diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/base/virtchnl.h b/drivers/net/i40e/base/virtchnl.h
index 9c64fd4690..648072f5bb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/base/virtchnl.h
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/base/virtchnl.h
@@ -402,9 +402,36 @@ VIRTCHNL_CHECK_STRUCT_LEN(12, virtchnl_queue_select);
  * PF removes the filters and returns status.
  */
 
+/* VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_LEGACY
+ * Prior to adding the @type member to virtchnl_ether_addr, there were 2 pad
+ * bytes. Moving forward all VF drivers should not set type to
+ * VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_LEGACY. This is only here to not break previous/legacy
+ * behavior. The control plane function (i.e. PF) can use a best effort method
+ * of tracking the primary/device unicast in this case, but there is no
+ * guarantee and functionality depends on the implementation of the PF.
+ */
+
+/* VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_PRIMARY
+ * All VF drivers should set @type to VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_PRIMARY for the
+ * primary/device unicast MAC address filter for VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR and
+ * VIRTCHNL_OP_DEL_ETH_ADDR. This allows for the underlying control plane
+ * function (i.e. PF) to accurately track and use this MAC address for
+ * displaying on the host and for VM/function reset.
+ */
+
+/* VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA
+ * All VF drivers should set @type to VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA for any extra
+ * unicast and/or multicast filters that are being added/deleted via
+ * VIRTCHNL_OP_DEL_ETH_ADDR/VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR respectively.
+ */
 struct virtchnl_ether_addr {
 	u8 addr[VIRTCHNL_ETH_LENGTH_OF_ADDRESS];
-	u8 pad[2];
+	u8 type;
+#define VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_LEGACY	0
+#define VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_PRIMARY	1
+#define VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA	2
+#define VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_TYPE_MASK	3 /* first two bits of type are valid */
+	u8 pad;
 };
 
 VIRTCHNL_CHECK_STRUCT_LEN(8, virtchnl_ether_addr);
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c
index 0c9bd8d2c6..7548062934 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev_vf.c
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ static int i40evf_dev_tx_queue_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				     uint16_t tx_queue_id);
 static int i40evf_dev_tx_queue_stop(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				    uint16_t tx_queue_id);
+static int i40evf_add_del_eth_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+				   struct rte_ether_addr *addr,
+				   bool add, uint8_t type);
 static int i40evf_add_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 			       struct rte_ether_addr *addr,
 			       uint32_t index,
@@ -823,10 +826,9 @@ i40evf_stop_queues(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 }
 
 static int
-i40evf_add_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
-		    struct rte_ether_addr *addr,
-		    __rte_unused uint32_t index,
-		    __rte_unused uint32_t pool)
+i40evf_add_del_eth_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+			struct rte_ether_addr *addr,
+			bool add, uint8_t type)
 {
 	struct virtchnl_ether_addr_list *list;
 	struct i40e_vf *vf = I40EVF_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_VF(dev->data->dev_private);
@@ -835,83 +837,70 @@ i40evf_add_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	int err;
 	struct vf_cmd_info args;
 
-	if (rte_is_zero_ether_addr(addr)) {
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Invalid mac:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x",
-			    addr->addr_bytes[0], addr->addr_bytes[1],
-			    addr->addr_bytes[2], addr->addr_bytes[3],
-			    addr->addr_bytes[4], addr->addr_bytes[5]);
-		return I40E_ERR_INVALID_MAC_ADDR;
-	}
-
 	list = (struct virtchnl_ether_addr_list *)cmd_buffer;
 	list->vsi_id = vf->vsi_res->vsi_id;
 	list->num_elements = 1;
+	list->list[0].type = type;
 	rte_memcpy(list->list[0].addr, addr->addr_bytes,
 					sizeof(addr->addr_bytes));
 
-	args.ops = VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR;
+	args.ops = add ? VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR : VIRTCHNL_OP_DEL_ETH_ADDR;
 	args.in_args = cmd_buffer;
 	args.in_args_size = sizeof(cmd_buffer);
 	args.out_buffer = vf->aq_resp;
 	args.out_size = I40E_AQ_BUF_SZ;
 	err = i40evf_execute_vf_cmd(dev, &args);
 	if (err)
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "fail to execute command "
-			    "OP_ADD_ETHER_ADDRESS");
-	else
-		vf->vsi.mac_num++;
-
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "fail to execute command %s",
+			    add ? "OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR" :  "OP_DEL_ETH_ADDR");
 	return err;
 }
 
