCH_ARM
-	if (!rte_cpu_get_flag_enabled(RTE_CPUFLAG_NEON))
-		hw->use_simple_rxtx = 0;
+	if (!rte_cpu_get_flag_enabled(RTE_CPUFLAG_NEON)) {
+		hw->use_simple_rx = 0;
+		hw->use_simple_tx = 0;
+	}
 #endif
-	if (vtpci_with_feature(hw, VIRTIO_NET_F_MRG_RXBUF))
-		hw->use_simple_rxtx = 0;
+	if (vtpci_with_feature(hw, VIRTIO_NET_F_MRG_RXBUF)) {
+		hw->use_simple_rx = 0;
+		hw->use_simple_tx = 0;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
index 18caebdd7..2ff526c88 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
@@ -259,7 +259,8 @@ struct virtio_hw {
 	uint8_t	    vlan_strip;
 	uint8_t	    use_msix;
 	uint8_t     modern;
-	uint8_t     use_simple_rxtx;
+	uint8_t     use_simple_rx;
+	uint8_t     use_simple_tx;
 	uint8_t     port_id;
 	uint8_t     mac_addr[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];
 	uint32_t    notify_off_multiplier;
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
index c9d97b643..b81ba0d4a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ virtio_dev_rx_queue_setup_finish(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t queue_idx)
 	/* Allocate blank mbufs for the each rx descriptor */
 	nbufs = 0;
 
-	if (hw->use_simple_rxtx) {
+	if (hw->use_simple_rx) {
 		for (desc_idx = 0; desc_idx < vq->vq_nentries;
 		     desc_idx++) {
 			vq->vq_ring.avail->ring[desc_idx] = desc_idx;
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ virtio_dev_rx_queue_setup_finish(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t queue_idx)
 			break;
 
 		/* Enqueue allocated buffers */
-		if (hw->use_simple_rxtx)
+		if (hw->use_simple_rx)
 			error = virtqueue_enqueue_recv_refill_simple(vq, m);
 		else
 			error = virtqueue_enqueue_recv_refill(vq, m);
@@ -502,17 +502,17 @@ virtio_dev_rx_queue_setup_finish(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t queue_idx)
 }
 
 static void
-virtio_update_rxtx_handler(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+virtio_update_tx_handler(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 			   const struct rte_eth_txconf *tx_conf)
 {
 	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
-	uint8_t use_simple_rxtx = hw->use_simple_rxtx;
+	uint8_t use_simple_tx = hw->use_simple_tx;
 
-	/* cannot use simple rxtx funcs with multisegs or offloads */
+	/* use simple tx func if single segment and no offloads */
 	if ((tx_conf->txq_flags & VIRTIO_SIMPLE_FLAGS) != VIRTIO_SIMPLE_FLAGS)
-		use_simple_rxtx = 0;
+		use_simple_tx = 0;
 
-	hw->use_simple_rxtx = use_simple_rxtx;
+	hw->use_simple_tx = use_simple_tx;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ virtio_dev_tx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 
 	PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
-	virtio_update_rxtx_handler(dev, tx_conf);
+	virtio_update_tx_handler(dev, tx_conf);
 
 	if (nb_desc == 0 || nb_desc > vq->vq_nentries)
 		nb_desc = vq->vq_nentries;
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ virtio_dev_tx_queue_setup_finish(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 
 	PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
-	if (hw->use_simple_rxtx) {
+	if (hw->use_simple_tx) {
 		for (desc_idx = 0; desc_idx < mid_idx; desc_idx++) {
 			vq->vq_ring.avail->ring[desc_idx] =
 				desc_idx + mid_idx;
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
index c96144434..57c964d6d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
@@ -369,7 +369,8 @@ virtio_user_eth_dev_alloc(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev)
 	 */
 	hw->use_msix = 1;
 	hw->modern   = 0;
-	hw->use_simple_rxtx = 0;
+	hw->use_simple_rx = 0;
+	hw->use_simple_tx = 0;
 	hw->virtio_user_dev = dev;
 	data->dev_flags = RTE_ETH_DEV_DETACHABLE;
 	return eth_dev;
