diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
index 406beea..3b8f111 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ virtio_user_eth_dev_free(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 }
 
 /* Dev initialization routine. Invoked once for each virtio vdev at
- * EAL init time, see rte_eal_dev_init().
+ * EAL init time, see rte_eal_vdev_probe().
  * Returns 0 on success.
  */
 static int
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 2206277..62245f3 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -613,8 +613,8 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (rte_eal_pci_probe())
 		rte_panic("Cannot probe PCI\n");
 
-	if (rte_eal_dev_init() < 0)
-		rte_panic("Cannot init pmd devices\n");
+	if (rte_eal_vdev_probe() < 0)
+		rte_panic("Cannot probe vdev drivers\n");
 
 	rte_eal_mcfg_complete();
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 2f81f7c..f90bde9 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ DPDK_2.0 {
 	rte_dump_tailq;
 	rte_eal_alarm_cancel;
 	rte_eal_alarm_set;
-	rte_eal_dev_init;
+	rte_eal_vdev_probe;
 	rte_eal_devargs_add;
 	rte_eal_devargs_dump;
 	rte_eal_devargs_type_count;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c
index 4f3b493..6d6868f 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_dev.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #include <sys/queue.h>
 
 #include <rte_dev.h>
-#include <rte_devargs.h>
 #include <rte_debug.h>
 #include <rte_devargs.h>
 #include <rte_log.h>
@@ -76,34 +75,6 @@ void rte_eal_device_remove(struct rte_device *dev)
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&dev_device_list, dev, next);
 }
 
-int
-rte_eal_dev_init(void)
-{
-	struct rte_devargs *devargs;
-
-	/*
-	 * Note that the dev_driver_list is populated here
-	 * from calls made to rte_eal_driver_register from constructor functions
-	 * embedded into PMD modules via the RTE_PMD_REGISTER_VDEV macro
-	 */
-
-	/* call the init function for each virtual device */
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(devargs, &devargs_list, next) {
-
-		if (devargs->type != RTE_DEVTYPE_VIRTUAL)
-			continue;
-
-		if (rte_eal_vdev_init(devargs->virt.drv_name,
-					devargs->args)) {
-			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to initialize %s device\n",
-					devargs->virt.drv_name);
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int rte_eal_dev_attach(const char *name, const char *devargs)
 {
 	struct rte_pci_addr addr;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_vdev.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_vdev.c
index 0ff2377..ed6a751 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_vdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_vdev.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <sys/queue.h>
 
+#include <rte_devargs.h>
 #include <rte_vdev.h>
 #include <rte_common.h>
 
@@ -114,3 +115,31 @@ rte_eal_vdev_uninit(const char *name)
 	RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "no driver found for %s\n", name);
 	return -EINVAL;
 }
+
+int
+rte_eal_vdev_probe(void)
+{
+	struct rte_devargs *devargs;
+
+	/*
+	 * Note that the dev_driver_list is populated here
+	 * from calls made to rte_eal_driver_register from constructor functions
+	 * embedded into PMD modules via the RTE_PMD_REGISTER_VDEV macro
+	 */
+
+	/* call the init function for each virtual device */
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(devargs, &devargs_list, next) {
+
+		if (devargs->type != RTE_DEVTYPE_VIRTUAL)
+			continue;
+
+		if (rte_eal_vdev_init(devargs->virt.drv_name,
+					devargs->args)) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to initialize %s device\n",
+					devargs->virt.drv_name);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
index 8840380..146f505 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
@@ -171,9 +171,9 @@ void rte_eal_driver_register(struct rte_driver *driver);
 void rte_eal_driver_unregister(struct rte_driver *driver);
 
 /**
- * Initalize all the registered drivers in this process
+ * Probe all the registered vdev drivers in this process
  */
-int rte_eal_dev_init(void);
+int rte_eal_vdev_probe(void);
 
 /**
  * Initialize a driver specified by name.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 16dd5b9..faf75cf 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -884,8 +884,8 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (rte_eal_pci_probe())
 		rte_panic("Cannot probe PCI\n");
 
-	if (rte_eal_dev_init() < 0)
-		rte_panic("Cannot init pmd devices\n");
+	if (rte_eal_vdev_probe() < 0)
+		rte_panic("Cannot probe vdev drivers\n");
 
 	rte_eal_mcfg_complete();
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 83721ba..67fc95b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ DPDK_2.0 {
 	rte_dump_tailq;
 	rte_eal_alarm_cancel;
 	rte_eal_alarm_set;
-	rte_eal_dev_init;
+	rte_eal_vdev_probe;
 	rte_eal_devargs_add;
 	rte_eal_devargs_dump;
 	rte_eal_devargs_type_count;