-static void
-i40evf_del_mac_addr_by_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
-			    struct rte_ether_addr *addr)
+static int
+i40evf_add_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+		    struct rte_ether_addr *addr,
+		    __rte_unused uint32_t index,
+		    __rte_unused uint32_t pool)
 {
-	struct virtchnl_ether_addr_list *list;
 	struct i40e_vf *vf = I40EVF_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_VF(dev->data->dev_private);
-	uint8_t cmd_buffer[sizeof(struct virtchnl_ether_addr_list) + \
-			sizeof(struct virtchnl_ether_addr)];
 	int err;
-	struct vf_cmd_info args;
 
-	if (i40e_validate_mac_addr(addr->addr_bytes) != I40E_SUCCESS) {
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Invalid mac:%x-%x-%x-%x-%x-%x",
+	if (rte_is_zero_ether_addr(addr)) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Invalid mac:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x",
 			    addr->addr_bytes[0], addr->addr_bytes[1],
 			    addr->addr_bytes[2], addr->addr_bytes[3],
 			    addr->addr_bytes[4], addr->addr_bytes[5]);
-		return;
+		return I40E_ERR_INVALID_MAC_ADDR;
 	}
 
-	list = (struct virtchnl_ether_addr_list *)cmd_buffer;
-	list->vsi_id = vf->vsi_res->vsi_id;
-	list->num_elements = 1;
-	rte_memcpy(list->list[0].addr, addr->addr_bytes,
-			sizeof(addr->addr_bytes));
+	err = i40evf_add_del_eth_addr(dev, addr, TRUE, VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA);
 
-	args.ops = VIRTCHNL_OP_DEL_ETH_ADDR;
-	args.in_args = cmd_buffer;
-	args.in_args_size = sizeof(cmd_buffer);
-	args.out_buffer = vf->aq_resp;
-	args.out_size = I40E_AQ_BUF_SZ;
-	err = i40evf_execute_vf_cmd(dev, &args);
 	if (err)
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "fail to execute command "
-			    "OP_DEL_ETHER_ADDRESS");
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "fail to add MAC address");
 	else
-		vf->vsi.mac_num--;
-	return;
+		vf->vsi.mac_num++;
+
+	return err;
 }
 
 static void
 i40evf_del_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t index)
 {
+	struct i40e_vf *vf = I40EVF_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_VF(dev->data->dev_private);
 	struct rte_eth_dev_data *data = dev->data;
 	struct rte_ether_addr *addr;
+	int err;
 
 	addr = &data->mac_addrs[index];
 
-	i40evf_del_mac_addr_by_addr(dev, addr);
+	err = i40evf_add_del_eth_addr(dev, addr, FALSE, VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA);
+
+	if (err)
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "fail to delete MAC address");
+	else
+		vf->vsi.mac_num--;
+
+	return;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -2093,6 +2082,7 @@ i40evf_add_del_all_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, bool add)
 				continue;
 			rte_memcpy(list->list[j].addr, addr->addr_bytes,
 					 sizeof(addr->addr_bytes));
+			list->list[j].type = VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA;
 			PMD_DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "add/rm mac:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x",
 				    addr->addr_bytes[0], addr->addr_bytes[1],
 				    addr->addr_bytes[2], addr->addr_bytes[3],
@@ -2853,15 +2843,23 @@ i40evf_set_default_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 			    struct rte_ether_addr *mac_addr)
 {
 	struct i40e_hw *hw = I40E_DEV_PRIVATE_TO_HW(dev->data->dev_private);
+	struct rte_ether_addr *old_addr;
+	int ret;
+
+	old_addr = (struct rte_ether_addr *)hw->mac.addr;
 
 	if (!rte_is_valid_assigned_ether_addr(mac_addr)) {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Tried to set invalid MAC address.");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	i40evf_del_mac_addr_by_addr(dev, (struct rte_ether_addr *)hw->mac.addr);
+	if (rte_is_same_ether_addr(old_addr, mac_addr))
+		return 0;
+
+	i40evf_add_del_eth_addr(dev, old_addr, FALSE, VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_PRIMARY);
 
-	if (i40evf_add_mac_addr(dev, mac_addr, 0, 0) != 0)
+	ret = i40evf_add_del_eth_addr(dev, mac_addr, TRUE, VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_PRIMARY);
+	if (ret)
 		return -EIO;
 
 	rte_ether_addr_copy(mac_addr, (struct rte_ether_addr *)hw->mac.addr);
@@ -2905,6 +2903,7 @@ i40evf_add_del_mc_addr_list(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 
 		memcpy(list->list[i].addr, mc_addrs[i].addr_bytes,
 			sizeof(list->list[i].addr));
+		list->list[i].type = VIRTCHNL_ETHER_ADDR_EXTRA;
 	}
 
 	args.ops = add ? VIRTCHNL_OP_ADD_ETH_ADDR : VIRTCHNL_OP_DEL_ETH_ADDR;
