diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
index a3e81f336d..13d5a76376 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
@@ -1287,8 +1287,8 @@ virtio_intr_unmask(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	if (rte_intr_ack(dev->intr_handle) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (hw->bus_type == VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_LEGACY || hw->bus_type == VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_MODERN)
-		hw->use_msix = vtpci_msix_detect(RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(dev));
+	if (VTPCI_OPS(hw)->intr_event)
+		VTPCI_OPS(hw)->intr_event(hw);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1301,8 +1301,8 @@ virtio_intr_enable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	if (rte_intr_enable(dev->intr_handle) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (hw->bus_type == VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_LEGACY || hw->bus_type == VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_MODERN)
-		hw->use_msix = vtpci_msix_detect(RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(dev));
+	if (VTPCI_OPS(hw)->intr_event)
+		VTPCI_OPS(hw)->intr_event(hw);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1315,8 +1315,8 @@ virtio_intr_disable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	if (rte_intr_disable(dev->intr_handle) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (hw->bus_type == VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_LEGACY || hw->bus_type == VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_MODERN)
-		hw->use_msix = vtpci_msix_detect(RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(dev));
+	if (VTPCI_OPS(hw)->intr_event)
+		VTPCI_OPS(hw)->intr_event(hw);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c
index 345d73f868..63bc31f732 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c
@@ -47,6 +47,56 @@ check_vq_phys_addr_ok(struct virtqueue *vq)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+#define PCI_MSIX_ENABLE 0x8000
+
+static enum virtio_msix_status
+vtpci_msix_detect(struct rte_pci_device *dev)
+{
+	uint8_t pos;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = rte_pci_read_config(dev, &pos, 1, PCI_CAPABILITY_LIST);
+	if (ret != 1) {
+		PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG,
+			     "failed to read pci capability list, ret %d", ret);
+		return VIRTIO_MSIX_NONE;
+	}
+
+	while (pos) {
+		uint8_t cap[2];
+
+		ret = rte_pci_read_config(dev, cap, sizeof(cap), pos);
+		if (ret != sizeof(cap)) {
+			PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG,
+				     "failed to read pci cap at pos: %x ret %d",
+				     pos, ret);
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if (cap[0] == PCI_CAP_ID_MSIX) {
+			uint16_t flags;
+
+			ret = rte_pci_read_config(dev, &flags, sizeof(flags),
+					pos + sizeof(cap));
+			if (ret != sizeof(flags)) {
+				PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG,
+					     "failed to read pci cap at pos:"
+					     " %x ret %d", pos + 2, ret);
+				break;
+			}
+
+			if (flags & PCI_MSIX_ENABLE)
+				return VIRTIO_MSIX_ENABLED;
+			else
+				return VIRTIO_MSIX_DISABLED;
+		}
+
+		pos = cap[1];
+	}
+
+	return VIRTIO_MSIX_NONE;
+}
+
 /*
  * Since we are in legacy mode:
  * http://ozlabs.org/~rusty/virtio-spec/virtio-0.9.5.pdf
@@ -241,6 +291,12 @@ legacy_notify_queue(struct virtio_hw *hw, struct virtqueue *vq)
 		VIRTIO_PCI_QUEUE_NOTIFY);
 }
 
+static void
+legacy_intr_event(struct virtio_hw *hw)
+{
+	hw->use_msix = vtpci_msix_detect(VTPCI_DEV(hw));
+}
+
 const struct virtio_pci_ops legacy_ops = {
 	.read_dev_cfg	= legacy_read_dev_config,
 	.write_dev_cfg	= legacy_write_dev_config,
@@ -255,6 +311,7 @@ const struct virtio_pci_ops legacy_ops = {
 	.setup_queue	= legacy_setup_queue,
 	.del_queue	= legacy_del_queue,
 	.notify_queue	= legacy_notify_queue,
+	.intr_event	= legacy_intr_event,
 };
 
 static inline void
@@ -446,6 +503,14 @@ modern_notify_queue(struct virtio_hw *hw, struct virtqueue *vq)
 	rte_write32(notify_data, vq->notify_addr);
 }
 
+
+
+static void
+modern_intr_event(struct virtio_hw *hw)
+{
+	hw->use_msix = vtpci_msix_detect(VTPCI_DEV(hw));
+}
+
 const struct virtio_pci_ops modern_ops = {
 	.read_dev_cfg	= modern_read_dev_config,
 	.write_dev_cfg	= modern_write_dev_config,
@@ -460,6 +525,7 @@ const struct virtio_pci_ops modern_ops = {
 	.setup_queue	= modern_setup_queue,
 	.del_queue	= modern_del_queue,
 	.notify_queue	= modern_notify_queue,
+	.intr_event	= modern_intr_event,
 };
 
