diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
index e54ac35..515e4fc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ enum vhost_user_request {
 	VHOST_USER_MAX
 };
 
+const char * const vhost_msg_strings[VHOST_USER_MAX];
+
 struct vhost_memory_region {
 	uint64_t guest_phys_addr;
 	uint64_t memory_size; /* bytes */
@@ -103,8 +105,17 @@ struct vhost_memory_region {
 	uint64_t mmap_offset;
 };
 
-int vhost_user_sock(int vhostfd, enum vhost_user_request req, void *arg);
-int vhost_user_setup(const char *path);
-int vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(int vhostfd, uint16_t pair_idx, int enable);
+struct virtio_user_dev;
+
+struct virtio_user_backend_ops {
+	int (*setup)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
+	int (*send_request)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
+			    enum vhost_user_request req,
+			    void *arg);
+	int (*enable_qp)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
+			 uint16_t pair_idx,
+			 int enable);
+};
 
+struct virtio_user_backend_ops ops_user;
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
index 295ce16..a9ca10f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #include "vhost.h"
+#include "virtio_user_dev.h"
 
 /* The version of the protocol we support */
 #define VHOST_USER_VERSION    0x1
@@ -255,24 +256,26 @@ prepare_vhost_memory_user(struct vhost_user_msg *msg, int fds[])
 
 static struct vhost_user_msg m;
 
-static const char * const vhost_msg_strings[] = {
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER] = "VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER",
-	[VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER] = "VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES] = "VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES",
-	[VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES] = "VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_CALL] = "VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_CALL",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_NUM] = "VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_NUM",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_BASE] = "VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_BASE",
-	[VHOST_USER_GET_VRING_BASE] = "VHOST_USER_GET_VRING_BASE",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ADDR] = "VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ADDR",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_KICK] = "VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_KICK",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE] = "VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE",
-	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE] = "VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE",
+const char * const vhost_msg_strings[] = {
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER] = "VHOST_SET_OWNER",
+	[VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER] = "VHOST_RESET_OWNER",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES] = "VHOST_SET_FEATURES",
+	[VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES] = "VHOST_GET_FEATURES",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_CALL] = "VHOST_SET_VRING_CALL",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_NUM] = "VHOST_SET_VRING_NUM",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_BASE] = "VHOST_SET_VRING_BASE",
+	[VHOST_USER_GET_VRING_BASE] = "VHOST_GET_VRING_BASE",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ADDR] = "VHOST_SET_VRING_ADDR",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_KICK] = "VHOST_SET_VRING_KICK",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE] = "VHOST_SET_MEM_TABLE",
+	[VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE] = "VHOST_SET_VRING_ENABLE",
 	NULL,
 };
 
-int
-vhost_user_sock(int vhostfd, enum vhost_user_request req, void *arg)
+static int
+vhost_user_sock(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
+		enum vhost_user_request req,
+		void *arg)
 {
 	struct vhost_user_msg msg;
 	struct vhost_vring_file *file = 0;
@@ -280,9 +283,9 @@ vhost_user_sock(int vhostfd, enum vhost_user_request req, void *arg)
 	int fds[VHOST_MEMORY_MAX_NREGIONS];
 	int fd_num = 0;
 	int i, len;
+	int vhostfd = dev->vhostfd;
 
 	RTE_SET_USED(m);
-	RTE_SET_USED(vhost_msg_strings);
 
 	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "%s", vhost_msg_strings[req]);
 
@@ -403,15 +406,13 @@ vhost_user_sock(int vhostfd, enum vhost_user_request req, void *arg)
 
 /**
  * Set up environment to talk with a vhost user backend.
- * @param path
- *   - The path to vhost user unix socket file.
  *
  * @return
- *   - (-1) if fail to set up;
- *   - (>=0) if successful, and it is the fd to vhostfd.
+ *   - (-1) if fail;
+ *   - (0) if succeed.
  */
-int
-vhost_user_setup(const char *path)
+static int
+vhost_user_setup(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 {
 	int fd;
 	int flag;
@@ -429,18 +430,21 @@ vhost_user_setup(const char *path)
 
 	memset(&un, 0, sizeof(un));
 	un.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-	snprintf(un.sun_path, sizeof(un.sun_path), "%s", path);
+	snprintf(un.sun_path, sizeof(un.sun_path), "%s", dev->path);
 	if (connect(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&un, sizeof(un)) < 0) {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "connect error, %s", strerror(errno));
 		close(fd);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	return fd;
+	dev->vhostfd = fd;
+	return 0;
 }
 
-int
-vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(int vhostfd, uint16_t pair_idx, int enable)
+static int
+vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
+			     uint16_t pair_idx,
+			     int enable)
 {
 	int i;
 
@@ -450,10 +454,15 @@ vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(int vhostfd, uint16_t pair_idx, int enable)
 			.num   = enable,
 		};
 
-		if (vhost_user_sock(vhostfd,
-				    VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE, &state))
+		if (vhost_user_sock(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE, &state))
 			return -1;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+struct virtio_user_backend_ops ops_user = {
+	.setup = vhost_user_setup,
+	.send_request = vhost_user_sock,
+	.enable_qp = vhost_user_enable_queue_pair
+};
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
index 8dd563a..32039a1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/eventfd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "vhost.h"
 #include "virtio_user_dev.h"
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ virtio_user_create_queue(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint32_t queue_sel)
 	}
 	file.index = queue_sel;
 	file.fd = callfd;
-	vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_CALL, &file);
+	dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_CALL, &file);
 	dev->callfds[queue_sel] = callfd;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -88,12 +91,12 @@ virtio_user_kick_queue(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint32_t queue_sel)
 
 	state.index = queue_sel;
 	state.num = vring->num;
-	vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_NUM, &state);
+	dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_NUM, &state);
 
 	state.num = 0; /* no reservation */
-	vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_BASE, &state);
+	dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_BASE, &state);
 
