diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
index 5f1a1bf2b..6f7695ab3 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -3391,6 +3391,99 @@ rte_eth_dma_zone_reserve(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, const char *ring_name,
 			RTE_MEMZONE_IOVA_CONTIG, align);
 }
 
+int __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_dev_create(struct rte_device *device, const char *name,
+	size_t priv_data_size,
+	ethdev_bus_specific_init ethdev_bus_specific_init,
+	void *bus_init_params,
+	ethdev_init_t ethdev_init, void *init_params)
+{
+	struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev;
+	int retval;
+
+	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*ethdev_init, -EINVAL);
+
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
+		ethdev = rte_eth_dev_allocate(name);
+		if (!ethdev) {
+			retval = -ENODEV;
+			goto probe_failed;
+		}
+
+		if (priv_data_size) {
+			ethdev->data->dev_private = rte_zmalloc_socket(
+				name, priv_data_size, RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE,
+				device->numa_node);
+
+			if (!ethdev->data->dev_private) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to allocate private data");
+				retval = -ENOMEM;
+				goto probe_failed;
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		ethdev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		if (!ethdev) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "secondary process attach failed, "
+				"ethdev doesn't exist");
+			retval = -ENODEV;
+			goto probe_failed;
+		}
+	}
+
+	ethdev->device = device;
+
+	if (ethdev_bus_specific_init) {
+		retval = ethdev_bus_specific_init(ethdev, bus_init_params);
+		if (retval) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+				"ethdev bus specific initialisation failed");
+			goto probe_failed;
+		}
+	}
+
+	retval = ethdev_init(ethdev, init_params);
+	if (retval) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "ethdev initialisation failed");
+		goto probe_failed;
+	}
+
+	return retval;
+probe_failed:
+	/* free ports private data if primary process */
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		rte_free(ethdev->data->dev_private);
+
+	rte_eth_dev_release_port(ethdev);
+
+	return retval;
+}
+
+int  __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_dev_destroy(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev,
+	ethdev_uninit_t ethdev_uninit)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ethdev = rte_eth_dev_allocated(ethdev->data->name);
+	if (!ethdev)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*ethdev_uninit, -EINVAL);
+	if (ethdev_uninit) {
+		ret = ethdev_uninit(ethdev);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+	}
+
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		rte_free(ethdev->data->dev_private);
+
+	ethdev->data->dev_private = NULL;
+
+	return rte_eth_dev_release_port(ethdev);
+}
+
 int
 rte_eth_dev_rx_intr_ctl_q(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t queue_id,
 			  int epfd, int op, void *data)
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_driver.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_driver.h
index a406ef123..8c61ab2f4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_driver.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_driver.h
@@ -188,6 +188,63 @@ rte_eth_linkstatus_get(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 #endif
 }
 
+
+typedef int (*ethdev_init_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev, void *init_params);
+typedef int (*ethdev_bus_specific_init)(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev,
+	void *bus_specific_init_params);
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * PMD helper function for the creation of a new ethdev ports.
+ *
+ * @param device
+ *  rte_device handle.
+ * @param name
+ *  port name.
+ * @param priv_data_size
+ *  size of private data required for port.
+ * @param bus_specific_init
+ *  port bus specific initialisation callback function
+ * @param bus_init_params
+ *  port bus specific initialisation parameters
+ * @param ethdev_init
+ *  device specific port initialization callback function
+ * @param init_params
+ *  port initialisation parameters
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Negative errno value on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+int __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_dev_create(struct rte_device *device, const char *name,
+	size_t priv_data_size,
+	ethdev_bus_specific_init bus_specific_init, void *bus_init_params,
+	ethdev_init_t ethdev_init, void *init_params);
+
+
+typedef int (*ethdev_uninit_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev);
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * PMD helper function for cleaing up the resources of a ethdev port on it's
+ * destruction.
+ *
+ * @param ethdev
+ *   ethdev handle of port.
+ * @param ethdev
+ *   device specific port un-initialise callback function
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Negative errno value on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+int __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_dev_destroy(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev,
+	ethdev_uninit_t ethdev_uninit);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h
index 6565ae7d3..603287c28 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h
@@ -70,6 +70,18 @@ rte_eth_copy_pci_info(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev,
 	eth_dev->data->numa_node = pci_dev->device.numa_node;
 }
 
+static inline int
+eth_dev_pci_specific_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev, void *bus_device) {
+	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = bus_device;
+
+	if (!pci_dev)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	rte_eth_copy_pci_info(eth_dev, pci_dev);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * @internal
  * Allocates a new ethdev slot for an ethernet device and returns the pointer
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map
index 8fe07880f..c4380aa31 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_version.map
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 
 	rte_eth_dev_count_avail;
 	rte_eth_dev_count_total;
+	rte_eth_dev_create;
+	rte_eth_dev_destroy;
 	rte_eth_dev_is_removed;
 	rte_eth_dev_owner_delete;
 	rte_eth_dev_owner_get;
