diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
index f591711..17e4502 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
@@ -364,23 +364,6 @@ rte_cryptodev_pmd_allocate(const char *name, int socket_id)
 	return cryptodev;
 }
 
-static inline int
-rte_cryptodev_create_unique_device_name(char *name, size_t size,
-		struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	if ((name == NULL) || (pci_dev == NULL))
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	ret = snprintf(name, size, "%d:%d.%d",
-			pci_dev->addr.bus, pci_dev->addr.devid,
-			pci_dev->addr.function);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int
 rte_cryptodev_pmd_release_device(struct rte_cryptodev *cryptodev)
 {
@@ -443,9 +426,8 @@ rte_cryptodev_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv,
 	if (cryptodrv == NULL)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
-	/* Create unique Crypto device name using PCI address */
-	rte_cryptodev_create_unique_device_name(cryptodev_name,
-			sizeof(cryptodev_name), pci_dev);
+	rte_eal_pci_device_name(&pci_dev->addr, cryptodev_name,
+			sizeof(cryptodev_name));
 
 	cryptodev = rte_cryptodev_pmd_allocate(cryptodev_name, rte_socket_id());
 	if (cryptodev == NULL)
@@ -500,9 +482,8 @@ rte_cryptodev_pci_remove(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
 	if (pci_dev == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	/* Create unique device name using PCI address */
-	rte_cryptodev_create_unique_device_name(cryptodev_name,
-			sizeof(cryptodev_name), pci_dev);
+	rte_eal_pci_device_name(&pci_dev->addr, cryptodev_name,
+			sizeof(cryptodev_name));
 
 	cryptodev = rte_cryptodev_pmd_get_named_dev(cryptodev_name);
 	if (cryptodev == NULL)
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_pci.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_pci.c
index a73cbb0..1d91c78 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_pci.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_pci.c
@@ -406,6 +406,55 @@ error:
 	return -1;
 }
 
+int
+pci_update_device(const struct rte_pci_addr *addr)
+{
+	int fd;
+	struct pci_conf matches[2];
+	struct pci_match_conf match = {
+		.pc_sel = {
+			.pc_domain = addr->domain,
+			.pc_bus = addr->bus,
+			.pc_dev = addr->devid,
+			.pc_func = addr->function,
+		},
+	};
+	struct pci_conf_io conf_io = {
+		.pat_buf_len = 0,
+		.num_patterns = 1,
+		.patterns = &match,
+		.match_buf_len = sizeof(matches),
+		.matches = &matches[0],
+	};
+
+	fd = open("/dev/pci", O_RDONLY);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "%s(): error opening /dev/pci\n", __func__);
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	if (ioctl(fd, PCIOCGETCONF, &conf_io) < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "%s(): error with ioctl on /dev/pci: %s\n",
+				__func__, strerror(errno));
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	if (conf_io.num_matches != 1)
+		goto error;
+
+	if (pci_scan_one(fd, &matches[0]) < 0)
+		goto error;
+
+	close(fd);
+
+	return 0;
+
+error:
+	if (fd >= 0)
+		close(fd);
+	return -1;
+}
+
 /* Read PCI config space. */
 int rte_eal_pci_read_config(const struct rte_pci_device *dev,
 			    void *buf, size_t len, off_t offset)
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
index ca1aec6..431d6c2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
@@ -130,6 +130,19 @@ struct rte_pci_driver;
 struct rte_pci_device;
 
 /**
+ * Update a pci device object by asking the kernel for the latest information.
+ *
+ * This function is private to EAL.
+ *
+ * @param addr
+ *	The PCI Bus-Device-Function address to look for
+ * @return
+ *   - 0 on success.
+ *   - negative on error.
+ */
+int pci_update_device(const struct rte_pci_addr *addr);
+
+/**
  * Unbind kernel driver for this device
  *
  * This function is private to EAL.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h
index cf81898..e1f695f 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_pci.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
+#include <rte_debug.h>
 #include <rte_interrupts.h>
 