 
@@ -562,8 +628,6 @@ get_cfg_addr(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_pci_cap *cap)
 	return base + offset;
 }
 
-#define PCI_MSIX_ENABLE 0x8000
-
 static int
 virtio_read_caps(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_hw *hw)
 {
@@ -700,7 +764,7 @@ vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_hw *hw)
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "modern virtio pci detected.");
 		virtio_hw_internal[hw->port_id].vtpci_ops = &modern_ops;
 		hw->bus_type = VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_MODERN;
-		return 0;
+		goto msix_detect;
 	}
 
 	PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "trying with legacy virtio pci.");
@@ -720,53 +784,9 @@ vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_hw *hw)
 	virtio_hw_internal[hw->port_id].vtpci_ops = &legacy_ops;
 	hw->bus_type = VIRTIO_BUS_PCI_LEGACY;
 
+msix_detect:
+	hw->use_msix = vtpci_msix_detect(dev);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
-enum virtio_msix_status
-vtpci_msix_detect(struct rte_pci_device *dev)
-{
-	uint8_t pos;
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = rte_pci_read_config(dev, &pos, 1, PCI_CAPABILITY_LIST);
-	if (ret != 1) {
-		PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG,
-			     "failed to read pci capability list, ret %d", ret);
-		return VIRTIO_MSIX_NONE;
-	}
-
-	while (pos) {
-		uint8_t cap[2];
-
-		ret = rte_pci_read_config(dev, cap, sizeof(cap), pos);
-		if (ret != sizeof(cap)) {
-			PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG,
-				     "failed to read pci cap at pos: %x ret %d",
-				     pos, ret);
-			break;
-		}
-
-		if (cap[0] == PCI_CAP_ID_MSIX) {
-			uint16_t flags;
-
-			ret = rte_pci_read_config(dev, &flags, sizeof(flags),
-					pos + sizeof(cap));
-			if (ret != sizeof(flags)) {
-				PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG,
-					     "failed to read pci cap at pos:"
-					     " %x ret %d", pos + 2, ret);
-				break;
-			}
-
-			if (flags & PCI_MSIX_ENABLE)
-				return VIRTIO_MSIX_ENABLED;
-			else
-				return VIRTIO_MSIX_DISABLED;
-		}
-
-		pos = cap[1];
-	}
-
-	return VIRTIO_MSIX_NONE;
-}
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
index 59f6688218..6f5c53c4b7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ struct virtio_pci_ops {
 	int (*setup_queue)(struct virtio_hw *hw, struct virtqueue *vq);
 	void (*del_queue)(struct virtio_hw *hw, struct virtqueue *vq);
 	void (*notify_queue)(struct virtio_hw *hw, struct virtqueue *vq);
+	void (*intr_event)(struct virtio_hw *hw);
 };
 
 struct virtio_net_config;
@@ -303,10 +304,13 @@ struct virtio_pci_dev {
 struct virtio_hw_internal {
 	const struct virtio_pci_ops *vtpci_ops;
 	struct rte_pci_ioport io;
+	struct rte_pci_device *dev;
 };
 
 #define VTPCI_OPS(hw)	(virtio_hw_internal[(hw)->port_id].vtpci_ops)
 #define VTPCI_IO(hw)	(&virtio_hw_internal[(hw)->port_id].io)
+#define VTPCI_DEV(hw)	(virtio_hw_internal[(hw)->port_id].dev)
+
 
 extern struct virtio_hw_internal virtio_hw_internal[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS];
 
@@ -383,8 +387,6 @@ void vtpci_read_dev_config(struct virtio_hw *, size_t, void *, int);
 
 uint8_t vtpci_isr(struct virtio_hw *);
 
-enum virtio_msix_status vtpci_msix_detect(struct rte_pci_device *dev);
-
 extern const struct virtio_pci_ops legacy_ops;
 extern const struct virtio_pci_ops modern_ops;
 extern const struct virtio_pci_ops virtio_user_ops;
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci_ethdev.c
index 6a0ef6edc3..045b134ef2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci_ethdev.c
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ eth_virtio_pci_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(eth_dev);
 	int ret;
 
+	VTPCI_DEV(hw) = pci_dev;
+
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
 		ret = vtpci_init(RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(eth_dev), hw);
 		if (ret) {
