diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.c b/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.c
index df76f1c1f..0d0d3b8b9 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.c
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@
 #include "l2fwd_common.h"
 #include "l2fwd_eventdev.h"
 
+static void
+print_ethaddr(const char *name, const struct rte_ether_addr *eth_addr)
+{
+	char buf[RTE_ETHER_ADDR_FMT_SIZE];
+	rte_ether_format_addr(buf, RTE_ETHER_ADDR_FMT_SIZE, eth_addr);
+	printf("%s%s", name, buf);
+}
+
 static void
 parse_mode(const char *optarg)
 {
@@ -76,6 +84,108 @@ parse_eventdev_args(char **argv, int argc)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void
+eth_dev_port_setup(uint16_t ethdev_count __rte_unused)
+{
+	struct eventdev_resources *eventdev_rsrc = get_eventdev_rsrc();
+	static struct rte_eth_conf port_config = {
+		.rxmode = {
+			.mq_mode = ETH_MQ_RX_RSS,
+			.max_rx_pkt_len = RTE_ETHER_MAX_LEN,
+			.split_hdr_size = 0,
+			.offloads = DEV_RX_OFFLOAD_CHECKSUM
+		},
+		.rx_adv_conf = {
+			.rss_conf = {
+				.rss_key = NULL,
+				.rss_hf = ETH_RSS_IP,
+			}
+		},
+		.txmode = {
+			.mq_mode = ETH_MQ_TX_NONE,
+		}
+	};
+	struct rte_eth_conf local_port_conf;
+	struct rte_eth_dev_info dev_info;
+	struct rte_eth_txconf txconf;
+	struct rte_eth_rxconf rxconf;
+	uint16_t nb_rxd = RTE_TEST_RX_DESC_DEFAULT;
+	uint16_t nb_txd = RTE_TEST_TX_DESC_DEFAULT;
+	uint16_t port_id;
+	int32_t ret;
+
+	/* initialize all ports */
+	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(port_id) {
+		local_port_conf = port_config;
+		/* skip ports that are not enabled */
+		if ((eventdev_rsrc->port_mask & (1 << port_id)) == 0) {
+			printf("\nSkipping disabled port %d\n", port_id);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		/* init port */
+		printf("Initializing port %d ... ", port_id);
+		fflush(stdout);
+		rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
+		if (dev_info.tx_offload_capa & DEV_TX_OFFLOAD_MBUF_FAST_FREE)
+			local_port_conf.txmode.offloads |=
+						DEV_TX_OFFLOAD_MBUF_FAST_FREE;
+
+		local_port_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf &=
+						dev_info.flow_type_rss_offloads;
+		if (local_port_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf !=
+				port_config.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf) {
+			printf("Port %u modified RSS hash function "
+			       "based on hardware support,"
+			       "requested:%#"PRIx64" configured:%#"PRIx64"\n",
+			       port_id,
+			       port_config.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf,
+			       local_port_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf);
+		}
+
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_configure(port_id, 1, 1, &local_port_conf);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+				 "Cannot configure device: err=%d, port=%d\n",
+				 ret, port_id);
+
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_adjust_nb_rx_tx_desc(port_id, &nb_rxd,
+						       &nb_txd);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+				 "Cannot adjust number of descriptors: err=%d, "
+				 "port=%d\n", ret, port_id);
+
+		rte_eth_macaddr_get(port_id,
+				    &eventdev_rsrc->ports_eth_addr[port_id]);
+		print_ethaddr(" Address:",
+			      &eventdev_rsrc->ports_eth_addr[port_id]);
+		printf("\n");
+
+
+		/* init one Rx queue per port */
+		rxconf = dev_info.default_rxconf;
+		rxconf.offloads = local_port_conf.rxmode.offloads;
+		ret = rte_eth_rx_queue_setup(port_id, 0, nb_rxd, 0, &rxconf,
+					     eventdev_rsrc->pkt_pool);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+				 "rte_eth_rx_queue_setup: err=%d, "
+				 "port=%d\n", ret, port_id);
+
+		/* init one Tx queue per port */
+		txconf = dev_info.default_txconf;
+		txconf.offloads = local_port_conf.txmode.offloads;
+		ret = rte_eth_tx_queue_setup(port_id, 0, nb_txd, 0, &txconf);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+				 "rte_eth_tx_queue_setup: err=%d, "
+				 "port=%d\n", ret, port_id);
+
+		rte_eth_promiscuous_enable(port_id);
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 eventdev_capability_setup(void)
 {
@@ -105,6 +215,7 @@ void
 eventdev_resource_setup(void)
 {
 	struct eventdev_resources *eventdev_rsrc = get_eventdev_rsrc();
+	uint16_t ethdev_count = rte_eth_dev_count_avail();
 	uint32_t service_id;
 	int32_t ret;
 
@@ -119,6 +230,9 @@ eventdev_resource_setup(void)
 	/* Setup eventdev capability callbacks */
 	eventdev_capability_setup();
 
+	/* Ethernet device configuration */
+	eth_dev_port_setup(ethdev_count);
+
 	/* Start event device service */
 	ret = rte_event_dev_service_id_get(eventdev_rsrc->event_d_id,
 			&service_id);
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.h b/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.h
index 8b6606b4c..d380faff5 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.h
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-event/l2fwd_eventdev.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ struct eventdev_resources {
 	uint8_t enabled;
 	uint8_t nb_args;
 	char **args;
+	struct rte_ether_addr ports_eth_addr[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS];
 };
 
 static inline struct eventdev_resources *
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c b/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c
index 087e84588..3f72d0579 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c
@@ -619,6 +619,22 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	/* Configure eventdev parameters if user has requested */
 	eventdev_resource_setup();
+	if (eventdev_rsrc->enabled) {
+		/* All settings are done. Now enable eth devices */
+		RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(portid) {
+			/* skip ports that are not enabled */
+			if ((l2fwd_enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
+				continue;
+
+			ret = rte_eth_dev_start(portid);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+					 "rte_eth_dev_start:err=%d, port=%u\n",
+					 ret, portid);
+		}
+
+		goto skip_port_config;
+	}
 
 	/* Initialize the port/queue configuration of each logical core */
 	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(portid) {
@@ -750,6 +766,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			"All available ports are disabled. Please set portmask.\n");
 	}
 
+skip_port_config:
 	check_all_ports_link_status(l2fwd_enabled_port_mask);
 
 	ret = 0;
