diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
index 1a5391e63..01dcf25b9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
@@ -635,30 +635,34 @@ mlx5_uar_init_secondary(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 }
 
 /**
- * DPDK callback to register a PCI device.
- *
- * This function creates an Ethernet device for each port of a given
- * PCI device.
+ * Spawn an Ethernet device from Verbs information.
  *
- * @param[in] pci_drv
- *   PCI driver structure (mlx5_driver).
- * @param[in] pci_dev
- *   PCI device information.
+ * @param dpdk_dev
+ *   Backing DPDK device.
+ * @param ibv_dev
+ *   Verbs device.
+ * @param vf
+ *   If nonzero, enable VF-specific features.
+ * @param[in] attr
+ *   Verbs device attributes.
+ * @param port
+ *   Verbs port to use (indexed from 1).
  *
  * @return
- *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
+ *   A valid Ethernet device object on success, NULL otherwise and rte_errno
+ *   is set.
  */
-static int
-mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
-	       struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
+static struct rte_eth_dev *
+mlx5_dev_spawn_one(struct rte_device *dpdk_dev,
+		   struct ibv_device *ibv_dev,
+		   int vf,
+		   const struct ibv_device_attr_ex *attr,
+		   unsigned int port)
 {
-	struct ibv_device **list = NULL;
-	struct ibv_device *ibv_dev;
-	struct ibv_context *ctx = NULL;
-	struct ibv_device_attr_ex attr;
+	struct ibv_context *ctx;
 	struct mlx5dv_context dv_attr = { .comp_mask = 0 };
+	struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev = NULL;
 	int err = 0;
-	unsigned int vf = 0;
 	unsigned int mps;
 	unsigned int cqe_comp;
 	unsigned int tunnel_en = 0;
@@ -670,71 +674,18 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 	unsigned int mprq_max_stride_size_n = 0;
 	unsigned int mprq_min_stride_num_n = 0;
 	unsigned int mprq_max_stride_num_n = 0;
-	int i;
 #ifdef HAVE_IBV_DEVICE_COUNTERS_SET_SUPPORT
 	struct ibv_counter_set_description cs_desc = { .counter_type = 0 };
 #endif
 
 	/* Prepare shared data between primary and secondary process. */
 	mlx5_prepare_shared_data();
-	assert(pci_drv == &mlx5_driver);
-	list = mlx5_glue->get_device_list(&i);
-	if (list == NULL) {
-		assert(errno);
-		err = errno;
-		if (errno == ENOSYS)
-			DRV_LOG(ERR,
-				"cannot list devices, is ib_uverbs loaded?");
-		goto error;
-	}
-	assert(i >= 0);
-	/*
-	 * For each listed device, check related sysfs entry against
-	 * the provided PCI ID.
-	 */
-	while (i != 0) {
-		struct rte_pci_addr pci_addr;
-
-		--i;
-		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "checking device \"%s\"", list[i]->name);
-		if (mlx5_ibv_device_to_pci_addr(list[i], &pci_addr))
-			continue;
-		if ((pci_dev->addr.domain != pci_addr.domain) ||
-		    (pci_dev->addr.bus != pci_addr.bus) ||
-		    (pci_dev->addr.devid != pci_addr.devid) ||
-		    (pci_dev->addr.function != pci_addr.function))
-			continue;
-		DRV_LOG(INFO, "PCI information matches, using device \"%s\"",
-			list[i]->name);
-		vf = ((pci_dev->id.device_id ==
-		       PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX4VF) ||
-		      (pci_dev->id.device_id ==
-		       PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX4LXVF) ||
-		      (pci_dev->id.device_id ==
-		       PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX5VF) ||
-		      (pci_dev->id.device_id ==
-		       PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX5EXVF));
-		ctx = mlx5_glue->open_device(list[i]);
-		rte_errno = errno;
-		err = rte_errno;
-		break;
-	}
-	if (ctx == NULL) {
-		switch (err) {
-		case 0:
-			DRV_LOG(ERR,
-				"cannot access device, is mlx5_ib loaded?");
-			err = ENODEV;
-			break;
-		case EINVAL:
-			DRV_LOG(ERR,
-				"cannot use device, are drivers up to date?");
-			break;
-		}
-		goto error;
+	errno = 0;
+	ctx = mlx5_glue->open_device(ibv_dev);
+	if (!ctx) {
+		rte_errno = errno ? errno : ENODEV;
+		return NULL;
 	}
-	ibv_dev = list[i];
-	DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "device opened");
 #ifdef HAVE_IBV_MLX5_MOD_SWP
 	dv_attr.comp_mask |= MLX5DV_CONTEXT_MASK_SWP;
 #endif
@@ -822,20 +773,11 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 	DRV_LOG(WARNING, "MPLS over GRE/UDP tunnel offloading disabled due to"
 		" old OFED/rdma-core version or firmware configuration");
 #endif
-	err = mlx5_glue->query_device_ex(ctx, NULL, &attr);
-	if (err) {
-		DEBUG("ibv_query_device_ex() failed");
-		goto error;
-	}
-	DRV_LOG(INFO, "%u port(s) detected", attr.orig_attr.phys_port_cnt);
-	for (i = 0; i < attr.orig_attr.phys_port_cnt; i++) {
+	{
 		char name[RTE_ETH_NAME_MAX_LEN];
-		int len;
-		uint32_t port = i + 1; /* ports are indexed from one */
 		struct ibv_port_attr port_attr;
 		struct ibv_pd *pd = NULL;
 		struct priv *priv = NULL;
-		struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev = NULL;
 		struct ether_addr mac;
 		struct mlx5_dev_config config = {
 			.cqe_comp = cqe_comp,
@@ -859,11 +801,11 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 			},
 		};
 
