diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/main.c b/examples/l3fwd/main.c
index 5b0c2dd..f73d2a4 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/main.c
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/main.c
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
 #include <rte_common.h>
 #include <rte_vect.h>
@@ -75,6 +78,16 @@
 #include <cmdline_parse.h>
 #include <cmdline_parse_etheraddr.h>
 
+#define PORT_IDLE 0
+#define PORT_INIT 1
+#define PORT_WORK 2
+#define PORT_STOP 3
+#define PORT_QUIT 4
+
+static volatile uint32_t port_status;
+static volatile bool force_quit;
+static volatile int signo_quit;
+
 #define APP_LOOKUP_EXACT_MATCH          0
 #define APP_LOOKUP_LPM                  1
 #define DO_RFC_1812_CHECKS
@@ -1553,8 +1566,7 @@ main_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *dummy)
 			portid, queueid);
 	}
 
-	while (1) {
-
+	while (!force_quit) {
 		cur_tsc = rte_rdtsc();
 
 		/*
@@ -2516,8 +2528,12 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint8_t port_num, uint32_t port_mask)
 	printf("\nChecking link status");
 	fflush(stdout);
 	for (count = 0; count <= MAX_CHECK_TIME; count++) {
+		if (force_quit)
+			return;
 		all_ports_up = 1;
 		for (portid = 0; portid < port_num; portid++) {
+			if (force_quit)
+				return;
 			if ((port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 				continue;
 			memset(&link, 0, sizeof(link));
@@ -2559,6 +2575,101 @@ check_all_ports_link_status(uint8_t port_num, uint32_t port_mask)
 	}
 }
 
+static uint8_t
+start_ports(void)
+{
+	unsigned portid, nb_ports, avail_ports;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (rte_atomic32_cmpset(&port_status,
+				PORT_IDLE, PORT_INIT) == 0) {
+		printf("Ports not idle...\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	nb_ports = rte_eth_dev_count();
+	avail_ports = 0;
+	for (portid = 0; portid < nb_ports; portid++) {
+		if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
+			continue;
+		avail_ports++;
+		printf("Starting port %d...", portid);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_start(portid);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+					"rte_eth_dev_start: err=%d, port=%d\n",
+					ret, portid);
+		/*
+		 * If enabled, put device in promiscuous mode.
+		 * This allows IO forwarding mode to forward packets
+		 * to itself through 2 cross-connected  ports of the
+		 * target machine.
+		 */
+		if (promiscuous_on)
+			rte_eth_promiscuous_enable(portid);
+		printf(" Done\n");
+	}
+
+	if (avail_ports) {
+		if (rte_atomic32_cmpset(&port_status,
+					PORT_INIT, PORT_WORK) == 0)
+			printf("Set port state failed!\n");
+	} else {
+		if (rte_atomic32_cmpset(&port_status,
+					PORT_INIT, PORT_IDLE) == 0)
+			printf("Set port state failed!\n");
+	}
+
+	return avail_ports;
+}
+
+static void
+stop_ports(void)
+{
+	unsigned portid, nb_ports;
+
+	if (rte_atomic32_cmpset(&port_status,
+				PORT_WORK, PORT_STOP) == 0) {
+		printf("Ports not started...\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nb_ports = rte_eth_dev_count();
+	for (portid = 0; portid < nb_ports; portid++) {
+		if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
+			continue;
+		printf("Stopping port %d...", portid);
+		rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
+		printf(" Done\n");
+	}
+
+	if (rte_atomic32_cmpset(&port_status,
+				PORT_STOP, PORT_IDLE) == 0)
+		printf("Set port state failed!\n");
+}
+
+static void
+signal_handler(int signum)
+{
+	if (signum == SIGINT || signum == SIGTERM) {
+		printf("\nSignal %d received, preparing to exit...\n",
+				signum);
+		if (rte_atomic32_cmpset(&port_status,
+					PORT_IDLE, PORT_QUIT) == 0) {
+			printf("Ports started already...\n");
+			signo_quit = signum;
+			force_quit = true;
+		} else {
+			printf("Ports not started yet...\n");
+			printf("Bye...\n");
+			/* exit with the expected status */
+			signal(signum, SIG_DFL);
+			kill(getpid(), signum);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -2571,6 +2682,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	unsigned lcore_id;
 	uint32_t n_tx_queue, nb_lcores;
 	uint8_t portid, nb_rx_queue, queue, socketid;
+	uint8_t avail_ports;
+
+	port_status = PORT_IDLE;
+	force_quit = false;
+	signal(SIGINT, signal_handler);
+	signal(SIGTERM, signal_handler);
 
 	/* init EAL */
 	ret = rte_eal_init(argc, argv);
@@ -2711,34 +2828,40 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	printf("\n");
 
 	/* start ports */
-	for (portid = 0; portid < nb_ports; portid++) {
-		if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0) {
-			continue;
+	avail_ports = start_ports();
+
+	if (!avail_ports) {
+		/* exit with the expected status */
+		if (force_quit) {
+			printf("All ports disabled...\n");
+			printf("Bye...\n");
+			signal(signo_quit, SIG_DFL);
+			kill(getpid(), signo_quit);
 		}
-		/* Start device */
-		ret = rte_eth_dev_start(portid);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "rte_eth_dev_start: err=%d, port=%d\n",
-				ret, portid);
-
-		/*
-		 * If enabled, put device in promiscuous mode.
-		 * This allows IO forwarding mode to forward packets
-		 * to itself through 2 cross-connected  ports of the
-		 * target machine.
-		 */
-		if (promiscuous_on)
-			rte_eth_promiscuous_enable(portid);
+		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
+			"All ports are disabled, please check portmask...\n");
 	}
 
 	check_all_ports_link_status((uint8_t)nb_ports, enabled_port_mask);
 
+	ret = 0;
 	/* launch per-lcore init on every lcore */
 	rte_eal_mp_remote_launch(main_loop, NULL, CALL_MASTER);
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH_SLAVE(lcore_id) {
-		if (rte_eal_wait_lcore(lcore_id) < 0)
-			return -1;
+		if (rte_eal_wait_lcore(lcore_id) < 0) {
+			ret = -1;
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	/* stop ports */
+	stop_ports();
+	printf("Bye...\n");
+	/* exit with the expected status */
+	if (force_quit) {
+		signal(signo_quit, SIG_DFL);
+		kill(getpid(), signo_quit);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
