diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
index 54a4f1001..fc129cf3e 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ New Features
 
   Added support for the ``RTE_ETH_DEV_CLOSE_REMOVE`` flag.
 
+* **Updated the Intel i40e driver.**
+
+  Added support for the ``RTE_ETH_DEV_CLOSE_REMOVE`` flag.
+
 
 Removed Items
 -------------
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
index 76cd9f510..c145e6407 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
@@ -1590,6 +1590,11 @@ eth_i40e_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, void *init_params __rte_unused)
 	rte_ether_addr_copy((struct rte_ether_addr *)hw->mac.perm_addr,
 					&dev->data->mac_addrs[0]);
 
+	/* Pass the information to the rte_eth_dev_close() that it should also
+	 * release the private port resources.
+	 */
+	dev->data->dev_flags |= RTE_ETH_DEV_CLOSE_REMOVE;
+
 	/* Init dcb to sw mode by default */
 	ret = i40e_dcb_init_configure(dev, TRUE);
 	if (ret != I40E_SUCCESS) {
@@ -1759,85 +1764,18 @@ void i40e_flex_payload_reg_set_default(struct i40e_hw *hw)
 static int
 eth_i40e_dev_uninit(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	struct i40e_pf *pf;
-	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev;
-	struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle;
 	struct i40e_hw *hw;
-	struct i40e_filter_control_settings settings;
-	struct rte_flow *p_flow;
-	int ret;
-	uint8_t aq_fail = 0;
-	int retries = 0;
 
 	PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
 		return 0;
 
-	pf = I40E_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_PF(dev->data->dev_private);
 	hw = I40E_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_HW(dev->data->dev_private);
-	pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(dev);
-	intr_handle = &pci_dev->intr_handle;
-
-	ret = rte_eth_switch_domain_free(pf->switch_domain_id);
-	if (ret)
-		PMD_INIT_LOG(WARNING, "failed to free switch domain: %d", ret);
 
 	if (hw->adapter_closed == 0)
 		i40e_dev_close(dev);
 
-	dev->dev_ops = NULL;
-	dev->rx_pkt_burst = NULL;
-	dev->tx_pkt_burst = NULL;
-
-	/* Clear PXE mode */
-	i40e_clear_pxe_mode(hw);
-
-	/* Unconfigure filter control */
-	memset(&settings, 0, sizeof(settings));
-	ret = i40e_set_filter_control(hw, &settings);
-	if (ret)
-		PMD_INIT_LOG(WARNING, "setup_pf_filter_control failed: %d",
-					ret);
-
-	/* Disable flow control */
-	hw->fc.requested_mode = I40E_FC_NONE;
-	i40e_set_fc(hw, &aq_fail, TRUE);
-
-	/* uninitialize pf host driver */
-	i40e_pf_host_uninit(dev);
-
-	/* disable uio intr before callback unregister */
-	rte_intr_disable(intr_handle);
-
-	/* unregister callback func to eal lib */
-	do {
-		ret = rte_intr_callback_unregister(intr_handle,
-				i40e_dev_interrupt_handler, dev);
-		if (ret >= 0) {
-			break;
-		} else if (ret != -EAGAIN) {
-			PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR,
-				 "intr callback unregister failed: %d",
-				 ret);
-			return ret;
-		}
-		i40e_msec_delay(500);
-	} while (retries++ < 5);
-
-	i40e_rm_ethtype_filter_list(pf);
-	i40e_rm_tunnel_filter_list(pf);
-	i40e_rm_fdir_filter_list(pf);
-
-	/* Remove all flows */
-	while ((p_flow = TAILQ_FIRST(&pf->flow_list))) {
-		TAILQ_REMOVE(&pf->flow_list, p_flow, node);
-		rte_free(p_flow);
-	}
-
-	/* Remove all Traffic Manager configuration */
-	i40e_tm_conf_uninit(dev);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2535,12 +2473,21 @@ i40e_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(dev);
 	struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle = &pci_dev->intr_handle;
 	struct i40e_mirror_rule *p_mirror;
+	struct i40e_filter_control_settings settings;
+	struct rte_flow *p_flow;
 	uint32_t reg;
 	int i;
 	int ret;
+	uint8_t aq_fail = 0;
+	int retries = 0;
 