-		len = snprintf(name, sizeof(name), PCI_PRI_FMT,
-			 pci_dev->addr.domain, pci_dev->addr.bus,
-			 pci_dev->addr.devid, pci_dev->addr.function);
-		if (attr.orig_attr.phys_port_cnt > 1)
-			snprintf(name + len, sizeof(name), " port %u", i);
+		if (attr->orig_attr.phys_port_cnt > 1)
+			snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%s port %u",
+				 dpdk_dev->name, port);
+		else
+			snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%s", dpdk_dev->name);
 		if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 			eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 			if (eth_dev == NULL) {
@@ -872,7 +814,7 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 				err = rte_errno;
 				goto error;
 			}
-			eth_dev->device = &pci_dev->device;
+			eth_dev->device = dpdk_dev;
 			eth_dev->dev_ops = &mlx5_dev_sec_ops;
 			err = mlx5_uar_init_secondary(eth_dev);
 			if (err) {
@@ -900,16 +842,10 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 				mlx5_select_rx_function(eth_dev);
 			eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst =
 				mlx5_select_tx_function(eth_dev);
-			rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
-			continue;
+			mlx5_glue->close_device(ctx);
+			return eth_dev;
 		}
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "using port %u", port);
-		if (!ctx)
-			ctx = mlx5_glue->open_device(ibv_dev);
-		if (ctx == NULL) {
-			err = ENODEV;
-			goto port_error;
-		}
 		/* Check port status. */
 		err = mlx5_glue->query_port(ctx, port, &port_attr);
 		if (err) {
@@ -947,23 +883,23 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 		priv->ctx = ctx;
 		strncpy(priv->ibdev_path, priv->ctx->device->ibdev_path,
 			sizeof(priv->ibdev_path));
-		priv->device_attr = attr;
+		priv->device_attr = *attr;
 		priv->port = port;
 		priv->pd = pd;
 		priv->mtu = ETHER_MTU;
-		err = mlx5_args(&config, pci_dev->device.devargs);
+		err = mlx5_args(&config, dpdk_dev->devargs);
 		if (err) {
 			err = rte_errno;
 			DRV_LOG(ERR, "failed to process device arguments: %s",
 				strerror(rte_errno));
 			goto port_error;
 		}
-		config.hw_csum = !!(attr.device_cap_flags_ex &
+		config.hw_csum = !!(attr->device_cap_flags_ex &
 				    IBV_DEVICE_RAW_IP_CSUM);
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "checksum offloading is %ssupported",
 			(config.hw_csum ? "" : "not "));
 #ifdef HAVE_IBV_DEVICE_COUNTERS_SET_SUPPORT
-		config.flow_counter_en = !!attr.max_counter_sets;
+		config.flow_counter_en = !!attr->max_counter_sets;
 		mlx5_glue->describe_counter_set(ctx, 0, &cs_desc);
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG,
 			"counter type = %d, num of cs = %ld, attributes = %d",
@@ -971,7 +907,7 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 			cs_desc.attributes);
 #endif
 		config.ind_table_max_size =
-			attr.rss_caps.max_rwq_indirection_table_size;
+			attr->rss_caps.max_rwq_indirection_table_size;
 		/* Remove this check once DPDK supports larger/variable
 		 * indirection tables. */
 		if (config.ind_table_max_size >
@@ -979,28 +915,28 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 			config.ind_table_max_size = ETH_RSS_RETA_SIZE_512;
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "maximum Rx indirection table size is %u",
 			config.ind_table_max_size);
-		config.hw_vlan_strip = !!(attr.raw_packet_caps &
+		config.hw_vlan_strip = !!(attr->raw_packet_caps &
 					 IBV_RAW_PACKET_CAP_CVLAN_STRIPPING);
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "VLAN stripping is %ssupported",
 			(config.hw_vlan_strip ? "" : "not "));
 
