diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
index 63a368a..b144a58 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_ethdev.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #include "virtqueue.h"
 #include "virtio_rxtx.h"
 
+#define VIRTIO_DRV_FLAGS	RTE_PCI_DRV_DETACHABLE
 
 static int eth_virtio_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev);
 static int eth_virtio_dev_uninit(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev);
@@ -491,7 +492,6 @@ static void
 virtio_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
-	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = dev->pci_dev;
 
 	PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG, "virtio_dev_close");
 
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ virtio_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 		virtio_dev_stop(dev);
 
 	/* reset the NIC */
-	if (pci_dev->driver->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
+	if (dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
 		vtpci_irq_config(hw, VIRTIO_MSI_NO_VECTOR);
 	vtpci_reset(hw);
 	virtio_dev_free_mbufs(dev);
@@ -1034,6 +1034,7 @@ eth_virtio_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	struct virtio_net_config *config;
 	struct virtio_net_config local_config;
 	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev;
+	uint32_t dev_flags = VIRTIO_DRV_FLAGS;
 	int ret;
 
 	RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON(RTE_PKTMBUF_HEADROOM < sizeof(struct virtio_net_hdr));
@@ -1057,7 +1058,7 @@ eth_virtio_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 
 	pci_dev = eth_dev->pci_dev;
 
-	ret = vtpci_init(pci_dev, hw);
+	ret = vtpci_init(pci_dev, hw, &dev_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
@@ -1074,9 +1075,15 @@ eth_virtio_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 
 	/* If host does not support status then disable LSC */
 	if (!vtpci_with_feature(hw, VIRTIO_NET_F_STATUS))
-		pci_dev->driver->drv_flags &= ~RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
+		dev_flags &= ~RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
 
 	rte_eth_copy_pci_info(eth_dev, pci_dev);
+	/* For virtio devices, dev_flags are decided according to feature
+	 * negotiation, aka if VIRTIO_NET_F_STATUS is set, and which kernel
+	 * driver is used, dynamically. And we should keep drv_flags shared
+	 * and unvaried.
+	 */
+	eth_dev->data->dev_flags = dev_flags;
 
 	rx_func_get(eth_dev);
 
@@ -1155,7 +1162,7 @@ eth_virtio_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 			pci_dev->id.device_id);
 
 	/* Setup interrupt callback  */
-	if (pci_dev->driver->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
+	if (eth_dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
 		rte_intr_callback_register(&pci_dev->intr_handle,
 				   virtio_interrupt_handler, eth_dev);
 
@@ -1190,7 +1197,7 @@ eth_virtio_dev_uninit(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	eth_dev->data->mac_addrs = NULL;
 
 	/* reset interrupt callback  */
-	if (pci_dev->driver->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
+	if (eth_dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
 		rte_intr_callback_unregister(&pci_dev->intr_handle,
 						virtio_interrupt_handler,
 						eth_dev);
@@ -1205,7 +1212,7 @@ static struct eth_driver rte_virtio_pmd = {
 	.pci_drv = {
 		.name = "rte_virtio_pmd",
 		.id_table = pci_id_virtio_map,
-		.drv_flags = RTE_PCI_DRV_DETACHABLE,
+		.drv_flags = VIRTIO_DRV_FLAGS,
 	},
 	.eth_dev_init = eth_virtio_dev_init,
 	.eth_dev_uninit = eth_virtio_dev_uninit,
@@ -1240,7 +1247,6 @@ virtio_dev_configure(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	const struct rte_eth_rxmode *rxmode = &dev->data->dev_conf.rxmode;
 	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
-	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = dev->pci_dev;
 
 	PMD_INIT_LOG(DEBUG, "configure");
 
@@ -1258,7 +1264,7 @@ virtio_dev_configure(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 		return -ENOTSUP;
 	}
 
-	if (pci_dev->driver->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
+	if (dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)
 		if (vtpci_irq_config(hw, 0) == VIRTIO_MSI_NO_VECTOR) {
 			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to set config vector");
 			return -EBUSY;
@@ -1273,11 +1279,10 @@ virtio_dev_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	uint16_t nb_queues, i;
 	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
-	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = dev->pci_dev;
 
 	/* check if lsc interrupt feature is enabled */
 	if (dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc) {
-		if (!(pci_dev->driver->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)) {
+		if (!(dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC)) {
 			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "link status not supported by host");
 			return -ENOTSUP;
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c
index c007959..78afe94 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.c
@@ -199,15 +199,15 @@ legacy_virtio_has_msix(const struct rte_pci_addr *loc __rte_unused)
 
 static int
 legacy_virtio_resource_init(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev,
-			    struct virtio_hw *hw)
+			    struct virtio_hw *hw, uint32_t *dev_flags)
 {
 	if (rte_eal_pci_ioport_map(pci_dev, 0, &hw->io) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (pci_dev->intr_handle.type != RTE_INTR_HANDLE_UNKNOWN)
-		pci_dev->driver->drv_flags |= RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
+		*dev_flags |= RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
 	else
-		pci_dev->driver->drv_flags &= ~RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
+		*dev_flags &= ~RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -630,7 +630,8 @@ next:
  * Return 0 on success.
  */
 int
-vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_hw *hw)
+vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_hw *hw,
+	   uint32_t *dev_flags)
 {
 	hw->dev = dev;
 
@@ -643,12 +644,12 @@ vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *dev, struct virtio_hw *hw)
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "modern virtio pci detected.");
 		hw->vtpci_ops = &modern_ops;
 		hw->modern    = 1;
-		dev->driver->drv_flags |= RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
+		*dev_flags |= RTE_PCI_DRV_INTR_LSC;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "trying with legacy virtio pci.");
-	if (legacy_virtio_resource_init(dev, hw) < 0) {
+	if (legacy_virtio_resource_init(dev, hw, dev_flags) < 0) {
 		if (dev->kdrv == RTE_KDRV_UNKNOWN &&
 		    dev->devargs->type != RTE_DEVTYPE_WHITELISTED_PCI) {
 			PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO,
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
index b69785e..554efea 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
@@ -293,7 +293,8 @@ vtpci_with_feature(struct virtio_hw *hw, uint64_t bit)
 /*
  * Function declaration from virtio_pci.c
  */
-int vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *, struct virtio_hw *);
+int vtpci_init(struct rte_pci_device *, struct virtio_hw *,
+	       uint32_t *dev_flags);
 void vtpci_reset(struct virtio_hw *);
 
 void vtpci_reinit_complete(struct virtio_hw *);
