diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h
index 128b2ce..fe57cb6 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h
@@ -181,12 +181,19 @@ struct rte_pci_driver;
 typedef int (pci_devinit_t)(struct rte_pci_driver *, struct rte_pci_device *);
 
 /**
+ * Uninitialisation function for the driver called during hotplugging.
+ */
+typedef int (pci_devuninit_t)(
+		struct rte_pci_driver *, struct rte_pci_device *);
+
+/**
  * A structure describing a PCI driver.
  */
 struct rte_pci_driver {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(rte_pci_driver) next;       /**< Next in list. */
 	const char *name;                       /**< Driver name. */
 	pci_devinit_t *devinit;                 /**< Device init. function. */
+	pci_devuninit_t *devuninit;             /**< Device uninit function. */
 	struct rte_pci_id *id_table;            /**< ID table, NULL terminated. */
 	uint32_t drv_flags;                     /**< Flags contolling handling of device. */
 };
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
index 16f22c0..e5145b7 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -335,6 +335,45 @@ rte_eth_dev_init(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv,
 	return diag;
 }
 
+static int
+rte_eth_dev_uninit(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv,
+		 struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
+{
+	struct eth_driver *eth_drv;
+	struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev;
+	char ethdev_name[RTE_ETH_NAME_MAX_LEN];
+
+	if ((pci_drv == NULL) || (pci_dev == NULL))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	/* Create unique Ethernet device name using PCI address */
+	snprintf(ethdev_name, RTE_ETH_NAME_MAX_LEN, "%d:%d.%d",
+			pci_dev->addr.bus, pci_dev->addr.devid,
+			pci_dev->addr.function);
+
+	eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_free(ethdev_name);
+	if (eth_dev == NULL)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	eth_drv = (struct eth_driver *)pci_drv;
+
+	/* Invoke PMD device uninit function */
+	if (*eth_drv->eth_dev_uninit)
+		(*eth_drv->eth_dev_uninit)(eth_drv, eth_dev);
+
+	/* init user callbacks */
+	TAILQ_INIT(&(eth_dev->callbacks));
+
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		rte_free(eth_dev->data->dev_private);
+
+	eth_dev->pci_dev = NULL;
+	eth_dev->driver = NULL;
+	eth_dev->data = NULL;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * Register an Ethernet [Poll Mode] driver.
  *
@@ -353,6 +392,7 @@ void
 rte_eth_driver_register(struct eth_driver *eth_drv)
 {
 	eth_drv->pci_drv.devinit = rte_eth_dev_init;
+	eth_drv->pci_drv.devuninit = rte_eth_dev_uninit;
 	rte_eal_pci_register(&eth_drv->pci_drv);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
index fe64c78..2a8ff26 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -1701,6 +1701,27 @@ typedef int (*eth_dev_init_t)(struct eth_driver  *eth_drv,
 
 /**
  * @internal
+ * Finalization function of an Ethernet driver invoked for each matching
+ * Ethernet PCI device detected during the PCI closing phase.
+ *
+ * @param eth_drv
+ *   The pointer to the [matching] Ethernet driver structure supplied by
+ *   the PMD when it registered itself.
+ * @param eth_dev
+ *   The *eth_dev* pointer is the address of the *rte_eth_dev* structure
+ *   associated with the matching device and which have been [automatically]
+ *   allocated in the *rte_eth_devices* array.
+ * @return
+ *   - 0: Success, the device is properly finalized by the driver.
+ *        In particular, the driver MUST free the *dev_ops* pointer
+ *        of the *eth_dev* structure.
+ *   - <0: Error code of the device initialization failure.
+ */
+typedef int (*eth_dev_uninit_t)(struct eth_driver  *eth_drv,
+				  struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev);
+
+/**
+ * @internal
  * The structure associated with a PMD Ethernet driver.
  *
  * Each Ethernet driver acts as a PCI driver and is represented by a generic
@@ -1710,11 +1731,14 @@ typedef int (*eth_dev_init_t)(struct eth_driver  *eth_drv,
  *
  * - The *eth_dev_init* function invoked for each matching PCI device.
  *
+ * - The *eth_dev_uninit* function invoked for each matching PCI device.
+ *
  * - The size of the private data to allocate for each matching device.
  */
 struct eth_driver {
 	struct rte_pci_driver pci_drv;    /**< The PMD is also a PCI driver. */
 	eth_dev_init_t eth_dev_init;      /**< Device init function. */
+	eth_dev_uninit_t eth_dev_uninit;  /**< Device uninit function. */
 	unsigned int dev_private_size;    /**< Size of device private data. */
 };
 