-	vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ADDR, &addr);
+	dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ADDR, &addr);
 
 	/* Of all per virtqueue MSGs, make sure VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_KICK comes
 	 * lastly because vhost depends on this msg to judge if
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ virtio_user_kick_queue(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint32_t queue_sel)
 	}
 	file.index = queue_sel;
 	file.fd = kickfd;
-	vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_KICK, &file);
+	dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_KICK, &file);
 	dev->kickfds[queue_sel] = kickfd;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -146,20 +149,19 @@ virtio_user_start_device(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	if (virtio_user_queue_setup(dev, virtio_user_create_queue) < 0)
 		goto error;
 
-	/* Step 1: set features
-	 * Make sure VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES is added if mq is enabled,
-	 * VIRTIO_NET_F_MAC and VIRTIO_NET_F_CTRL_VQ is stripped.
-	 */
+	/* Step 1: set features */
 	features = dev->features;
+	/* Strip VIRTIO_NET_F_MAC, as MAC address is handled in vdev init */
 	features &= ~(1ull << VIRTIO_NET_F_MAC);
+	/* Strip VIRTIO_NET_F_CTRL_VQ, as devices do not really need to know */
 	features &= ~(1ull << VIRTIO_NET_F_CTRL_VQ);
-	ret = vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES, &features);
+	ret = dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES, &features);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto error;
 	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "set features: %" PRIx64, features);
 
 	/* Step 2: share memory regions */
-	ret = vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE, NULL);
+	ret = dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE, NULL);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto error;
 
@@ -170,7 +172,7 @@ virtio_user_start_device(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	/* Step 4: enable queues
 	 * we enable the 1st queue pair by default.
 	 */
-	vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(dev->vhostfd, 0, 1);
+	dev->ops->enable_qp(dev, 0, 1);
 
 	return 0;
 error:
@@ -188,7 +190,7 @@ int virtio_user_stop_device(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dev->max_queue_pairs; ++i)
-		vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(dev->vhostfd, i, 0);
+		dev->ops->enable_qp(dev, i, 0);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -214,36 +216,57 @@ parse_mac(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, const char *mac)
 	}
 }
 
+static int
+is_vhost_user_by_type(const char *path)
+{
+	struct stat sb;
+
+	if (stat(path, &sb) == -1)
+		return 0;
+
+	return S_ISSOCK(sb.st_mode);
+}
+
+static int
+virtio_user_dev_setup(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
+{
+	uint32_t i;
+
+	dev->vhostfd = -1;
+	for (i = 0; i < VIRTIO_MAX_VIRTQUEUES * 2 + 1; ++i) {
+		dev->kickfds[i] = -1;
+		dev->callfds[i] = -1;
+	}
+
+	if (is_vhost_user_by_type(dev->path)) {
+		dev->ops = &ops_user;
+		return dev->ops->setup(dev);
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
 int
 virtio_user_dev_init(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, char *path, int queues,
 		     int cq, int queue_size, const char *mac)
 {
-	uint32_t i;
-
 	snprintf(dev->path, PATH_MAX, "%s", path);
 	dev->max_queue_pairs = queues;
 	dev->queue_pairs = 1; /* mq disabled by default */
 	dev->queue_size = queue_size;
 	dev->mac_specified = 0;
 	parse_mac(dev, mac);
-	dev->vhostfd = -1;
-
-	for (i = 0; i < VIRTIO_MAX_VIRTQUEUES * 2 + 1; ++i) {
-		dev->kickfds[i] = -1;
-		dev->callfds[i] = -1;
-	}
 
-	dev->vhostfd = vhost_user_setup(dev->path);
-	if (dev->vhostfd < 0) {
+	if (virtio_user_dev_setup(dev) < 0) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "backend set up fails");
 		return -1;
 	}
-	if (vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER, NULL) < 0) {
+	if (dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER, NULL) < 0) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "set_owner fails: %s", strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (vhost_user_sock(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES,
+	if (dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES,
 			    &dev->device_features) < 0) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "get_features failed: %s", strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
@@ -288,9 +311,9 @@ virtio_user_handle_mq(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint16_t q_pairs)
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < q_pairs; ++i)
-		ret |= vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(dev->vhostfd, i, 1);
+		ret |= dev->ops->enable_qp(dev, i, 1);
 	for (i = q_pairs; i < dev->max_queue_pairs; ++i)
-		ret |= vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(dev->vhostfd, i, 0);
+		ret |= dev->ops->enable_qp(dev, i, 0);
 
 	dev->queue_pairs = q_pairs;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
index 28fc788..9f2f82e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
@@ -37,9 +37,13 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include "../virtio_pci.h"
 #include "../virtio_ring.h"
+#include "vhost.h"
 
 struct virtio_user_dev {
+	/* for vhost_user backend */
 	int		vhostfd;
+
+	/* for both vhost_user and vhost_kernel */
 	int		callfds[VIRTIO_MAX_VIRTQUEUES * 2 + 1];
 	int		kickfds[VIRTIO_MAX_VIRTQUEUES * 2 + 1];
 	int		mac_specified;
@@ -54,6 +58,7 @@ struct virtio_user_dev {
 	uint8_t		mac_addr[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];
 	char		path[PATH_MAX];
 	struct vring	vrings[VIRTIO_MAX_VIRTQUEUES * 2 + 1];
+	struct virtio_user_backend_ops *ops;
 };
 
 int virtio_user_start_device(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
