diff --git a/examples/ethtool/lib/rte_ethtool.c b/examples/ethtool/lib/rte_ethtool.c
index db8150efd5..86e3de078c 100644
--- a/examples/ethtool/lib/rte_ethtool.c
+++ b/examples/ethtool/lib/rte_ethtool.c
@@ -297,7 +297,11 @@ rte_ethtool_set_pauseparam(uint16_t port_id,
 int
 rte_ethtool_net_open(uint16_t port_id)
 {
-	rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	if (ret != 0)
+		return ret;
 
 	return rte_eth_dev_start(port_id);
 }
@@ -305,10 +309,7 @@ rte_ethtool_net_open(uint16_t port_id)
 int
 rte_ethtool_net_stop(uint16_t port_id)
 {
-	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
-	rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
-
-	return 0;
+	return rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
 }
 
 int
@@ -459,7 +460,9 @@ rte_ethtool_set_ringparam(uint16_t port_id,
 	if (stat != 0)
 		return stat;
 
-	rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	stat = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	if (stat != 0)
+		return stat;
 
 	stat = rte_eth_tx_queue_setup(port_id, 0, ring_param->tx_pending,
 		rte_socket_id(), NULL);
diff --git a/examples/eventdev_pipeline/main.c b/examples/eventdev_pipeline/main.c
index 4ac5821539..597540c3d6 100644
--- a/examples/eventdev_pipeline/main.c
+++ b/examples/eventdev_pipeline/main.c
@@ -296,7 +296,8 @@ signal_handler(int signum)
 		RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(portid) {
 			rte_event_eth_rx_adapter_stop(portid);
 			rte_event_eth_tx_adapter_stop(portid);
-			rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+			if (rte_eth_dev_stop(portid) < 0)
+				printf("Failed to stop port %u", portid);
 		}
 
 		rte_eal_mp_wait_lcore();
diff --git a/examples/flow_filtering/main.c b/examples/flow_filtering/main.c
index cc9e7e7808..93523d625b 100644
--- a/examples/flow_filtering/main.c
+++ b/examples/flow_filtering/main.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ print_ether_addr(const char *what, struct rte_ether_addr *eth_addr)
 	printf("%s%s", what, buf);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 main_loop(void)
 {
 	struct rte_mbuf *mbufs[32];
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ main_loop(void)
 	uint16_t nb_rx;
 	uint16_t i;
 	uint16_t j;
+	int ret;
 
 	while (!force_quit) {
 		for (i = 0; i < nr_queues; i++) {
@@ -88,8 +89,12 @@ main_loop(void)
 
 	/* closing and releasing resources */
 	rte_flow_flush(port_id, &error);
-	rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		printf("Failed to stop port %u: %s",
+		       port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
 	rte_eth_dev_close(port_id);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 #define CHECK_INTERVAL 1000  /* 100ms */
@@ -254,7 +259,5 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "error in creating flow");
 	}
 
-	main_loop();
-
-	return 0;
+	return main_loop();
 }
diff --git a/examples/ioat/ioatfwd.c b/examples/ioat/ioatfwd.c
index 8cf606e25b..dc1ef951c1 100644
--- a/examples/ioat/ioatfwd.c
+++ b/examples/ioat/ioatfwd.c
@@ -995,7 +995,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	uint32_t j;
 	for (i = 0; i < cfg.nb_ports; i++) {
 		printf("Closing port %d\n", cfg.ports[i].rxtx_port);
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(cfg.ports[i].rxtx_port);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(cfg.ports[i].rxtx_port);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, IOAT, "rte_eth_dev_stop: err=%s, port=%u\n",
+				rte_strerror(-ret), cfg.ports[i].rxtx_port);
+
 		rte_eth_dev_close(cfg.ports[i].rxtx_port);
 		if (copy_mode == COPY_MODE_IOAT_NUM) {
 			for (j = 0; j < cfg.ports[i].nb_queues; j++) {
diff --git a/examples/ipsec-secgw/event_helper.c b/examples/ipsec-secgw/event_helper.c
index 865dc911b8..ce4dbdc085 100644
--- a/examples/ipsec-secgw/event_helper.c
+++ b/examples/ipsec-secgw/event_helper.c
@@ -1583,7 +1583,12 @@ eh_devs_init(struct eh_conf *conf)
 		if ((conf->eth_portmask & (1 << port_id)) == 0)
 			continue;
 
