diff --git a/app/test/meson.build b/app/test/meson.build
index a16374b7a10..842388b0d32 100644
--- a/app/test/meson.build
+++ b/app/test/meson.build
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ test_sources = files(
         'test_cryptodev_security_pdcp.c',
         'test_cycles.c',
         'test_debug.c',
+        'test_devargs.c',
         'test_distributor.c',
         'test_distributor_perf.c',
         'test_dmadev.c',
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ fast_tests = [
         ['common_autotest', true],
         ['cpuflags_autotest', true],
         ['debug_autotest', true],
+        ['devargs_autotest', true],
         ['eal_flags_c_opt_autotest', false],
         ['eal_flags_main_opt_autotest', false],
         ['eal_flags_n_opt_autotest', false],
diff --git a/app/test/test_devargs.c b/app/test/test_devargs.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..13e95f052b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/test/test_devargs.c
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright (c) 2021 NVIDIA Corporation & Affiliates
+ */
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <rte_common.h>
+#include <rte_devargs.h>
+#include <rte_kvargs.h>
+#include <rte_bus.h>
+#include <rte_class.h>
+
+#include "test.h"
+
+/* Check layer arguments. */
+static int
+test_args(const char *devargs, const char *layer, const char *args, const int n)
+{
+	struct rte_kvargs *kvlist;
+
+	if (n == 0) {
+		if (args != NULL && strlen(args) > 0) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) %s args parsed (not expected)\n",
+			       devargs, layer);
+			return -1;
+		} else {
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+	if (args == NULL) {
+		printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) %s args not parsed\n",
+		       devargs, layer);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	kvlist = rte_kvargs_parse(args, NULL);
+	if (kvlist == NULL) {
+		printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) %s_str: %s not parsed\n",
+		       devargs, layer, args);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if ((int)kvlist->count != n) {
+		printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) %s_str: %s kv number %u, not %d\n",
+		       devargs, layer, args, kvlist->count, n);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* Test several valid cases */
+static int
+test_valid_devargs(void)
+{
+	static const struct {
+		const char *devargs;
+		int bus_kv;
+		int class_kv;
+		int driver_kv;
+		const char *bus;
+		const char *name;
+		const char *class;
+	} list[] = {
+		/* Global devargs syntax: */
+		{ "bus=pci",
+		  1, 0, 0, "pci", NULL, NULL},
+		{ "class=eth",
+		  0, 1, 0, NULL, NULL, "eth" },
+		{ "bus=pci,addr=1:2.3/class=eth/driver=abc,k0=v0",
+		  2, 1, 2, "pci", "0000:01:02.3", "eth" },
+		{ "bus=vdev,name=/dev/file/name/class=eth",
+		  2, 1, 0, "vdev", "/dev/file/name", "eth" },
+		{ "bus=vdev,name=/class/bus/path/class=eth",
+		  2, 1, 0, "vdev", "/class/bus/path", "eth" },
+		{ "bus=vdev,name=///dblslsh/class=eth",
+		  2, 1, 0, "vdev", "///dblslsh", "eth" },
+		/* Legacy devargs syntax: */
+		{ "1:2.3", 0, 0, 0,
+		  "pci", "1:2.3", NULL },
+		{ "pci:1:2.3,k0=v0",
+		  0, 0, 1, "pci", "1:2.3", NULL },
+		{ "net_virtio_user0,iface=test,path=/dev/vhost-net,queues=1",
+		  0, 0, 3, "vdev", "net_virtio_user0", NULL },
+		{ "net_virtio_user0,iface=test,path=/class/bus/,queues=1",
+		  0, 0, 3, "vdev", "net_virtio_user0", NULL },
+	};
+	struct rte_devargs da;
+	uint32_t i;
+	int ret;
+	int fail = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < RTE_DIM(list); i++) {
+		memset(&da, 0, sizeof(da));
+		ret = rte_devargs_parse(&da, list[i].devargs);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) returned %d (but should not)\n",
+			       list[i].devargs, ret);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		if ((list[i].bus_kv > 0 || list[i].bus != NULL) &&
+		    da.bus == NULL) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) bus not parsed\n",
+			       list[i].devargs);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		if (test_args(list[i].devargs, "bus", da.bus_str,
+			      list[i].bus_kv) != 0)
+			goto fail;
+		if (list[i].bus != NULL &&
+		    strcmp(da.bus->name, list[i].bus) != 0) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) bus name (%s) not expected (%s)\n",
+			       list[i].devargs, da.bus->name, list[i].bus);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		if ((list[i].class_kv > 0 || list[i].class != NULL) &&
+		    da.cls == NULL) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) class not parsed\n",
+			       list[i].devargs);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		if (test_args(list[i].devargs, "class", da.cls_str,
+			      list[i].class_kv) != 0)
+			goto fail;
+		if (list[i].class != NULL &&
+		    strcmp(da.cls->name, list[i].class) != 0) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) class name (%s) not expected (%s)\n",
+			       list[i].devargs, da.cls->name, list[i].class);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		if (test_args(list[i].devargs, "driver", da.drv_str,
+			      list[i].driver_kv) != 0)
+			goto fail;
+		if (list[i].name != NULL &&
+		    strcmp(da.name, list[i].name) != 0) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) device name (%s) not expected (%s)\n",
+			       list[i].devargs, da.name, list[i].name);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		goto cleanup;
+fail:
+		fail = -1;
+cleanup:
+		rte_devargs_reset(&da);
+	}
+	return fail;
+}
+
+/* Test several invalid cases */
+static int
+test_invalid_devargs(void)
+{
+	static const char * const list[] = {
+		"bus=wrong-bus",
+		"class=wrong-class"};
+	struct rte_devargs da;
+	uint32_t i;
+	int ret;
+	int fail = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < RTE_DIM(list); i++) {
+		ret = rte_devargs_parse(&da, list[i]);
+		if (ret >= 0) {
+			printf("rte_devargs_parse(%s) returned %d (but should not)\n",
+			       list[i], ret);
+			fail = ret;
+		}
+		rte_devargs_reset(&da);
+	}
+	return fail;
+}
+
+static int
+test_devargs(void)
+{
+	printf("== test valid case ==\n");
+	if (test_valid_devargs() < 0)
+		return -1;
+	printf("== test invalid case ==\n");
+	if (test_invalid_devargs() < 0)
+		return -1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(devargs_autotest, test_devargs);
