diff --git a/drivers/net/iavf/iavf.h b/drivers/net/iavf/iavf.h
index aa18650ffa..98861e4242 100644
--- a/drivers/net/iavf/iavf.h
+++ b/drivers/net/iavf/iavf.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 #define IAVF_NUM_MACADDR_MAX      64
 
-#define IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD     0
+#define IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD     2000 /* microseconds, set 0 to disable*/
 
 #define IAVF_DEFAULT_RX_PTHRESH      8
 #define IAVF_DEFAULT_RX_HTHRESH      8
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ struct iavf_devargs {
 	uint8_t proto_xtr_dflt;
 	uint8_t proto_xtr[IAVF_MAX_QUEUE_NUM];
 	uint16_t quanta_size;
+	uint32_t watchdog_period;
 };
 
 struct iavf_security_ctx;
@@ -498,4 +499,6 @@ int iavf_flow_unsub(struct iavf_adapter *adapter,
 		    struct iavf_fsub_conf *filter);
 int iavf_flow_sub_check(struct iavf_adapter *adapter,
 			struct iavf_fsub_conf *filter);
+void iavf_dev_watchdog_enable(struct iavf_adapter *adapter);
+void iavf_dev_watchdog_disable(struct iavf_adapter *adapter);
 #endif /* _IAVF_ETHDEV_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_ethdev.c
index f6d68403ce..4cf4eb20cd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_ethdev.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 /* devargs */
 #define IAVF_PROTO_XTR_ARG         "proto_xtr"
 #define IAVF_QUANTA_SIZE_ARG       "quanta_size"
+#define IAVF_RESET_WATCHDOG_ARG    "watchdog_period"
 
 uint64_t iavf_timestamp_dynflag;
 int iavf_timestamp_dynfield_offset = -1;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ int iavf_timestamp_dynfield_offset = -1;
 static const char * const iavf_valid_args[] = {
 	IAVF_PROTO_XTR_ARG,
 	IAVF_QUANTA_SIZE_ARG,
+	IAVF_RESET_WATCHDOG_ARG,
 	NULL
 };
 
@@ -301,40 +303,46 @@ iavf_dev_watchdog(void *cb_arg)
 
 			/* enter reset state with VFLR event */
 			adapter->vf.vf_reset = true;
+			adapter->vf.link_up = false;
 
 			rte_eth_dev_callback_process(adapter->vf.eth_dev,
 				RTE_ETH_EVENT_INTR_RESET, NULL);
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* re-alarm watchdog */
-	rc = rte_eal_alarm_set(IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD,
-			&iavf_dev_watchdog, cb_arg);
+	if (adapter->devargs.watchdog_period) {
+		/* re-alarm watchdog */
+		rc = rte_eal_alarm_set(adapter->devargs.watchdog_period,
+					&iavf_dev_watchdog, cb_arg);
 
-	if (rc)
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Failed \"%s\" to reset device watchdog alarm",
-			adapter->vf.eth_dev->data->name);
+		if (rc)
+			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Failed \"%s\" to reset device watchdog alarm",
+				adapter->vf.eth_dev->data->name);
+	}
 }
 
-static void
-iavf_dev_watchdog_enable(struct iavf_adapter *adapter __rte_unused)
-{
-#if (IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD > 0)
-	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "Enabling device watchdog");
-	adapter->vf.watchdog_enabled = true;
-	if (rte_eal_alarm_set(IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD,
-			&iavf_dev_watchdog, (void *)adapter))
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Failed to enabled device watchdog");
-#endif
+void
+iavf_dev_watchdog_enable(struct iavf_adapter *adapter)
+{
+	if (adapter->devargs.watchdog_period && !adapter->vf.watchdog_enabled) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "Enabling device watchdog, period is %dμs",
+					adapter->devargs.watchdog_period);
+		adapter->vf.watchdog_enabled = true;
+		if (rte_eal_alarm_set(adapter->devargs.watchdog_period,
+					&iavf_dev_watchdog, (void *)adapter))
+			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Failed to enabled device watchdog");
+	} else {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "Device watchdog is disabled");
+	}
 }
 