 TAILQ_HEAD(pci_device_list, rte_pci_device); /**< PCI devices in D-linked Q. */
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ const char *pci_get_sysfs_path(void);
 
 /** Formatting string for PCI device identifier: Ex: 0000:00:01.0 */
 #define PCI_PRI_FMT "%.4" PRIx16 ":%.2" PRIx8 ":%.2" PRIx8 ".%" PRIx8
+#define PCI_PRI_STR_SIZE sizeof("XXXX:XX:XX.X")
 
 /** Short formatting string, without domain, for PCI device: Ex: 00:01.0 */
 #define PCI_SHORT_PRI_FMT "%.2" PRIx8 ":%.2" PRIx8 ".%" PRIx8
@@ -308,6 +310,28 @@ eal_parse_pci_DomBDF(const char *input, struct rte_pci_addr *dev_addr)
 }
 #undef GET_PCIADDR_FIELD
 
+/**
+ * Utility function to write a pci device name, this device name can later be
+ * used to retrieve the corresponding rte_pci_addr using eal_parse_pci_*
+ * BDF helpers.
+ *
+ * @param addr
+ *	The PCI Bus-Device-Function address
+ * @param output
+ *	The output buffer string
+ * @param size
+ *	The output buffer size
+ */
+static inline void
+rte_eal_pci_device_name(const struct rte_pci_addr *addr,
+		    char *output, size_t size)
+{
+	RTE_VERIFY(size >= PCI_PRI_STR_SIZE);
+	RTE_VERIFY(snprintf(output, size, PCI_PRI_FMT,
+			    addr->domain, addr->bus,
+			    addr->devid, addr->function) >= 0);
+}
+
 /* Compare two PCI device addresses. */
 /**
  * Utility function to compare two PCI device addresses.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci.c
index f0215ee..62da4d4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_pci.c
@@ -417,6 +417,19 @@ pci_scan_one(const char *dirname, uint16_t domain, uint8_t bus,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+pci_update_device(const struct rte_pci_addr *addr)
+{
+	char filename[PATH_MAX];
+
+	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/" PCI_PRI_FMT,
+		 pci_get_sysfs_path(), addr->domain, addr->bus, addr->devid,
+		 addr->function);
+
+	return pci_scan_one(filename, addr->domain, addr->bus, addr->devid,
+				addr->function);
+}
+
 /*
  * split up a pci address into its constituent parts.
  */
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
index 0b9f701..0753b42 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -219,20 +219,6 @@ rte_eth_dev_allocate(const char *name, enum rte_eth_dev_type type)
 	return eth_dev;
 }
 
-static int
-rte_eth_dev_create_unique_device_name(char *name, size_t size,
-		struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = snprintf(name, size, "%d:%d.%d",
-			pci_dev->addr.bus, pci_dev->addr.devid,
-			pci_dev->addr.function);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int
 rte_eth_dev_release_port(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 {
@@ -256,9 +242,8 @@ rte_eth_dev_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv,
 
 	eth_drv = (struct eth_driver *)pci_drv;
 
-	/* Create unique Ethernet device name using PCI address */
-	rte_eth_dev_create_unique_device_name(ethdev_name,
-			sizeof(ethdev_name), pci_dev);
+	rte_eal_pci_device_name(&pci_dev->addr, ethdev_name,
+			sizeof(ethdev_name));
 
 	eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_allocate(ethdev_name, RTE_ETH_DEV_PCI);
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
@@ -309,9 +294,8 @@ rte_eth_dev_pci_remove(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
 	if (pci_dev == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	/* Create unique Ethernet device name using PCI address */
-	rte_eth_dev_create_unique_device_name(ethdev_name,
-			sizeof(ethdev_name), pci_dev);
+	rte_eal_pci_device_name(&pci_dev->addr, ethdev_name,
+			sizeof(ethdev_name));
 
 	eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_allocated(ethdev_name);
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
