diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_log.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_log.c
index a27192620d9e..c47e53b3db74 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_log.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_log.c
@@ -23,8 +23,19 @@ struct rte_logs rte_logs = {
 	.file = NULL,
 };
 
-/** Global list of valid EAL log level options */
-struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel_list opt_loglevel_list =
+struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel {
+	/** Next list entry */
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(rte_eal_opt_loglevel) next;
+	/** Compiled regular expression obtained from the option */
+	regex_t re_match;
+	/** Log level value obtained from the option */
+	uint32_t level;
+};
+
+TAILQ_HEAD(rte_eal_opt_loglevel_list, rte_eal_opt_loglevel);
+
+/** List of valid EAL log level options */
+static struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel_list opt_loglevel_list =
 	TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(opt_loglevel_list);
 
 /* Stream to use for logging if rte_logs.file is NULL */
@@ -119,6 +130,33 @@ rte_log_set_level_regexp(const char *pattern, uint32_t level)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Save the type (regexp string) and the loglevel
+ * in the global storage so that it could be used
+ * to configure dynamic logtypes which are absent
+ * at the moment of EAL option processing but may
+ * be registered during runtime.
+ */
+int rte_eal_log_save_regexp(const char *regex, int tmp)
+{
+	struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel *opt_ll;
+
+	opt_ll = malloc(sizeof(*opt_ll));
+	if (opt_ll == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (regcomp(&opt_ll->re_match, regex, 0) != 0)
+		goto fail;
+
+	opt_ll->level = tmp;
+
+	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&opt_loglevel_list, opt_ll, next);
+	return 0;
+fail:
+	free(opt_ll);
+	return -1;
+}
+
 /* get the current loglevel for the message being processed */
 int rte_log_cur_msg_loglevel(void)
 {
@@ -203,18 +241,11 @@ rte_log_register_type_and_pick_level(const char *name, uint32_t level_def)
 		return type;
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(opt_ll, &opt_loglevel_list, next) {
-		regex_t r;
-
 		if (opt_ll->level > RTE_LOG_DEBUG)
 			continue;
 
-		if (regcomp(&r, opt_ll->re_type, 0) != 0)
-			continue;
-
-		if (regexec(&r, name, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
+		if (regexec(&opt_ll->re_match, name, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
 			level = opt_ll->level;
-
-		regfree(&r);
 	}
 
 	rte_logs.dynamic_types[type].loglevel = level;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
index 13c05bbe9b70..038e75d86348 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "eal_internal_cfg.h"
 #include "eal_options.h"
 #include "eal_filesystem.h"
+#include "eal_private.h"
 
 #define BITS_PER_HEX 4
 #define LCORE_OPT_LST 1
@@ -985,29 +986,8 @@ eal_parse_log_level(const char *arg)
 		fprintf(stderr, "cannot set log level %s,%d\n",
 			type, priority);
 		goto fail;
-	} else {
-		struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel *opt_ll;
-
-		/*
-		 * Save the type (regexp string) and the loglevel
-		 * in the global storage so that it could be used
-		 * to configure dynamic logtypes which are absent
-		 * at the moment of EAL option processing but may
-		 * be registered during runtime.
-		 */
-		opt_ll = malloc(sizeof(*opt_ll));
-		if (opt_ll == NULL)
-			goto fail;
-
-		opt_ll->re_type = strdup(type);
-		if (opt_ll->re_type == NULL) {
-			free(opt_ll);
-			goto fail;
-		}
-
-		opt_ll->level = priority;
-
-		TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&opt_loglevel_list, opt_ll, next);
+	} else if (rte_eal_log_save_regexp(type, priority) < 0) {
+		goto fail;
 	}
 
 	free(str);
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
index 6a8dde824313..d505a9a3c76f 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ int rte_eal_timer_init(void);
  */
 int rte_eal_log_init(const char *id, int facility);
 
+/**
+ * Save the log regexp for later
+ */
+int rte_eal_log_save_regexp(const char *type, int priority);
+
 /**
  * Init tail queues for non-EAL library structures. This is to allow
  * the rings, mempools, etc. lists to be shared among multiple processes
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_log.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_log.h
index 5f4799e1b795..2d817c3da7c1 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_log.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_log.h
@@ -85,32 +85,6 @@ extern struct rte_logs rte_logs;
 #define RTE_LOG_INFO     7U  /**< Informational.                    */
 #define RTE_LOG_DEBUG    8U  /**< Debug-level messages.             */
 
-/**
- * @warning
- * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice
- *
- * Entry definition for the storage to keep EAL log level options
- * which are found to have log type regular expressions specified.
- */
-struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel {
-	/** Next list entry */
-	TAILQ_ENTRY(rte_eal_opt_loglevel) next;
-	/** Regular expression string obtained from the option */
-	char *re_type;
-	/** Log level value obtained from the option */
-	uint32_t level;
-};
-
-TAILQ_HEAD(rte_eal_opt_loglevel_list, rte_eal_opt_loglevel);
-
-/**
- * @warning
- * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice
- *
- * Global list of EAL log level options featuring log type expressions
- */
-extern struct rte_eal_opt_loglevel_list opt_loglevel_list;
-
 /**
  * Change the stream that will be used by the logging system.
  *
