diff --git a/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
index 0788d263d8..fe4d4d4728 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
@@ -5513,6 +5513,13 @@ static int bnxt_rep_port_probe(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev,
 	int i, ret = 0;
 	struct rte_kvargs *kvlist = NULL;
 
+	if (eth_da->type == RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_NONE)
+		return 0;
+	if (eth_da->type != RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "unsupported representor type %d\n",
+			    eth_da->type);
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+	}
 	num_rep = eth_da->nb_representor_ports;
 	if (num_rep > BNXT_MAX_VF_REPS) {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "nb_representor_ports = %d > %d MAX VF REPS\n",
diff --git a/drivers/net/enic/enic_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/enic/enic_ethdev.c
index d041a6bee9..dd085caa93 100644
--- a/drivers/net/enic/enic_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/enic/enic_ethdev.c
@@ -1303,6 +1303,13 @@ static int eth_enic_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 		if (retval)
 			return retval;
 	}
+	if (eth_da.type == RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_NONE)
+		return 0;
+	if (eth_da.type != RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF) {
+		ENICPMD_LOG(ERR, "unsupported representor type: %s\n",
+			    pci_dev->device.devargs->args);
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+	}
 	retval = rte_eth_dev_create(&pci_dev->device, pci_dev->device.name,
 		sizeof(struct enic),
 		eth_dev_pci_specific_init, pci_dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
index 14622484a0..6b74b514fc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
@@ -640,6 +640,14 @@ eth_i40e_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 			return retval;
 	}
 
+	if (eth_da.type == RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_NONE)
+		return 0;
+	if (eth_da.type != RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "unsupported representor type: %s\n",
+			    pci_dev->device.devargs->args);
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+	}
+
 	retval = rte_eth_dev_create(&pci_dev->device, pci_dev->device.name,
 		sizeof(struct i40e_adapter),
 		eth_dev_pci_specific_init, pci_dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
index d7a1806ab8..eb2c4929e2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
@@ -1717,6 +1717,14 @@ eth_ixgbe_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 	} else
 		memset(&eth_da, 0, sizeof(eth_da));
 
+	if (eth_da.type == RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_NONE)
+		return 0;
+	if (eth_da.type != RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "unsupported representor type: %s\n",
+			    pci_dev->device.devargs->args);
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+	}
+
 	retval = rte_eth_dev_create(&pci_dev->device, pci_dev->device.name,
 		sizeof(struct ixgbe_adapter),
 		eth_dev_pci_specific_init, pci_dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c
index 6812a1f215..6981ba1f41 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c
@@ -706,6 +706,17 @@ mlx5_dev_spawn(struct rte_device *dpdk_dev,
 				strerror(rte_errno));
 			return NULL;
 		}
+		if (eth_da.type != RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_NONE) {
+			/* Representor not specified. */
+			rte_errno = EBUSY;
+			return NULL;
+		}
+		if (eth_da.type != RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF) {
+			rte_errno = ENOTSUP;
+			DRV_LOG(ERR, "unsupported representor type: %s",
+				dpdk_dev->devargs->args);
+			return NULL;
+		}
 		for (i = 0; i < eth_da.nb_representor_ports; ++i)
 			if (eth_da.representor_ports[i] ==
 			    (uint16_t)switch_info->port_name)
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c
index 162a502fe7..c219164a4a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c
@@ -38,60 +38,13 @@ eth_find_device(const struct rte_eth_dev *start, rte_eth_cmp_t cmp,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-int
-rte_eth_devargs_parse_list(char *str, rte_eth_devargs_callback_t callback,
-	void *data)
-{
-	char *str_start;
-	int state;
-	int result;
-
-	if (*str != '[')
-		/* Single element, not a list */
-		return callback(str, data);
-
-	/* Sanity check, then strip the brackets */
-	str_start = &str[strlen(str) - 1];
-	if (*str_start != ']') {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "(%s): List does not end with ']'\n", str);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-	str++;
-	*str_start = '\0';
-
-	/* Process list elements */
-	state = 0;
-	while (1) {
-		if (state == 0) {
-			if (*str == '\0')
-				break;
-			if (*str != ',') {
-				str_start = str;
-				state = 1;
-			}
-		} else if (state == 1) {
-			if (*str == ',' || *str == '\0') {
-				if (str > str_start) {
-					/* Non-empty string fragment */
-					*str = '\0';
-					result = callback(str_start, data);
-					if (result < 0)
-						return result;
-				}
-				state = 0;
-			}
-		}
-		str++;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int
 rte_eth_devargs_process_range(char *str, uint16_t *list, uint16_t *len_list,
 	const uint16_t max_list)
 {
 	uint16_t lo, hi, val;
 	int result;
+	char *pos = str;
 
