diff --git a/app/test-cmdline/commands.c b/app/test-cmdline/commands.c
index d67c0ca6a..ff7ac973e 100644
--- a/app/test-cmdline/commands.c
+++ b/app/test-cmdline/commands.c
@@ -294,8 +294,10 @@ cmd_get_history_bufsize_parsed(__rte_unused void *parsed_result,
 		struct cmdline *cl,
 		__rte_unused void *data)
 {
+	struct rdline *rdl = cmdline_get_rdline(cl);
+
 	cmdline_printf(cl, "History buffer size: %zu\n",
-			sizeof(cl->rdl.history_buf));
+			sizeof(rdl->history_buf));
 }
 
 cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_get_history_bufsize_tok =
@@ -326,7 +328,9 @@ cmd_clear_history_parsed(__rte_unused void *parsed_result,
 		struct cmdline *cl,
 		__rte_unused void *data)
 {
-	rdline_clear_history(&cl->rdl);
+	struct rdline *rdl = cmdline_get_rdline(cl);
+
+	rdline_clear_history(rdl);
 }
 
 cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_clear_history_tok =
diff --git a/app/test/test_cmdline_lib.c b/app/test/test_cmdline_lib.c
index dec465da5..bd72df0da 100644
--- a/app/test/test_cmdline_lib.c
+++ b/app/test/test_cmdline_lib.c
@@ -46,22 +46,29 @@ complete_buffer(__rte_unused struct rdline *rdl,
 static int
 test_cmdline_parse_fns(void)
 {
-	struct cmdline cl;
+	struct cmdline *cl;
+	cmdline_parse_ctx_t ctx;
 	int i = 0;
 	char dst[CMDLINE_TEST_BUFSIZE];
 
+	cl = cmdline_new(&ctx, "prompt", -1, -1);
+	if (cl == NULL) {
+		printf("Error: cannot create cmdline to test parse fns!\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (cmdline_parse(NULL, "buffer") >= 0)
 		goto error;
-	if (cmdline_parse(&cl, NULL) >= 0)
+	if (cmdline_parse(cl, NULL) >= 0)
 		goto error;
 
 	if (cmdline_complete(NULL, "buffer", &i, dst, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
 		goto error;
-	if (cmdline_complete(&cl, NULL, &i, dst, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
+	if (cmdline_complete(cl, NULL, &i, dst, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
 		goto error;
-	if (cmdline_complete(&cl, "buffer", NULL, dst, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
+	if (cmdline_complete(cl, "buffer", NULL, dst, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
 		goto error;
-	if (cmdline_complete(&cl, "buffer", &i, NULL, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
+	if (cmdline_complete(cl, "buffer", &i, NULL, sizeof(dst)) >= 0)
 		goto error;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -166,11 +173,11 @@ static int
 test_cmdline_fns(void)
 {
 	cmdline_parse_ctx_t ctx;
-	struct cmdline cl, *tmp;
+	struct cmdline *cl;
 
 	memset(&ctx, 0, sizeof(ctx));
-	tmp = cmdline_new(&ctx, "test", -1, -1);
-	if (tmp == NULL)
+	cl = cmdline_new(&ctx, "test", -1, -1);
+	if (cl == NULL)
 		goto error;
 
 	if (cmdline_new(NULL, "prompt", 0, 0) != NULL)
@@ -179,7 +186,7 @@ test_cmdline_fns(void)
 		goto error;
 	if (cmdline_in(NULL, "buffer", CMDLINE_TEST_BUFSIZE) >= 0)
 		goto error;
-	if (cmdline_in(&cl, NULL, CMDLINE_TEST_BUFSIZE) >= 0)
+	if (cmdline_in(cl, NULL, CMDLINE_TEST_BUFSIZE) >= 0)
 		goto error;
 	if (cmdline_write_char(NULL, 0) >= 0)
 		goto error;
@@ -188,30 +195,15 @@ test_cmdline_fns(void)
 	cmdline_set_prompt(NULL, "prompt");
 	cmdline_free(NULL);
 	cmdline_printf(NULL, "format");
-	/* this should fail as stream handles are invalid */
-	cmdline_printf(tmp, "format");
 	cmdline_interact(NULL);
 	cmdline_quit(NULL);
 
-	/* check if void calls change anything when they should fail */
-	cl = *tmp;
-
-	cmdline_printf(&cl, NULL);
-	if (memcmp(&cl, tmp, sizeof(cl))) goto mismatch;
-	cmdline_set_prompt(&cl, NULL);
-	if (memcmp(&cl, tmp, sizeof(cl))) goto mismatch;
-	cmdline_in(&cl, NULL, CMDLINE_TEST_BUFSIZE);
-	if (memcmp(&cl, tmp, sizeof(cl))) goto mismatch;
-
-	cmdline_free(tmp);
-
 	return 0;
 
 error:
 	printf("Error: function accepted null parameter!\n");
-	return -1;
-mismatch:
-	printf("Error: data changed!\n");
+	if (cl != NULL)
+		cmdline_free(cl);
 	return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
index 9691f2c57..7ae013c27 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
@@ -255,3 +255,7 @@ Deprecation Notices
   ``make``. Given environments are too much variables for such a simple script,
   it will be removed in DPDK 20.11.
   Some useful parts may be converted into specific scripts.
+
+* cmdline: ``cmdline`` structure will be made opaque to hide platform-specific
+  content. On Linux and FreeBSD, supported prior to DPDK 20.11,
+  original structure will be kept until DPDK 21.11.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.c b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.c
index cfd703e5b..41f50cc56 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.c
@@ -13,13 +13,10 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <poll.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <termios.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 
 #include <rte_string_fns.h>
 
-#include "cmdline_parse.h"
-#include "cmdline_rdline.h"
 #include "cmdline.h"
 
 static void
@@ -103,6 +100,12 @@ cmdline_new(cmdline_parse_ctx_t *ctx, const char *prompt, int s_in, int s_out)
 	return cl;
 }
 
+struct rdline*
+cmdline_get_rdline(struct cmdline *cl)
+{
+	return &cl->rdl;
+}
+
 void
 cmdline_free(struct cmdline *cl)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.h b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.h
index 243f99d20..c29762dda 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.h
+++ b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline.h
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@
 #ifndef _CMDLINE_H_
 #define _CMDLINE_H_
 
+#ifndef RTE_EXEC_ENV_WINDOWS
+#include <termios.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <rte_common.h>
+#include <rte_compat.h>
 
-#include <termios.h>
 #include <cmdline_rdline.h>
 #include <cmdline_parse.h>
 
@@ -23,6 +27,8 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#ifndef RTE_EXEC_ENV_WINDOWS
+
 struct cmdline {
 	int s_in;
 	int s_out;
@@ -32,6 +38,12 @@ struct cmdline {
 	struct termios oldterm;
 };
 
+#else
+
+struct cmdline;
+
+#endif /* RTE_EXEC_ENV_WINDOWS */
+
 struct cmdline *cmdline_new(cmdline_parse_ctx_t *ctx, const char *prompt, int s_in, int s_out);
 void cmdline_set_prompt(struct cmdline *cl, const char *prompt);
 void cmdline_free(struct cmdline *cl);
@@ -40,6 +52,10 @@ void cmdline_printf(const struct cmdline *cl, const char *fmt, ...)
 int cmdline_in(struct cmdline *cl, const char *buf, int size);
 int cmdline_write_char(struct rdline *rdl, char c);
 
+__rte_experimental
+struct rdline *
+cmdline_get_rdline(struct cmdline *cl);
+
 /**
  * This function is nonblocking equivalent of ``cmdline_interact()``. It polls
  * *cl* for one character and interpret it. If return value is *RDLINE_EXITED*
diff --git a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_parse.c b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_parse.c
index b57b30e8f..f120f19dd 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_parse.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_parse.c
@@ -10,14 +10,11 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
-#include <termios.h>
 
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 
 #include <rte_string_fns.h>
 
-#include "cmdline_rdline.h"
-#include "cmdline_parse.h"
 #include "cmdline.h"
 
 #ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_CMDLINE_DEBUG
diff --git a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_socket.c b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_socket.c
index ecb3d82b6..6c89d2171 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_socket.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cmdline/cmdline_socket.c
@@ -11,12 +11,9 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
-#include <termios.h>
 
-#include "cmdline_parse.h"
-#include "cmdline_rdline.h"
-#include "cmdline_socket.h"
 #include "cmdline.h"
+#include "cmdline_socket.h"
 
 struct cmdline *
 cmdline_file_new(cmdline_parse_ctx_t *ctx, const char *prompt, const char *path)
diff --git a/lib/librte_cmdline/rte_cmdline_version.map b/lib/librte_cmdline/rte_cmdline_version.map
index a99104457..9df027215 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cmdline/rte_cmdline_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_cmdline/rte_cmdline_version.map
@@ -69,3 +69,11 @@ DPDK_21 {
 
 	local: *;
 };
+
+EXPERIMENTAL {
+	global:
+
+	cmdline_get_rdline;
+
+	local: *;
+};
