diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
index 1ec5aaf..ed21af5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
@@ -1332,12 +1332,8 @@ eth_ixgbe_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	/* initialize l2 tunnel filter list & hash */
 	ixgbe_l2_tn_filter_init(eth_dev);
 
-	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_ntuple_list);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_ethertype_list);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_syn_list);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_fdir_list);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_l2_tunnel_list);
-	TAILQ_INIT(&ixgbe_flow_list);
+	/* initialize flow filter lists */
+	ixgbe_filterlist_init();
 
 	/* initialize bandwidth configuration info */
 	memset(bw_conf, 0, sizeof(struct ixgbe_bw_conf));
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.h b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.h
index caa50c8..e28c856 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.h
@@ -364,49 +364,6 @@ struct rte_flow {
 	enum rte_filter_type filter_type;
 	void *rule;
 };
-/* ntuple filter list structure */
-struct ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele {
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele) entries;
-	struct rte_eth_ntuple_filter filter_info;
-};
-/* ethertype filter list structure */
-struct ixgbe_ethertype_filter_ele {
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_ethertype_filter_ele) entries;
-	struct rte_eth_ethertype_filter filter_info;
-};
-/* syn filter list structure */
-struct ixgbe_eth_syn_filter_ele {
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_eth_syn_filter_ele) entries;
-	struct rte_eth_syn_filter filter_info;
-};
-/* fdir filter list structure */
-struct ixgbe_fdir_rule_ele {
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_fdir_rule_ele) entries;
-	struct ixgbe_fdir_rule filter_info;
-};
-/* l2_tunnel filter list structure */
-struct ixgbe_eth_l2_tunnel_conf_ele {
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_eth_l2_tunnel_conf_ele) entries;
-	struct rte_eth_l2_tunnel_conf filter_info;
-};
-/* ixgbe_flow memory list structure */
-struct ixgbe_flow_mem {
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_flow_mem) entries;
-	struct rte_flow *flow;
-};
-
-TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_ntuple_filter_list, ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele);
-struct ixgbe_ntuple_filter_list filter_ntuple_list;
-TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_ethertype_filter_list, ixgbe_ethertype_filter_ele);
-struct ixgbe_ethertype_filter_list filter_ethertype_list;
-TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_syn_filter_list, ixgbe_eth_syn_filter_ele);
-struct ixgbe_syn_filter_list filter_syn_list;
-TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_fdir_rule_filter_list, ixgbe_fdir_rule_ele);
-struct ixgbe_fdir_rule_filter_list filter_fdir_list;
-TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_l2_tunnel_filter_list, ixgbe_eth_l2_tunnel_conf_ele);
-struct ixgbe_l2_tunnel_filter_list filter_l2_tunnel_list;
-TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_flow_mem_list, ixgbe_flow_mem);
-struct ixgbe_flow_mem_list ixgbe_flow_list;
 
 /*
  * Statistics counters collected by the MACsec
@@ -692,6 +649,7 @@ ixgbe_dev_l2_tunnel_filter_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 int
 ixgbe_dev_l2_tunnel_filter_del(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 			       struct rte_eth_l2_tunnel_conf *l2_tunnel);
+void ixgbe_filterlist_init(void);
 void ixgbe_filterlist_flush(void);
 /*
  * Flow director function prototypes
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_flow.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_flow.c
index d679608..6216c54 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_flow.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_flow.c
@@ -79,6 +79,51 @@
 #define IXGBE_MAX_N_TUPLE_PRIO 7
 #define IXGBE_MAX_FLX_SOURCE_OFF 62
 
+/* ntuple filter list structure */
+struct ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele) entries;
+	struct rte_eth_ntuple_filter filter_info;
+};
+/* ethertype filter list structure */
+struct ixgbe_ethertype_filter_ele {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_ethertype_filter_ele) entries;
+	struct rte_eth_ethertype_filter filter_info;
+};
+/* syn filter list structure */
+struct ixgbe_eth_syn_filter_ele {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_eth_syn_filter_ele) entries;
+	struct rte_eth_syn_filter filter_info;
+};
+/* fdir filter list structure */
+struct ixgbe_fdir_rule_ele {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_fdir_rule_ele) entries;
+	struct ixgbe_fdir_rule filter_info;
+};
+/* l2_tunnel filter list structure */
+struct ixgbe_eth_l2_tunnel_conf_ele {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_eth_l2_tunnel_conf_ele) entries;
+	struct rte_eth_l2_tunnel_conf filter_info;
+};
+/* ixgbe_flow memory list structure */
+struct ixgbe_flow_mem {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(ixgbe_flow_mem) entries;
+	struct rte_flow *flow;
+};
+
+TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_ntuple_filter_list, ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele);
+TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_ethertype_filter_list, ixgbe_ethertype_filter_ele);
+TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_syn_filter_list, ixgbe_eth_syn_filter_ele);
+TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_fdir_rule_filter_list, ixgbe_fdir_rule_ele);
+TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_l2_tunnel_filter_list, ixgbe_eth_l2_tunnel_conf_ele);
+TAILQ_HEAD(ixgbe_flow_mem_list, ixgbe_flow_mem);
+
+static struct ixgbe_ntuple_filter_list filter_ntuple_list;
+static struct ixgbe_ethertype_filter_list filter_ethertype_list;
+static struct ixgbe_syn_filter_list filter_syn_list;
+static struct ixgbe_fdir_rule_filter_list filter_fdir_list;
+static struct ixgbe_l2_tunnel_filter_list filter_l2_tunnel_list;
+static struct ixgbe_flow_mem_list ixgbe_flow_list;
+
 /**
  * Endless loop will never happen with below assumption
  * 1. there is at least one no-void item(END)
@@ -2600,6 +2645,17 @@ ixgbe_parse_fdir_filter(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 }
 
 void
+ixgbe_filterlist_init(void)
+{
+	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_ntuple_list);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_ethertype_list);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_syn_list);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_fdir_list);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&filter_l2_tunnel_list);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&ixgbe_flow_list);
+}
+
+void
 ixgbe_filterlist_flush(void)
 {
 	struct ixgbe_ntuple_filter_ele *ntuple_filter_ptr;