-static void
-iavf_dev_watchdog_disable(struct iavf_adapter *adapter __rte_unused)
+void
+iavf_dev_watchdog_disable(struct iavf_adapter *adapter)
 {
-#if (IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD > 0)
-	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "Disabling device watchdog");
-	adapter->vf.watchdog_enabled = false;
-#endif
+	if (adapter->devargs.watchdog_period && adapter->vf.watchdog_enabled) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "Disabling device watchdog");
+		adapter->vf.watchdog_enabled = false;
+	}
 }
 
 static int
@@ -2201,6 +2209,25 @@ parse_u16(__rte_unused const char *key, const char *value, void *args)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+iavf_parse_watchdog_period(__rte_unused const char *key, const char *value, void *args)
+{
+	int *num = (int *)args;
+	int tmp;
+
+	errno = 0;
+	tmp = atoi(value);
+	if (tmp < 0) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(WARNING, "%s: \"%s\" is not greater than or equal to zero",
+				key, value);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	*num = tmp;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int iavf_parse_devargs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	struct iavf_adapter *ad =
@@ -2208,6 +2235,7 @@ static int iavf_parse_devargs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	struct rte_devargs *devargs = dev->device->devargs;
 	struct rte_kvargs *kvlist;
 	int ret;
+	int watchdog_period = -1;
 
 	if (!devargs)
 		return 0;
@@ -2232,6 +2260,15 @@ static int iavf_parse_devargs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	if (ret)
 		goto bail;
 
+	ret = rte_kvargs_process(kvlist, IAVF_RESET_WATCHDOG_ARG,
+				 &iavf_parse_watchdog_period, &watchdog_period);
+	if (ret)
+		goto bail;
+	if (watchdog_period == -1)
+		ad->devargs.watchdog_period = IAVF_DEV_WATCHDOG_PERIOD;
+	else
+		ad->devargs.watchdog_period = watchdog_period;
+
 	if (ad->devargs.quanta_size != 0 &&
 	    (ad->devargs.quanta_size < 256 || ad->devargs.quanta_size > 4096 ||
 	     ad->devargs.quanta_size & 0x40)) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_vchnl.c b/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_vchnl.c
index 9adaadb173..f2d7331f55 100644
--- a/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_vchnl.c
+++ b/drivers/net/iavf/iavf_vchnl.c
@@ -256,6 +256,12 @@ iavf_read_msg_from_pf(struct iavf_adapter *adapter, uint16_t buf_len,
 				vf->link_speed = iavf_convert_link_speed(speed);
 			}
 			iavf_dev_link_update(vf->eth_dev, 0);
+			if (vf->link_up && !vf->vf_reset) {
+				iavf_dev_watchdog_disable(adapter);
+			} else {
+				if (!vf->link_up)
+					iavf_dev_watchdog_enable(adapter);
+			}
 			PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "Link status update:%s",
 					vf->link_up ? "up" : "down");
 			break;
@@ -433,9 +439,12 @@ iavf_handle_pf_event_msg(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint8_t *msg,
 	switch (pf_msg->event) {
 	case VIRTCHNL_EVENT_RESET_IMPENDING:
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "VIRTCHNL_EVENT_RESET_IMPENDING event");
-		vf->vf_reset = true;
-		iavf_dev_event_post(dev, RTE_ETH_EVENT_INTR_RESET,
-					      NULL, 0);
+		vf->link_up = false;
+		if (!vf->vf_reset) {
+			vf->vf_reset = true;
+			iavf_dev_event_post(dev, RTE_ETH_EVENT_INTR_RESET,
+				NULL, 0);
+		}
 		break;
 	case VIRTCHNL_EVENT_LINK_CHANGE:
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "VIRTCHNL_EVENT_LINK_CHANGE event");
@@ -449,6 +458,12 @@ iavf_handle_pf_event_msg(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint8_t *msg,
 			vf->link_speed = iavf_convert_link_speed(speed);
 		}
 		iavf_dev_link_update(dev, 0);
+		if (vf->link_up && !vf->vf_reset) {
+			iavf_dev_watchdog_disable(adapter);
+		} else {
+			if (!vf->link_up)
+				iavf_dev_watchdog_enable(adapter);
+		}
 		iavf_dev_event_post(dev, RTE_ETH_EVENT_INTR_LSC, NULL, 0);
 		break;
 	case VIRTCHNL_EVENT_PF_DRIVER_CLOSE:
