diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
index 8ec3a6a62c..5413ec6778 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ struct virtio_user_dev;
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops {
 	int (*setup)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
+	int (*set_owner)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
 	int (*send_request)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 			    enum vhost_user_request req,
 			    void *arg);
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
index 2c805077af..b79dcad179 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include <rte_memory.h>
 
@@ -55,8 +56,28 @@ get_vhost_kernel_max_regions(void)
 	close(fd);
 }
 
+static int
+vhost_kernel_ioctl(int fd, uint64_t request, void *arg)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = ioctl(fd, request, arg);
+	if (ret) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Vhost-kernel ioctl %"PRIu64" failed (%s)",
+				request, strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+vhost_kernel_set_owner(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
+{
+	return vhost_kernel_ioctl(dev->vhostfds[0], VHOST_SET_OWNER, NULL);
+}
+
 static uint64_t vhost_req_user_to_kernel[] = {
-	[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,
@@ -175,7 +196,7 @@ tap_support_features(void)
 }
 
 static int
-vhost_kernel_ioctl(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
+vhost_kernel_send_request(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 		   enum vhost_user_request req,
 		   void *arg)
 {
@@ -385,6 +406,7 @@ vhost_kernel_enable_queue_pair(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_kernel = {
 	.setup = vhost_kernel_setup,
-	.send_request = vhost_kernel_ioctl,
+	.set_owner = vhost_kernel_set_owner,
+	.send_request = vhost_kernel_send_request,
 	.enable_qp = vhost_kernel_enable_queue_pair
 };
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
index 55c813333a..ea3bd4ca10 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
@@ -125,6 +125,24 @@ vhost_user_read(int fd, struct vhost_user_msg *msg)
 	return -1;
 }
 
+static int
+vhost_user_set_owner(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
+{
+	int ret;
+	struct vhost_user_msg msg = {
+		.request = VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER,
+		.flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
+	};
+
+	ret = vhost_user_write(dev->vhostfd, &msg, NULL, 0);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Failed to set owner");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct walk_arg {
 	struct vhost_memory *vm;
 	int *fds;
@@ -230,7 +248,6 @@ prepare_vhost_memory_user(struct vhost_user_msg *msg, int fds[])
 static struct vhost_user_msg m;
 
 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",
@@ -308,7 +325,6 @@ vhost_user_sock(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 		msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.u64);
 		break;
 
-	case VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER:
 	case VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER:
 		break;
 
@@ -519,6 +535,7 @@ vhost_user_enable_queue_pair(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_user = {
 	.setup = vhost_user_setup,
+	.set_owner = vhost_user_set_owner,
 	.send_request = vhost_user_sock,
 	.enable_qp = vhost_user_enable_queue_pair
 };
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
index 004802b9eb..d9bc213e0d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 #define VHOST_GET_BACKEND_FEATURES _IOR(VHOST_VIRTIO, 0x26, __u64)
 
 static uint64_t vhost_req_user_to_vdpa[] = {
-	[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,
@@ -86,6 +85,28 @@ struct vhost_msg {
 	};
 };
 
+
+static int
+vhost_vdpa_ioctl(int fd, uint64_t request, void *arg)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = ioctl(fd, request, arg);
+	if (ret) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Vhost-vDPA ioctl %"PRIu64" failed (%s)",
+				request, strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+vhost_vdpa_set_owner(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
+{
+	return vhost_vdpa_ioctl(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_SET_OWNER, NULL);
+}
+
 static int
 vhost_vdpa_iotlb_batch_begin(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 {
@@ -308,7 +329,7 @@ vhost_vdpa_dma_map_all(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_CSUM))
 
 static int
-vhost_vdpa_ioctl(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
+vhost_vdpa_send_request(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 		   enum vhost_user_request req,
 		   void *arg)
 {
@@ -396,7 +417,7 @@ vhost_vdpa_enable_queue_pair(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 			.num   = enable,
 		};
 
-		if (vhost_vdpa_ioctl(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE, &state))
+		if (vhost_vdpa_send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ENABLE, &state))
 			return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -407,7 +428,8 @@ vhost_vdpa_enable_queue_pair(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_vdpa = {
 	.setup = vhost_vdpa_setup,
-	.send_request = vhost_vdpa_ioctl,
+	.set_owner = vhost_vdpa_set_owner,
+	.send_request = vhost_vdpa_send_request,
 	.enable_qp = vhost_vdpa_enable_queue_pair,
 	.dma_map = vhost_vdpa_dma_map_batch,
 	.dma_unmap = vhost_vdpa_dma_unmap_batch,
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
index 202431ca22..f4b97d8489 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
@@ -490,8 +490,7 @@ virtio_user_dev_init(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, char *path, int queues,
 			(1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES);
 
 	if (!dev->is_server) {
-		if (dev->ops->send_request(dev, VHOST_USER_SET_OWNER,
-					   NULL) < 0) {
+		if (dev->ops->set_owner(dev) < 0) {
 			PMD_INIT_LOG(ERR, "set_owner fails: %s",
 				     strerror(errno));
 			return -1;