 	PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
+	ret = rte_eth_switch_domain_free(pf->switch_domain_id);
+	if (ret)
+		PMD_INIT_LOG(WARNING, "failed to free switch domain: %d", ret);
+
+
 	i40e_dev_stop(dev);
 
 	/* Remove all mirror rules */
@@ -2605,6 +2552,53 @@ i40e_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 			(reg | I40E_PFGEN_CTRL_PFSWR_MASK));
 	I40E_WRITE_FLUSH(hw);
 
+	dev->dev_ops = NULL;
+	dev->rx_pkt_burst = NULL;
+	dev->tx_pkt_burst = NULL;
+
+	/* Clear PXE mode */
+	i40e_clear_pxe_mode(hw);
+
+	/* Unconfigure filter control */
+	memset(&settings, 0, sizeof(settings));
+	ret = i40e_set_filter_control(hw, &settings);
+	if (ret)
+		PMD_INIT_LOG(WARNING, "setup_pf_filter_control failed: %d",
+					ret);
+
+	/* Disable flow control */
+	hw->fc.requested_mode = I40E_FC_NONE;
+	i40e_set_fc(hw, &aq_fail, TRUE);
+
+	/* uninitialize pf host driver */
+	i40e_pf_host_uninit(dev);
+
+	do {
+		ret = rte_intr_callback_unregister(intr_handle,
+				i40e_dev_interrupt_handler, dev);
+		if (ret >= 0) {
+			break;
+		} else if (ret != -EAGAIN) {
+			PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR,
+				 "intr callback unregister failed: %d",
+				 ret);
+		}
+		i40e_msec_delay(500);
+	} while (retries++ < 5);
+
+	i40e_rm_ethtype_filter_list(pf);
+	i40e_rm_tunnel_filter_list(pf);
+	i40e_rm_fdir_filter_list(pf);
+
+	/* Remove all flows */
+	while ((p_flow = TAILQ_FIRST(&pf->flow_list))) {
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&pf->flow_list, p_flow, node);
+		rte_free(p_flow);
+	}
+
+	/* Remove all Traffic Manager configuration */
+	i40e_tm_conf_uninit(dev);
+
 	hw->adapter_closed = 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c
index ddbaaea04..7ffb111b8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c
@@ -1312,17 +1312,12 @@ i40evf_init_vf(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 static int
 i40evf_uninit_vf(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	struct i40e_vf *vf = I40EVF_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_VF(dev->data->dev_private);
 	struct i40e_hw *hw = I40E_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_HW(dev->data->dev_private);
 
 	PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
 	if (hw->adapter_closed == 0)
 		i40evf_dev_close(dev);
-	rte_free(vf->vf_res);
-	vf->vf_res = NULL;
-	rte_free(vf->aq_resp);
-	vf->aq_resp = NULL;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1500,6 +1495,11 @@ i40evf_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	hw->adapter_stopped = 0;
 	hw->adapter_closed = 0;
 
+	/* Pass the information to the rte_eth_dev_close() that it should also
+	 * release the private port resources.
+	 */
+	eth_dev->data->dev_flags |= RTE_ETH_DEV_CLOSE_REMOVE;
+
 	if(i40evf_init_vf(eth_dev) != 0) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "Init vf failed");
 		return -1;
@@ -1536,10 +1536,6 @@ i40evf_dev_uninit(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
 		return -EPERM;
 
-	eth_dev->dev_ops = NULL;
-	eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = NULL;
-	eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = NULL;
-
 	if (i40evf_uninit_vf(eth_dev) != 0) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "i40evf_uninit_vf failed");
 		return -1;
@@ -2344,6 +2340,7 @@ static void
 i40evf_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	struct i40e_hw *hw = I40E_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_HW(dev->data->dev_private);
+	struct i40e_vf *vf = I40EVF_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_VF(dev->data->dev_private);
 
 	i40evf_dev_stop(dev);
 	i40e_dev_free_queues(dev);
@@ -2359,6 +2356,16 @@ i40evf_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	i40evf_reset_vf(dev);
 	i40e_shutdown_adminq(hw);
 	i40evf_disable_irq0(hw);
+
+	dev->dev_ops = NULL;
+	dev->rx_pkt_burst = NULL;
+	dev->tx_pkt_burst = NULL;
+
+	rte_free(vf->vf_res);
+	vf->vf_res = NULL;
+	rte_free(vf->aq_resp);
+	vf->aq_resp = NULL;
+
 	hw->adapter_closed = 1;
 }
 
