diff --git a/app/test-pmd/flowgen.c b/app/test-pmd/flowgen.c
index 0d3664a..83234fc 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/flowgen.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/flowgen.c
@@ -201,10 +201,11 @@
 	get_end_cycles(fs, start_tsc);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 flowgen_begin(portid_t pi)
 {
 	printf("  number of flows for port %u: %d\n", pi, nb_flows_flowgen);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct fwd_engine flow_gen_engine = {
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/ieee1588fwd.c b/app/test-pmd/ieee1588fwd.c
index 034f238..81624a7 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/ieee1588fwd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/ieee1588fwd.c
@@ -198,10 +198,11 @@ struct ptpv2_msg {
 	port_ieee1588_tx_timestamp_check(fs->rx_port);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 port_ieee1588_fwd_begin(portid_t pi)
 {
 	rte_eth_timesync_enable(pi);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c b/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c
index 382a4c2..e4434be 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ struct noisy_config {
 	rte_free(noisy_cfg[pi]);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 noisy_fwd_begin(portid_t pi)
 {
 	struct noisy_config *n;
@@ -273,6 +273,8 @@ struct noisy_config {
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 			 "--noisy-lkup-memory-size must be > 0\n");
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct fwd_engine noisy_vnf_engine = {
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index 97ae52e..0345b2e 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -2172,16 +2172,10 @@ struct extmem_param {
 static void
 launch_packet_forwarding(lcore_function_t *pkt_fwd_on_lcore)
 {
-	port_fwd_begin_t port_fwd_begin;
 	unsigned int i;
 	unsigned int lc_id;
 	int diag;
 
-	port_fwd_begin = cur_fwd_config.fwd_eng->port_fwd_begin;
-	if (port_fwd_begin != NULL) {
-		for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_ports; i++)
-			(*port_fwd_begin)(fwd_ports_ids[i]);
-	}
 	for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_lcores; i++) {
 		lc_id = fwd_lcores_cpuids[i];
 		if ((interactive == 0) || (lc_id != rte_lcore_id())) {
@@ -2227,10 +2221,35 @@ struct extmem_param {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Packet forwarding already started\n");
 		return;
 	}
-	test_done = 0;
 
 	fwd_config_setup();
 
+	port_fwd_begin = cur_fwd_config.fwd_eng->port_fwd_begin;
+	if (port_fwd_begin != NULL) {
+		for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_ports; i++) {
+			if (port_fwd_begin(fwd_ports_ids[i])) {
+				fprintf(stderr,
+					"Packet forwarding not ready\n");
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (with_tx_first) {
+		port_fwd_begin = tx_only_engine.port_fwd_begin;
+		if (port_fwd_begin != NULL) {
+			for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_ports; i++) {
+				if (port_fwd_begin(fwd_ports_ids[i])) {
+					fprintf(stderr,
+						"Packet forwarding not ready\n");
+					return;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	test_done = 0;
+
 	if(!no_flush_rx)
 		flush_fwd_rx_queues();
 
@@ -2239,11 +2258,6 @@ struct extmem_param {
 
 	fwd_stats_reset();
 	if (with_tx_first) {
-		port_fwd_begin = tx_only_engine.port_fwd_begin;
-		if (port_fwd_begin != NULL) {
-			for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_ports; i++)
-				(*port_fwd_begin)(fwd_ports_ids[i]);
-		}
 		while (with_tx_first--) {
 			launch_packet_forwarding(
 					run_one_txonly_burst_on_core);
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index 5863b2f..e9d9db0 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ struct fwd_lcore {
  *     Forwards packets unchanged on the same port.
  *     Check that sent IEEE1588 PTP packets are timestamped by the hardware.
  */
-typedef void (*port_fwd_begin_t)(portid_t pi);
+typedef int (*port_fwd_begin_t)(portid_t pi);
 typedef void (*port_fwd_end_t)(portid_t pi);
 typedef void (*packet_fwd_t)(struct fwd_stream *fs);
 
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/txonly.c b/app/test-pmd/txonly.c
index aed820f..386a4ff 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/txonly.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/txonly.c
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@
 	get_end_cycles(fs, start_tsc);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 tx_only_begin(portid_t pi)
 {
 	uint16_t pkt_data_len;
@@ -467,6 +467,7 @@
 		timestamp_init_req++;
 	/* Make sure all settings are visible on forwarding cores.*/
 	rte_wmb();
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct fwd_engine tx_only_engine = {
