diff --git a/doc/guides/nics/mlx5.rst b/doc/guides/nics/mlx5.rst
index 46d26e4c8..54e6f327b 100644
--- a/doc/guides/nics/mlx5.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/nics/mlx5.rst
@@ -135,6 +135,11 @@ Limitations
 - Flows with a VXLAN Network Identifier equal (or ends to be equal)
   to 0 are not supported.
 - VXLAN TSO and checksum offloads are not supported on VM.
+- VF: Flow rules matching a specific MAC address are only triggers if the MAC
+  has been previously added by the application.
+  Adding more than MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES MAC addresses is not supported in VF
+  mode.  **Note** needs a Linux kernel v4.16 or higher or Mellanox OFED
+  installed.
 
 Statistics
 ----------
@@ -335,6 +340,14 @@ Run-time configuration
 
   Enabled by default.
 
+- ``vf_nl_en`` parameter [int]
+
+  A nonzero value enables Netlink requests from the VF to add/remove MAC
+  addresses or/and enable/disable promiscuous/allmulticast on the Netdevice.
+  Otherwise the according configuration must be run with Linux iproute2 tools.
+
+  Enabled by default on VF.
+
 Prerequisites
 -------------
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
index e966884bd..d1ca0837c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@
 /* Device parameter to enable hardware Rx vector. */
 #define MLX5_RX_VEC_EN "rx_vec_en"
 
+/* Activate Netlink support in VF mode. */
+#define MLX5_VF_NL_EN "vf_nl_en"
+
 #ifndef HAVE_IBV_MLX5_MOD_MPW
 #define MLX5DV_CONTEXT_FLAGS_MPW_ALLOWED (1 << 2)
 #define MLX5DV_CONTEXT_FLAGS_ENHANCED_MPW (1 << 3)
@@ -414,6 +417,8 @@ mlx5_args_check(const char *key, const char *val, void *opaque)
 		config->tx_vec_en = !!tmp;
 	} else if (strcmp(MLX5_RX_VEC_EN, key) == 0) {
 		config->rx_vec_en = !!tmp;
+	} else if (strcmp(MLX5_VF_NL_EN, key) == 0) {
+		config->vf_nl_en = !!tmp;
 	} else {
 		DRV_LOG(WARNING, "%s: unknown parameter", key);
 		rte_errno = EINVAL;
@@ -445,6 +450,7 @@ mlx5_args(struct mlx5_dev_config *config, struct rte_devargs *devargs)
 		MLX5_TXQ_MAX_INLINE_LEN,
 		MLX5_TX_VEC_EN,
 		MLX5_RX_VEC_EN,
+		MLX5_VF_NL_EN,
 		NULL,
 	};
 	struct rte_kvargs *kvlist;
@@ -750,6 +756,7 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 			.txq_inline = MLX5_ARG_UNSET,
 			.txqs_inline = MLX5_ARG_UNSET,
 			.inline_max_packet_sz = MLX5_ARG_UNSET,
+			.vf_nl_en = 1,
 		};
 
 		len = snprintf(name, sizeof(name), PCI_PRI_FMT,
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
index 245235641..8c3e925af 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ struct mlx5_dev_config {
 	unsigned int tx_vec_en:1; /* Tx vector is enabled. */
 	unsigned int rx_vec_en:1; /* Rx vector is enabled. */
 	unsigned int mpw_hdr_dseg:1; /* Enable DSEGs in the title WQEBB. */
+	unsigned int vf_nl_en:1; /* Enable Netlink request in VF mode. */
 	unsigned int tso_max_payload_sz; /* Maximum TCP payload for TSO. */
 	unsigned int ind_table_max_size; /* Maximum indirection table size. */
 	int txq_inline; /* Maximum packet size for inlining. */
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_vf.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_vf.c
index cf71e79d9..18b02365d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_vf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_vf.c
@@ -361,7 +361,16 @@ mlx5_vf_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac)
 	int i;
 	int mac_index = MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES;
 	int ret;
+	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
+	if (!priv->config.vf_nl_en) {
+		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
+			"port %u Netlink requests are disabled, add the MAC"
+			" though bridge command: bridge fdb add <mac> dev"
+			" <device>",
+			dev->data->port_id);
+		return 0;
+	}
 	ret = mlx5_vf_mac_addr_list(dev, &macs, &macs_n);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -399,7 +408,16 @@ mlx5_vf_mac_addr_remove(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac)
 	int i;
 	int mac_index = MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES;
 	int ret;
+	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
+	if (!priv->config.vf_nl_en) {
+		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
+			"port %u Netlink requests are disabled, delete the MAC"
+			" though bridge command: bridge fdb del <mac> dev"
+			" <device>",
+			dev->data->port_id);
+		return 0;
+	}
 	ret = mlx5_vf_mac_addr_list(dev, &macs, &macs_n);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -432,7 +450,16 @@ mlx5_vf_mac_addr_flush(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	int i;
 	const struct ether_addr mac_null = { .addr_bytes = { 0 }, };
+	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
+	if (!priv->config.vf_nl_en) {
+		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
+			"port %u Netlink requests are disabled, flush added"
+			" MAC though bridge command: bridge fdb del <mac> dev"
+			" <device>",
+			dev->data->port_id);
+		return 0;
+	}
 	/* Skip the default mac at index 0. */
 	for (i = 1; i != MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES; ++i) {
 		struct ether_addr *m = &dev->data->mac_addrs[i];
@@ -516,8 +543,19 @@ mlx5_vf_device_flags(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t flags, int enable)
 int
 mlx5_vf_promisc(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int enable)
 {
-	int ret = mlx5_vf_device_flags(dev, IFF_PROMISC, enable);
+	int ret;
+	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
+	if (!priv->config.vf_nl_en) {
+		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
+			"port %u Netlink requests are disabled, %s promisc"
+			" though ip link command: ip link set <device> promisc"
+			" %s",
+			dev->data->port_id, enable ? "enable" : "disable",
+			enable ? "on" : "off");
+		return 0;
+	}
+	ret = mlx5_vf_device_flags(dev, IFF_PROMISC, enable);
 	if (ret)
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG,
 			"port %u cannot %s promisc mode: Netlink error %s",
@@ -540,8 +578,19 @@ mlx5_vf_promisc(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int enable)
 int
 mlx5_vf_allmulti(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, int enable)
 {
-	int ret = mlx5_vf_device_flags(dev, IFF_ALLMULTI, enable);
+	int ret;
+	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
+	if (!priv->config.vf_nl_en) {
+		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
+			"port %u Netlink requests are disabled, %s allmulti"
+			" though ip link command: ip link set <device>"
+			" allmulticast %s",
+			dev->data->port_id, enable ? "enable" : "disable",
+			enable ? "on" : "off");
+		return 0;
+	}
+	ret = mlx5_vf_device_flags(dev, IFF_ALLMULTI, enable);
 	if (ret)
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG,
 			"port %u cannot %s allmulti mode: Netlink error %s",
