diff --git a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ether.c b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ether.c
index a3a8cce..1def110 100644
--- a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ether.c
+++ b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ether.c
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@
 				      i);
 				goto err_remove;
 			}
+			sdev->remove = 0;
 		}
 	}
 	/*
diff --git a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ops.c b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ops.c
index ff9ad15..314d53d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe_ops.c
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@
 			dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc = 0;
 		}
 		DEBUG("Configuring sub-device %d", i);
-		sdev->remove = 0;
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_configure(PORT_ID(sdev),
 					dev->data->nb_rx_queues,
 					dev->data->nb_tx_queues,
@@ -311,6 +310,8 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling rte_eth_dev_set_link_up on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_set_link_up(PORT_ID(sdev));
 		if (ret) {
@@ -330,6 +331,8 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling rte_eth_dev_set_link_down on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_set_link_down(PORT_ID(sdev));
 		if (ret) {
@@ -517,8 +520,11 @@
 	struct sub_device *sdev;
 	uint8_t i;
 
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_promiscuous_enable(PORT_ID(sdev));
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -527,8 +533,11 @@
 	struct sub_device *sdev;
 	uint8_t i;
 
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_promiscuous_disable(PORT_ID(sdev));
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -537,8 +546,11 @@
 	struct sub_device *sdev;
 	uint8_t i;
 
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_allmulticast_enable(PORT_ID(sdev));
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -547,8 +559,11 @@
 	struct sub_device *sdev;
 	uint8_t i;
 
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_allmulticast_disable(PORT_ID(sdev));
+	}
 }
 
 static int
@@ -560,6 +575,8 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling link_update on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = (SUBOPS(sdev, link_update))(ETH(sdev), wait_to_complete);
 		if (ret && ret != -1) {
@@ -597,8 +614,11 @@
 	struct sub_device *sdev;
 	uint8_t i;
 
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_stats_reset(PORT_ID(sdev));
+	}
 }
 
 /**
@@ -693,6 +713,8 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling rte_eth_dev_set_mtu on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_set_mtu(PORT_ID(sdev), mtu);
 		if (ret) {
@@ -712,6 +734,8 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling rte_eth_dev_vlan_filter on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_vlan_filter(PORT_ID(sdev), vlan_id, on);
 		if (ret) {
@@ -746,6 +770,8 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling rte_eth_dev_flow_ctrl_set on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_flow_ctrl_set(PORT_ID(sdev), fc_conf);
 		if (ret) {
@@ -766,9 +792,12 @@
 	/* No check: already done within the rte_eth_dev_mac_addr_remove
 	 * call for the fail-safe device.
 	 */
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_dev_mac_addr_remove(PORT_ID(sdev),
 				&dev->data->mac_addrs[index]);
+	}
 	PRIV(dev)->mac_addr_pool[index] = 0;
 }
 
@@ -784,6 +813,8 @@
 
 	RTE_ASSERT(index < FAILSAFE_MAX_ETHADDR);
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_mac_addr_add(PORT_ID(sdev), mac_addr, vmdq);
 		if (ret) {
 			ERROR("Operation rte_eth_dev_mac_addr_add failed for sub_device %"
@@ -805,8 +836,11 @@
 	struct sub_device *sdev;
 	uint8_t i;
 
-	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE)
+	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		rte_eth_dev_default_mac_addr_set(PORT_ID(sdev), mac_addr);
+	}
 }
 
 static int
@@ -825,6 +859,8 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 	FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+		if (sdev->remove)
+			continue;
 		DEBUG("Calling rte_eth_dev_filter_ctrl on sub_device %d", i);
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_filter_ctrl(PORT_ID(sdev), type, op, arg);
 		if (ret) {