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			EH_LOG_ERR("Failed to stop port %u, err: %d",
+					port_id, ret);
+			return ret;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* Setup eventdev */
diff --git a/examples/ipsec-secgw/ipsec-secgw.c b/examples/ipsec-secgw/ipsec-secgw.c
index 60132c4bd7..58ecfd6f76 100644
--- a/examples/ipsec-secgw/ipsec-secgw.c
+++ b/examples/ipsec-secgw/ipsec-secgw.c
@@ -3032,7 +3032,12 @@ main(int32_t argc, char **argv)
 					" for port %u, err msg: %s\n", portid,
 					err.message);
 		}
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, IPSEC,
+				"rte_eth_dev_stop: err=%s, port=%u\n",
+				rte_strerror(-ret), portid);
+
 		rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
 		printf(" Done\n");
 	}
diff --git a/examples/kni/main.c b/examples/kni/main.c
index 2223bd367d..ac6309e072 100644
--- a/examples/kni/main.c
+++ b/examples/kni/main.c
@@ -782,7 +782,12 @@ kni_change_mtu_(uint16_t port_id, unsigned int new_mtu)
 	RTE_LOG(INFO, APP, "Change MTU of port %d to %u\n", port_id, new_mtu);
 
 	/* Stop specific port */
-	rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, APP, "Failed to stop port %d: %s\n",
+			port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
+		return ret;
+	}
 
 	memcpy(&conf, &port_conf, sizeof(conf));
 	/* Set new MTU */
@@ -875,10 +880,23 @@ kni_config_network_interface(uint16_t port_id, uint8_t if_up)
 	rte_atomic32_inc(&kni_pause);
 
 	if (if_up != 0) { /* Configure network interface up */
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, APP, "Failed to stop port %d: %s\n",
+				port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
+			rte_atomic32_dec(&kni_pause);
+			return ret;
+		}
 		ret = rte_eth_dev_start(port_id);
-	} else /* Configure network interface down */
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	} else { /* Configure network interface down */
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, APP, "Failed to stop port %d: %s\n",
+				port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
+			rte_atomic32_dec(&kni_pause);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	}
 
 	rte_atomic32_dec(&kni_pause);
 
@@ -998,6 +1016,7 @@ static int
 kni_free_kni(uint16_t port_id)
 {
 	uint8_t i;
+	int ret;
 	struct kni_port_params **p = kni_port_params_array;
 
 	if (port_id >= RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS || !p[port_id])
@@ -1008,7 +1027,10 @@ kni_free_kni(uint16_t port_id)
 			printf("Fail to release kni\n");
 		p[port_id]->kni[i] = NULL;
 	}
-	rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+	if (ret != 0)
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, APP, "Failed to stop port %d: %s\n",
+			port_id, rte_strerror(-ret));
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c b/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c
index 9f831b1266..b48794d6bc 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-event/main.c
@@ -683,7 +683,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			if ((rsrc->enabled_port_mask &
 							(1 << port_id)) == 0)
 				continue;
-			rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+			ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				printf("rte_eth_dev_stop:err=%d, port=%u\n",
+				       ret, port_id);
 		}
 
 		rte_eal_mp_wait_lcore();
@@ -705,7 +708,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 							(1 << port_id)) == 0)
 				continue;
 			printf("Closing port %d...", port_id);
-			rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+			ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(port_id);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				printf("rte_eth_dev_stop:err=%d, port=%u\n",
+				       ret, port_id);
 			rte_eth_dev_close(port_id);
 			printf(" Done\n");
 		}
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd/main.c b/examples/l2fwd/main.c
index 7e3078788e..7d1b08a8f7 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd/main.c
+++ b/examples/l2fwd/main.c
@@ -896,7 +896,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if ((l2fwd_enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 			continue;
 		printf("Closing port %d...", portid);
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			printf("rte_eth_dev_stop: err=%d, port=%d\n",
+			       ret, portid);
 		rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
 		printf(" Done\n");
 	}
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd-graph/main.c b/examples/l3fwd-graph/main.c
index 2306ba9b07..2fd536e592 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd-graph/main.c
+++ b/examples/l3fwd-graph/main.c
@@ -1116,7 +1116,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 			continue;
 		printf("Closing port %d...", portid);
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			printf("Failed to stop port %u: %s\n",
+			       portid, rte_strerror(-ret));
 		rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
 		printf(" Done\n");
 	}
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd-power/main.c b/examples/l3fwd-power/main.c
index d0e6c9bd77..b1535b2749 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd-power/main.c
+++ b/examples/l3fwd-power/main.c
@@ -2805,7 +2805,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 			continue;
 
-		rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, L3FWD_POWER, "rte_eth_dev_stop: err=%d, port=%u\n",
+				ret, portid);
+
 		rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
 	}
 
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/main.c b/examples/l3fwd/main.c
index 80f3434ec2..3811a1efbf 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/main.c
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/main.c
@@ -1284,7 +1284,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(portid) {
 			if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 				continue;
-			rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+			ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+			if (ret != 0)
+				printf("rte_eth_dev_stop: err=%d, port=%u\n",
+				       ret, portid);
 		}
 
 		rte_eal_mp_wait_lcore();
@@ -1304,7 +1307,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			if ((enabled_port_mask & (1 << portid)) == 0)
 				continue;
 			printf("Closing port %d...", portid);
-			rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+			ret = rte_eth_dev_stop(portid);
+			if (ret != 0)
+				printf("rte_eth_dev_stop: err=%d, port=%u\n",
+				       ret, portid);
 			rte_eth_dev_close(portid);
 			printf(" Done\n");
 		}
