return 0;
 }
 
-static void
-fs_sub_device_free(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
-{
-       rte_free(PRIV(dev)->subs);
-}
-
 static void fs_hotplug_alarm(void *arg);
 
 int
                ERROR("Unable to allocate rte_eth_dev");
                return -1;
        }
+       dev->data->dev_flags |= RTE_ETH_DEV_CLOSE_REMOVE;
        priv = PRIV(dev);
        priv->data = dev->data;
        priv->rxp = FS_RX_PROXY_INIT;
 free_args:
        failsafe_args_free(dev);
 free_subs:
-       fs_sub_device_free(dev);
+       rte_free(PRIV(dev)->subs);
 free_dev:
        /* mac_addrs must not be freed alone because part of dev_private */
        dev->data->mac_addrs = NULL;
 
        dev = rte_eth_dev_allocated(name);
        if (dev == NULL)
-               return -ENODEV;
-       rte_eth_dev_callback_unregister(RTE_ETH_ALL, RTE_ETH_EVENT_NEW,
-                                       failsafe_eth_new_event_callback, dev);
-       ret = failsafe_eal_uninit(dev);
-       if (ret)
-               ERROR("Error while uninitializing sub-EAL");
-       failsafe_args_free(dev);
-       fs_sub_device_free(dev);
-       ret = pthread_mutex_destroy(&PRIV(dev)->hotplug_mutex);
-       if (ret)
-               ERROR("Error while destroying hotplug mutex");
-       rte_free(PRIV(dev)->mcast_addrs);
-       /* mac_addrs must not be freed alone because part of dev_private */
-       dev->data->mac_addrs = NULL;
+               return 0; /* port already released */
+       ret = failsafe_eth_dev_close(dev);
        rte_eth_dev_release_port(dev);
        return ret;
 }
 
        return 0;
 }
 
-static void fs_dev_free_queues(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
-static int
-fs_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
-{
-       struct sub_device *sdev;
-       uint8_t i;
-
-       fs_lock(dev, 0);
-       failsafe_hotplug_alarm_cancel(dev);
-       if (PRIV(dev)->state == DEV_STARTED)
-               dev->dev_ops->dev_stop(dev);
-       PRIV(dev)->state = DEV_ACTIVE - 1;
-       FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
-               DEBUG("Closing sub_device %d", i);
-               failsafe_eth_dev_unregister_callbacks(sdev);
-               rte_eth_dev_close(PORT_ID(sdev));
-               sdev->state = DEV_ACTIVE - 1;
-       }
-       fs_dev_free_queues(dev);
-       fs_unlock(dev, 0);
-       return 0;
-}
-
 static int
 fs_rx_queue_stop(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t rx_queue_id)
 {
        dev->data->nb_tx_queues = 0;
 }
 
+int
+failsafe_eth_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
+{
+       struct sub_device *sdev;
+       uint8_t i;
+       int ret;
+
+       fs_lock(dev, 0);
+       failsafe_hotplug_alarm_cancel(dev);
+       if (PRIV(dev)->state == DEV_STARTED)
+               dev->dev_ops->dev_stop(dev);
+       PRIV(dev)->state = DEV_ACTIVE - 1;
+       FOREACH_SUBDEV_STATE(sdev, i, dev, DEV_ACTIVE) {
+               DEBUG("Closing sub_device %d", i);
+               failsafe_eth_dev_unregister_callbacks(sdev);
+               rte_eth_dev_close(PORT_ID(sdev));
+               sdev->state = DEV_ACTIVE - 1;
+       }
+       rte_eth_dev_callback_unregister(RTE_ETH_ALL, RTE_ETH_EVENT_NEW,
+                                       failsafe_eth_new_event_callback, dev);
+       if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
+               fs_unlock(dev, 0);
+               return 0;
+       }
+       fs_dev_free_queues(dev);
+       ret = failsafe_eal_uninit(dev);
+       if (ret)
+               ERROR("Error while uninitializing sub-EAL");
+       failsafe_args_free(dev);
+       rte_free(PRIV(dev)->subs);
+       rte_free(PRIV(dev)->mcast_addrs);
+       /* mac_addrs must not be freed alone because part of dev_private */
+       dev->data->mac_addrs = NULL;
+       fs_unlock(dev, 0);
+       ret = pthread_mutex_destroy(&PRIV(dev)->hotplug_mutex);
+       if (ret)
+               ERROR("Error while destroying hotplug mutex");
+       return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 fs_promiscuous_enable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
        .dev_stop = fs_dev_stop,
        .dev_set_link_down = fs_dev_set_link_down,
        .dev_set_link_up = fs_dev_set_link_up,
-       .dev_close = fs_dev_close,
+       .dev_close = failsafe_eth_dev_close,
        .promiscuous_enable = fs_promiscuous_enable,
        .promiscuous_disable = fs_promiscuous_disable,
        .allmulticast_enable = fs_allmulticast_enable,