diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
index 165d13726..43b15ec2f 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ Deprecation Notices
   negative errno values to indicate various error conditions (e.g.
   invalid port ID, unsupported operation, failed operation):
 
-  - ``rte_eth_link_get`` and ``rte_eth_link_get_nowait``
   - ``rte_eth_dev_stop``
   - ``rte_eth_dev_close``
   - ``rte_eth_macaddr_get``
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
index d728592c8..3ff1296a2 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ API Changes
 * ethdev: changed ``rte_eth_dev_xstats_reset`` return value from ``void`` to
   ``int`` to provide a way to report various error conditions.
 
+* ethdev: changed ``rte_eth_link_get`` and ``rte_eth_link_get_nowait``
+  return value from ``void`` to ``int`` to provide a way to report various
+  error conditions.
+
 
 ABI Changes
 -----------
diff --git a/doc/guides/sample_app_ug/link_status_intr.rst b/doc/guides/sample_app_ug/link_status_intr.rst
index cfb1bcd58..5283be8b7 100644
--- a/doc/guides/sample_app_ug/link_status_intr.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/sample_app_ug/link_status_intr.rst
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ An example callback function that has been written as indicated below.
     lsi_event_callback(uint16_t port_id, enum rte_eth_event_type type, void *param)
     {
         struct rte_eth_link link;
+        int ret;
 
         RTE_SET_USED(param);
 
@@ -171,9 +172,11 @@ An example callback function that has been written as indicated below.
 
         printf("Event type: %s\n", type == RTE_ETH_EVENT_INTR_LSC ? "LSC interrupt" : "unknown event");
 
-        rte_eth_link_get_nowait(port_id, &link);
-
-        if (link.link_status) {
+        ret = rte_eth_link_get_nowait(port_id, &link);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            printf("Failed to get port %d link status: %s\n\n",
+                   port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
+        } else if (link.link_status) {
             printf("Port %d Link Up - speed %u Mbps - %s\n\n", port_id, (unsigned)link.link_speed,
                   (link.link_duplex == ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX) ? ("full-duplex") : ("half-duplex"));
         } else
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
index fed71bd95..9316f93f7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
@@ -2358,7 +2358,7 @@ bond_ethdev_slave_link_status_change_monitor(void *cb_arg)
 static int
 bond_ethdev_link_update(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev, int wait_to_complete)
 {
-	void (*link_update)(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *eth_link);
+	int (*link_update)(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *eth_link);
 
 	struct bond_dev_private *bond_ctx;
 	struct rte_eth_link slave_link;
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 1bd1e32b0..b9fa5f562 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -2015,40 +2015,44 @@ rte_eth_allmulticast_get(uint16_t port_id)
 	return dev->data->all_multicast;
 }
 
-void
+int
 rte_eth_link_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *eth_link)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
 
-	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_RET(port_id);
+	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
 	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
 
 	if (dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc &&
 	    dev->data->dev_started)
 		rte_eth_linkstatus_get(dev, eth_link);
 	else {
-		RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->link_update);
+		RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->link_update, -ENOTSUP);
 		(*dev->dev_ops->link_update)(dev, 1);
 		*eth_link = dev->data->dev_link;
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 rte_eth_link_get_nowait(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *eth_link)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
 
-	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_RET(port_id);
+	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
 	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
 
 	if (dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.lsc &&
 	    dev->data->dev_started)
 		rte_eth_linkstatus_get(dev, eth_link);
 	else {
-		RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->link_update);
+		RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->link_update, -ENOTSUP);
 		(*dev->dev_ops->link_update)(dev, 0);
 		*eth_link = dev->data->dev_link;
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
index 14420dbbe..aba5b4c86 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -2103,8 +2103,12 @@ int rte_eth_allmulticast_get(uint16_t port_id);
  * @param link
  *   A pointer to an *rte_eth_link* structure to be filled with
  *   the status, the speed and the mode of the Ethernet device link.
+ * @return
+ *   - (0) if successful.
+ *   - (-ENOTSUP) if the function is not supported in PMD driver.
+ *   - (-ENODEV) if *port_id* invalid.
  */
-void rte_eth_link_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *link);
+int rte_eth_link_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *link);
 
 /**
  * Retrieve the status (ON/OFF), the speed (in Mbps) and the mode (HALF-DUPLEX
@@ -2116,8 +2120,12 @@ void rte_eth_link_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *link);
  * @param link
  *   A pointer to an *rte_eth_link* structure to be filled with
  *   the status, the speed and the mode of the Ethernet device link.
+ * @return
+ *   - (0) if successful.
+ *   - (-ENOTSUP) if the function is not supported in PMD driver.
+ *   - (-ENODEV) if *port_id* invalid.
  */
-void rte_eth_link_get_nowait(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *link);
+int rte_eth_link_get_nowait(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_link *link);
 
 /**
  * Retrieve the general I/O statistics of an Ethernet device.
