diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
index ab242980a5..2dec88aef7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
@@ -248,12 +248,9 @@ int mlx5_getenv_int(const char *);
 
 /* mlx5_ethdev.c */
 
-int mlx5_get_master_ifname(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
-			   char (*ifname)[IF_NAMESIZE]);
 int mlx5_get_ifname(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, char (*ifname)[IF_NAMESIZE]);
 unsigned int mlx5_ifindex(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
-int mlx5_ifreq(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int req, struct ifreq *ifr,
-	       int master);
+int mlx5_ifreq(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int req, struct ifreq *ifr);
 int mlx5_get_mtu(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t *mtu);
 int mlx5_set_flags(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, unsigned int keep,
 		   unsigned int flags);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
index 5515fdbaec..61eda537bd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ struct ethtool_link_settings {
  * @return
  *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
  */
-int
+static int
 mlx5_get_master_ifname(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 		       char (*ifname)[IF_NAMESIZE])
 {
@@ -270,16 +270,12 @@ mlx5_ifindex(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
  *   Request number to pass to ioctl().
  * @param[out] ifr
  *   Interface request structure output buffer.
- * @param master
- *   When device is a port representor, perform request on master device
- *   instead.
  *
  * @return
  *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
  */
 int
-mlx5_ifreq(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int req, struct ifreq *ifr,
-	   int master)
+mlx5_ifreq(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int req, struct ifreq *ifr)
 {
 	int sock = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_IP);
 	int ret = 0;
@@ -288,10 +284,7 @@ mlx5_ifreq(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int req, struct ifreq *ifr,
 		rte_errno = errno;
 		return -rte_errno;
 	}
-	if (master)
-		ret = mlx5_get_master_ifname(dev, &ifr->ifr_name);
-	else
-		ret = mlx5_get_ifname(dev, &ifr->ifr_name);
+	ret = mlx5_get_ifname(dev, &ifr->ifr_name);
 	if (ret)
 		goto error;
 	ret = ioctl(sock, req, ifr);
@@ -321,7 +314,7 @@ int
 mlx5_get_mtu(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t *mtu)
 {
 	struct ifreq request;
-	int ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFMTU, &request, 0);
+	int ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFMTU, &request);
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -345,7 +338,7 @@ mlx5_set_mtu(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t mtu)
 {
 	struct ifreq request = { .ifr_mtu = mtu, };
 
-	return mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCSIFMTU, &request, 0);
+	return mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCSIFMTU, &request);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -365,13 +358,13 @@ int
 mlx5_set_flags(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, unsigned int keep, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct ifreq request;
-	int ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &request, 0);
+	int ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &request);
 
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 	request.ifr_flags &= keep;
 	request.ifr_flags |= flags & ~keep;
-	return mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCSIFFLAGS, &request, 0);
+	return mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCSIFFLAGS, &request);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -627,7 +620,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gset(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	int link_speed = 0;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING, "port %u ioctl(SIOCGIFFLAGS) failed: %s",
 			dev->data->port_id, strerror(rte_errno));
@@ -640,7 +633,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gset(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	ifr = (struct ifreq) {
 		.ifr_data = (void *)&edata,
 	};
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 1);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
 			"port %u ioctl(SIOCETHTOOL, ETHTOOL_GSET) failed: %s",
@@ -669,8 +662,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gset(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				ETH_LINK_HALF_DUPLEX : ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX);
 	dev_link.link_autoneg = !(dev->data->dev_conf.link_speeds &
 			ETH_LINK_SPEED_FIXED);
-	if (!priv->representor &&
-	    ((dev_link.link_speed && !dev_link.link_status) ||
+	if (((dev_link.link_speed && !dev_link.link_status) ||
 	     (!dev_link.link_speed && dev_link.link_status))) {
 		rte_errno = EAGAIN;
 		return -rte_errno;
@@ -702,7 +694,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	uint64_t sc;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING, "port %u ioctl(SIOCGIFFLAGS) failed: %s",
 			dev->data->port_id, strerror(rte_errno));
@@ -715,7 +707,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	ifr = (struct ifreq) {
 		.ifr_data = (void *)&gcmd,
 	};
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 1);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG,
 			"port %u ioctl(SIOCETHTOOL, ETHTOOL_GLINKSETTINGS)"
@@ -732,7 +724,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 
 	*ecmd = gcmd;
 	ifr.ifr_data = (void *)ecmd;
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 1);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG,
 			"port %u ioctl(SIOCETHTOOL, ETHTOOL_GLINKSETTINGS)"
@@ -782,8 +774,7 @@ mlx5_link_update_unlocked_gs(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				ETH_LINK_HALF_DUPLEX : ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX);
 	dev_link.link_autoneg = !(dev->data->dev_conf.link_speeds &
 				  ETH_LINK_SPEED_FIXED);
-	if (!priv->representor &&
-	    ((dev_link.link_speed && !dev_link.link_status) ||
+	if (((dev_link.link_speed && !dev_link.link_status) ||
 	     (!dev_link.link_speed && dev_link.link_status))) {
 		rte_errno = EAGAIN;
 		return -rte_errno;
@@ -896,7 +887,7 @@ mlx5_dev_get_flow_ctrl(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_eth_fc_conf *fc_conf)
 	int ret;
 
 	ifr.ifr_data = (void *)&ethpause;
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 1);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
 			"port %u ioctl(SIOCETHTOOL, ETHTOOL_GPAUSEPARAM) failed:"
@@ -949,7 +940,7 @@ mlx5_dev_set_flow_ctrl(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_eth_fc_conf *fc_conf)
 		ethpause.tx_pause = 1;
 	else
 		ethpause.tx_pause = 0;
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
 			"port %u ioctl(SIOCETHTOOL, ETHTOOL_SPAUSEPARAM)"
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
index 12ee37f55e..672a476196 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ mlx5_get_mac(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint8_t (*mac)[ETHER_ADDR_LEN])
 	struct ifreq request;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFHWADDR, &request, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCGIFHWADDR, &request);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 	memcpy(mac, request.ifr_hwaddr.sa_data, ETHER_ADDR_LEN);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_stats.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_stats.c
index f1600342f8..edc698668a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_stats.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_stats.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ mlx5_read_dev_counters(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint64_t *stats)
 	et_stats->cmd = ETHTOOL_GSTATS;
 	et_stats->n_stats = xstats_ctrl->stats_n;
 	ifr.ifr_data = (caddr_t)et_stats;
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
 			"port %u unable to read statistic values from device",
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ mlx5_ethtool_get_stats_n(struct rte_eth_dev *dev) {
 
 	drvinfo.cmd = ETHTOOL_GDRVINFO;
 	ifr.ifr_data = (caddr_t)&drvinfo;
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING, "port %u unable to query number of statistics",
 			dev->data->port_id);
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ mlx5_xstats_init(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	strings->string_set = ETH_SS_STATS;
 	strings->len = dev_stats_n;
 	ifr.ifr_data = (caddr_t)strings;
-	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr, 0);
+	ret = mlx5_ifreq(dev, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING, "port %u unable to get statistic names",
 			dev->data->port_id);
