diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_18_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_18_11.rst
index 3ae6b3f..b0c73bd 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_18_11.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_18_11.rst
@@ -67,7 +67,11 @@ API Changes
    This section is a comment. Do not overwrite or remove it.
    Also, make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
    =========================================================
-
+   * A new device flag, RTE_ETH_DEV_NOLIVE_MAC_ADDR, changes the order of
+     actions inside rte_eth_dev_start regarding MAC set. Some NICs do not
+     support MAC changes once the port has started and with this new device
+     flag the MAC can be properly configured in any case. This is particularly
+     important for bonding.
 
 ABI Changes
 -----------
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index f32722f..16825bf 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -1219,19 +1219,14 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 }
 
 static void
-rte_eth_dev_config_restore(uint16_t port_id)
+rte_eth_dev_mac_restore(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+			struct rte_eth_dev_info *dev_info)
 {
-	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
-	struct rte_eth_dev_info dev_info;
 	struct ether_addr *addr;
 	uint16_t i;
 	uint32_t pool = 0;
 	uint64_t pool_mask;
 
-	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
-
-	rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
-
 	/* replay MAC address configuration including default MAC */
 	addr = &dev->data->mac_addrs[0];
 	if (*dev->dev_ops->mac_addr_set != NULL)
@@ -1240,7 +1235,7 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 		(*dev->dev_ops->mac_addr_add)(dev, addr, 0, pool);
 
 	if (*dev->dev_ops->mac_addr_add != NULL) {
-		for (i = 1; i < dev_info.max_mac_addrs; i++) {
+		for (i = 1; i < dev_info->max_mac_addrs; i++) {
 			addr = &dev->data->mac_addrs[i];
 
 			/* skip zero address */
@@ -1259,6 +1254,14 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 			} while (pool_mask);
 		}
 	}
+}
+
+static void
+rte_eth_dev_config_restore(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+			   struct rte_eth_dev_info *dev_info, uint16_t port_id)
+{
+	if (!(*dev_info->dev_flags & RTE_ETH_DEV_NOLIVE_MAC_ADDR))
+		rte_eth_dev_mac_restore(dev, dev_info);
 
 	/* replay promiscuous configuration */
 	if (rte_eth_promiscuous_get(port_id) == 1)
@@ -1277,6 +1280,7 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 rte_eth_dev_start(uint16_t port_id)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
+	struct rte_eth_dev_info dev_info;
 	int diag;
 
 	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -EINVAL);
@@ -1292,13 +1296,19 @@ struct rte_eth_dev *
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
+
+	/* Lets restore MAC now if device does not support live change */
+	if (*dev_info.dev_flags & RTE_ETH_DEV_NOLIVE_MAC_ADDR)
+		rte_eth_dev_mac_restore(dev, &dev_info);
+
 	diag = (*dev->dev_ops->dev_start)(dev);
 	if (diag == 0)
 		dev->data->dev_started = 1;
 	else
 		return eth_err(port_id, diag);
 
-	rte_eth_dev_config_restore(port_id);
+	rte_eth_dev_config_restore(dev, &dev_info, port_id);
 
 	if (dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc == 0) {
 		RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->link_update, -ENOTSUP);
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
index 7070e9a..fa2812b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -1268,6 +1268,8 @@ struct rte_eth_dev_owner {
 #define RTE_ETH_DEV_INTR_RMV     0x0008
 /** Device is port representor */
 #define RTE_ETH_DEV_REPRESENTOR  0x0010
+/** Device does not support MAC change after started */
+#define RTE_ETH_DEV_NOLIVE_MAC_ADDR  0x0020
 
 /**
  * Iterates over valid ethdev ports owned by a specific owner.
@@ -1750,6 +1752,10 @@ int rte_eth_tx_queue_setup(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t tx_queue_id,
  * The device start step is the last one and consists of setting the configured
  * offload features and in starting the transmit and the receive units of the
  * device.
+ *
+ * Device RTE_ETH_DEV_NOLIVE_MAC_ADDR flag causes MAC address to be set before
+ * PMD port start callback function is invoked.
+ *
  * On success, all basic functions exported by the Ethernet API (link status,
  * receive/transmit, and so on) can be invoked.
  *
