link->link_autoneg = RTE_ETH_LINK_AUTONEG;
 }
 
+/*Poll for link status change by sending NIC_MBOX_MSG_BGX_LINK_CHANGE msg
+ * periodically to PF.
+ */
 static void
 nicvf_interrupt(void *arg)
 {
        struct nicvf *nic = nicvf_pmd_priv(dev);
        struct rte_eth_link link;
 
-       if (nicvf_reg_poll_interrupts(nic) == NIC_MBOX_MSG_BGX_LINK_CHANGE) {
+       rte_eth_linkstatus_get(dev, &link);
+
+       nicvf_mbox_link_change(nic);
+       if (nic->link_up != link.link_status) {
                if (dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc) {
                        nicvf_link_status_update(nic, &link);
                        rte_eth_linkstatus_set(dev, &link);
                }
        }
 
-       rte_eal_alarm_set(NICVF_INTR_POLL_INTERVAL_MS * 1000,
+       rte_eal_alarm_set(NICVF_INTR_LINK_POLL_INTERVAL_MS * 1000,
                                nicvf_interrupt, dev);
 }
 
 static int
 nicvf_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-       size_t i;
        struct nicvf *nic = nicvf_pmd_priv(dev);
 
        PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
        nicvf_dev_stop_cleanup(dev, true);
        nicvf_periodic_alarm_stop(nicvf_interrupt, dev);
-
-       for (i = 0; i < nic->sqs_count; i++) {
-               if (!nic->snicvf[i])
-                       continue;
-
-               nicvf_periodic_alarm_stop(nicvf_vf_interrupt, nic->snicvf[i]);
-       }
+       nicvf_periodic_alarm_stop(nicvf_vf_interrupt, nic);
 
        rte_intr_instance_free(nic->intr_handle);
 
 
        nicvf_disable_all_interrupts(nic);
 
+       /* To read mbox messages */
+       ret = nicvf_periodic_alarm_start(nicvf_vf_interrupt, nic);
+       if (ret) {
+               PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "Failed to start period alarm");
+               goto fail;
+       }
+
+       /* To poll link status change*/
        ret = nicvf_periodic_alarm_start(nicvf_interrupt, eth_dev);
        if (ret) {
                PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "Failed to start period alarm");
                eth_dev->data->dev_private = NULL;
 
                nicvf_periodic_alarm_stop(nicvf_interrupt, eth_dev);
-               ret = nicvf_periodic_alarm_start(nicvf_vf_interrupt, nic);
-               if (ret) {
-                       PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "Failed to start period alarm");
-                       goto fail;
-               }
 
                /* Detach port by returning positive error number */
                return ENOTSUP;
 
 #define THUNDERX_NICVF_PMD_VERSION      "2.0"
 #define THUNDERX_REG_BYTES             8
 
-#define NICVF_INTR_POLL_INTERVAL_MS    50
-#define NICVF_HALF_DUPLEX              0x00
-#define NICVF_FULL_DUPLEX              0x01
-#define NICVF_UNKNOWN_DUPLEX           0xff
+#define NICVF_INTR_POLL_INTERVAL_MS            50
+/* Poll for link state for every 2 sec */
+#define NICVF_INTR_LINK_POLL_INTERVAL_MS       2000
+#define NICVF_HALF_DUPLEX                      0x00
+#define NICVF_FULL_DUPLEX                      0x01
+#define NICVF_UNKNOWN_DUPLEX                   0xff
 
 #define NICVF_RSS_OFFLOAD_PASS1 ( \
        RTE_ETH_RSS_PORT | \