 	result = sscanf(str, "%hu-%hu", &lo, &hi);
 	if (result == 1) {
@@ -99,7 +52,7 @@ rte_eth_devargs_process_range(char *str, uint16_t *list, uint16_t *len_list,
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		list[(*len_list)++] = lo;
 	} else if (result == 2) {
-		if (lo >= hi || lo > RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS || hi > RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS)
+		if (lo >= hi)
 			return -EINVAL;
 		for (val = lo; val <= hi; val++) {
 			if (*len_list >= max_list)
@@ -108,14 +61,52 @@ rte_eth_devargs_process_range(char *str, uint16_t *list, uint16_t *len_list,
 		}
 	} else
 		return -EINVAL;
-	return 0;
+	while (*pos != 0 && ((*pos >= '0' && *pos <= '9') || *pos == '-'))
+		pos++;
+	return pos - str;
 }
 
+static int
+rte_eth_devargs_process_list(char *str, uint16_t *list, uint16_t *len_list,
+	const uint16_t max_list)
+{
+	char *pos = str;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (*pos == '[')
+		pos++;
+	while (1) {
+		ret = rte_eth_devargs_process_range(pos, list, len_list,
+						    max_list);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return ret;
+		pos += ret;
+		if (*pos != ',') /* end of list */
+			break;
+		pos++;
+	}
+	if (*str == '[' && *pos != ']')
+		return -EINVAL;
+	if (*pos == ']')
+		pos++;
+	return pos - str;
+}
+
+/*
+ * representor format:
+ *   #: range or single number of VF representor - legacy
+ */
 int
 rte_eth_devargs_parse_representor_ports(char *str, void *data)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_devargs *eth_da = data;
+	int ret;
 
-	return rte_eth_devargs_process_range(str, eth_da->representor_ports,
+	/* Number # alone implies VF */
+	eth_da->type = RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF;
+	ret = rte_eth_devargs_process_list(str, eth_da->representor_ports,
 		&eth_da->nb_representor_ports, RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "wrong representor format: %s\n", str);
+	return ret < 0 ? ret : 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h
index 905a45c337..220ddd4408 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@ eth_find_device(const struct rte_eth_dev *_start, rte_eth_cmp_t cmp,
 		const void *data);
 
 /* Parse devargs value for representor parameter. */
-typedef int (*rte_eth_devargs_callback_t)(char *str, void *data);
-int rte_eth_devargs_parse_list(char *str, rte_eth_devargs_callback_t callback,
-	void *data);
 int rte_eth_devargs_parse_representor_ports(char *str, void *data);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c
index 6338355e25..efe6149df5 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c
@@ -77,9 +77,7 @@ eth_representor_cmp(const char *key __rte_unused,
 	if (values == NULL)
 		return -1;
 	memset(&representors, 0, sizeof(representors));
-	ret = rte_eth_devargs_parse_list(values,
-			rte_eth_devargs_parse_representor_ports,
-			&representors);
+	ret = rte_eth_devargs_parse_representor_ports(values, &representors);
 	free(values);
 	if (ret != 0)
 		return -1; /* invalid devargs value */
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 17ddacc78d..2ac51ac149 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -5542,9 +5542,8 @@ rte_eth_devargs_parse(const char *dargs, struct rte_eth_devargs *eth_da)
 	for (i = 0; i < args.count; i++) {
 		pair = &args.pairs[i];
 		if (strcmp("representor", pair->key) == 0) {
-			result = rte_eth_devargs_parse_list(pair->value,
-				rte_eth_devargs_parse_representor_ports,
-				eth_da);
+			result = rte_eth_devargs_parse_representor_ports(
+					pair->value, eth_da);
 			if (result < 0)
 				goto parse_cleanup;
 		}
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h
index 0eacfd8425..b66a955b18 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h
@@ -1193,6 +1193,12 @@ __rte_internal
 int
 rte_eth_switch_domain_free(uint16_t domain_id);
 
+/** Ethernet device representor type */
+enum rte_eth_representor_type {
+	RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_NONE, /* not a representor */
+	RTE_ETH_REPRESENTOR_VF,   /* representor of VF */
+};
+
 /** Generic Ethernet device arguments  */
 struct rte_eth_devargs {
 	uint16_t ports[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS];
@@ -1203,6 +1209,7 @@ struct rte_eth_devargs {
 	/** representor port/s identifier to enable on device */
 	uint16_t nb_representor_ports;
 	/** number of ports in representor port field */
+	enum rte_eth_representor_type type; /* type of representor */
 };
 
 /**
