diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c b/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c
index b7585d55e..04038711f 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-keepalive/main.c
@@ -526,6 +526,18 @@ relay_core_state(void *ptr_data, const int id_core,
 		id_core, core_state, last_alive);
 }
 
+static void
+stop_and_close_eth_dev(uint16_t portid)
+{
+	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(portid) {
+		printf("Closing port %d...", portid);
+		rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
+		printf(" Done\n");
+	}
+	rte_eal_cleanup();
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -533,7 +545,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int ret;
 	uint16_t nb_ports;
 	uint16_t nb_ports_available = 0;
-	uint16_t portid, last_port;
+	uint16_t portid = 0;
+	uint16_t last_port;
 	unsigned lcore_id, rx_lcore_id;
 	unsigned nb_ports_in_mask = 0;
 	unsigned int total_nb_mbufs;
@@ -559,21 +572,28 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	/* parse application arguments (after the EAL ones) */
 	ret = l2fwd_parse_args(argc, argv);
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "Invalid L2FWD arguments\n");
+	}
 
 	nb_ports = rte_eth_dev_count_avail();
 	if (nb_ports == 0)
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "No Ethernet ports - bye\n");
 
 	/* create the mbuf pool */
-	total_nb_mbufs = NB_MBUF_PER_PORT * nb_ports;
-
-	l2fwd_pktmbuf_pool = rte_pktmbuf_pool_create("mbuf_pool",
-		total_nb_mbufs,	32, 0, RTE_MBUF_DEFAULT_BUF_SIZE,
-		rte_socket_id());
-	if (l2fwd_pktmbuf_pool == NULL)
+	l2fwd_pktmbuf_pool = rte_pktmbuf_pool_create("mbuf_pool", NB_MBUF, 32,
+		0, RTE_MBUF_DEFAULT_BUF_SIZE, rte_socket_id());
+	if (l2fwd_pktmbuf_pool == NULL) {
+		stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "Cannot init mbuf pool\n");
+	}
+
+	nb_ports = rte_eth_dev_count_avail();
+	if (nb_ports == 0) {
+		stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
+		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "No Ethernet ports - bye\n");
+	}
 
 	/* reset l2fwd_dst_ports */
 	for (portid = 0; portid < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; portid++)
@@ -615,8 +635,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		       lcore_queue_conf[rx_lcore_id].n_rx_port ==
 		       l2fwd_rx_queue_per_lcore) {
 			rx_lcore_id++;
-			if (rx_lcore_id >= RTE_MAX_LCORE)
+			if (rx_lcore_id >= RTE_MAX_LCORE) {
+				stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 				rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "Not enough cores\n");
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (qconf != &lcore_queue_conf[rx_lcore_id])
@@ -648,33 +670,41 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		fflush(stdout);
 
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_info_get(portid, &dev_info);
-		if (ret != 0)
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"Error during getting device (port %u) info: %s\n",
 				portid, strerror(-ret));
+		}
 
 		if (dev_info.tx_offload_capa & DEV_TX_OFFLOAD_MBUF_FAST_FREE)
 			local_port_conf.txmode.offloads |=
 				DEV_TX_OFFLOAD_MBUF_FAST_FREE;
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_configure(portid, 1, 1, &local_port_conf);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"Cannot configure device: err=%d, port=%u\n",
 				ret, portid);
+		}
 
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_adjust_nb_rx_tx_desc(portid, &nb_rxd,
 						       &nb_txd);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"Cannot adjust number of descriptors: err=%d, port=%u\n",
 				ret, portid);
+		}
 
 		ret = rte_eth_macaddr_get(portid,
 					  &l2fwd_ports_eth_addr[portid]);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"Cannot mac address: err=%d, port=%u\n",
 				ret, portid);
+		}
 
 		/* init one RX queue */
 		fflush(stdout);
@@ -684,10 +714,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 					     rte_eth_dev_socket_id(portid),
 					     &rxq_conf,
 					     l2fwd_pktmbuf_pool);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"rte_eth_rx_queue_setup:err=%d, port=%u\n",
 				ret, portid);
+		}
 
 		/* init one TX queue on each port */
 		fflush(stdout);
@@ -696,41 +728,51 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		ret = rte_eth_tx_queue_setup(portid, 0, nb_txd,
 				rte_eth_dev_socket_id(portid),
 				&txq_conf);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"rte_eth_tx_queue_setup:err=%d, port=%u\n",
 				ret, portid);
+		}
 
 		/* Initialize TX buffers */
 		tx_buffer[portid] = rte_zmalloc_socket("tx_buffer",
 				RTE_ETH_TX_BUFFER_SIZE(MAX_PKT_BURST), 0,
 				rte_eth_dev_socket_id(portid));
-		if (tx_buffer[portid] == NULL)
+		if (tx_buffer[portid] == NULL) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "Cannot allocate buffer for tx on port %u\n",
 						portid);
+		}
 
 		rte_eth_tx_buffer_init(tx_buffer[portid], MAX_PKT_BURST);
 
 		ret = rte_eth_tx_buffer_set_err_callback(tx_buffer[portid],
 				rte_eth_tx_buffer_count_callback,
 				&port_statistics[portid].dropped);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 			"Cannot set error callback for tx buffer on port %u\n",
 				 portid);
+		}
 
 		/* Start device */
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_start(portid);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"rte_eth_dev_start:err=%d, port=%u\n",
 				  ret, portid);
+		}
 
 		ret = rte_eth_promiscuous_enable(portid);
-		if (ret != 0)
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				 "rte_eth_promiscuous_enable:err=%s, port=%u\n",
 				 rte_strerror(-ret), portid);
+		}
 
 		printf("Port %u, MAC address: "
 			"%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X\n\n",
@@ -747,6 +789,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	if (!nb_ports_available) {
+		stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 			"All available ports are disabled. Please set portmask.\n");
 	}
@@ -761,13 +804,17 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	ka_shm = NULL;
 	if (check_period > 0) {
 		ka_shm = rte_keepalive_shm_create();
-		if (ka_shm == NULL)
+		if (ka_shm == NULL) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
 				"rte_keepalive_shm_create() failed");
+		}
 		rte_global_keepalive_info =
 			rte_keepalive_create(&dead_core, ka_shm);
-		if (rte_global_keepalive_info == NULL)
+		if (rte_global_keepalive_info == NULL) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "init_keep_alive() failed");
+		}
 		rte_keepalive_register_relay_callback(rte_global_keepalive_info,
 			relay_core_state, ka_shm);
 		rte_timer_init(&hb_timer);
@@ -778,8 +825,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				(void(*)(struct rte_timer*, void*))
 				&rte_keepalive_dispatch_pings,
 				rte_global_keepalive_info
-				) != 0 )
+				) != 0 ) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "Keepalive setup failure.\n");
+		}
 	}
 	if (timer_period > 0) {
 		if (rte_timer_reset(&stats_timer,
@@ -787,8 +836,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				PERIODICAL,
 				rte_lcore_id(),
 				&print_stats, NULL
-				) != 0 )
+				) != 0 ) {
+			stop_and_close_eth_dev(portid);
 			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "Stats setup failure.\n");
+		}
 	}
 	/* launch per-lcore init on every slave lcore */
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH_SLAVE(lcore_id) {