-		config.hw_fcs_strip = !!(attr.raw_packet_caps &
+		config.hw_fcs_strip = !!(attr->raw_packet_caps &
 					 IBV_RAW_PACKET_CAP_SCATTER_FCS);
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "FCS stripping configuration is %ssupported",
 			(config.hw_fcs_strip ? "" : "not "));
 
 #ifdef HAVE_IBV_WQ_FLAG_RX_END_PADDING
-		config.hw_padding = !!attr.rx_pad_end_addr_align;
+		config.hw_padding = !!attr->rx_pad_end_addr_align;
 #endif
 		DRV_LOG(DEBUG,
 			"hardware Rx end alignment padding is %ssupported",
 			(config.hw_padding ? "" : "not "));
 		config.vf = vf;
-		config.tso = (attr.tso_caps.max_tso > 0 &&
-			      (attr.tso_caps.supported_qpts &
+		config.tso = (attr->tso_caps.max_tso > 0 &&
+			      (attr->tso_caps.supported_qpts &
 			       (1 << IBV_QPT_RAW_PACKET)));
 		if (config.tso)
-			config.tso_max_payload_sz = attr.tso_caps.max_tso;
+			config.tso_max_payload_sz = attr->tso_caps.max_tso;
 		if (config.mps && !mps) {
 			DRV_LOG(ERR,
 				"multi-packet send not supported on this device"
@@ -1041,8 +977,7 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 		eth_dev->data->dev_private = priv;
 		priv->dev_data = eth_dev->data;
 		eth_dev->data->mac_addrs = priv->mac;
-		eth_dev->device = &pci_dev->device;
-		rte_eth_copy_pci_info(eth_dev, pci_dev);
+		eth_dev->device = dpdk_dev;
 		eth_dev->device->driver = &mlx5_driver.driver;
 		err = mlx5_uar_init_primary(eth_dev);
 		if (err) {
@@ -1160,13 +1095,7 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 				 priv, mem_event_cb);
 		rte_rwlock_write_unlock(&mlx5_shared_data->mem_event_rwlock);
 		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
-		/*
-		 * Each eth_dev instance is assigned its own Verbs context,
-		 * since this one is consumed, let the next iteration open
-		 * another.
-		 */
-		ctx = NULL;
-		continue;
+		return eth_dev;
 port_error:
 		if (priv)
 			rte_free(priv);
@@ -1174,24 +1103,173 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
 			claim_zero(mlx5_glue->dealloc_pd(pd));
 		if (eth_dev && rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
 			rte_eth_dev_release_port(eth_dev);
-		break;
 	}
-	/*
-	 * XXX if something went wrong in the loop above, there is a resource
-	 * leak (ctx, pd, priv, dpdk ethdev) but we can do nothing about it as
-	 * long as the dpdk does not provide a way to deallocate a ethdev and a
-	 * way to enumerate the registered ethdevs to free the previous ones.
-	 */
 error:
 	if (ctx)
 		claim_zero(mlx5_glue->close_device(ctx));
-	if (list)
-		mlx5_glue->free_device_list(list);
-	if (err) {
-		rte_errno = err;
+	assert(err > 0);
+	rte_errno = err;
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Spawn Ethernet devices from Verbs information, one per detected port.
+ *
+ * @param dpdk_dev
+ *   Backing DPDK device.
+ * @param ibv_dev
+ *   Verbs device.
+ * @param vf
+ *   If nonzero, enable VF-specific features.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   A NULL-terminated list of Ethernet device objects on success, NULL
+ *   otherwise and rte_errno is set. Caller is expected to release list
+ *   memory through free().
+ */
+static struct rte_eth_dev **
+mlx5_dev_spawn(struct rte_device *dpdk_dev,
+	       struct ibv_device *ibv_dev,
+	       int vf)
+{
+	struct rte_eth_dev **eth_list = NULL;
+	struct ibv_context *ctx;
+	struct ibv_device_attr_ex attr;
+	unsigned int i;
+	int ret;
+
+	errno = 0;
+	ctx = mlx5_glue->open_device(ibv_dev);
+	if (!ctx) {
+		rte_errno = errno ? errno : ENODEV;
+		if (rte_errno == ENODEV)
+			DRV_LOG(ERR,
+				"cannot access device, is mlx5_ib loaded?");
+		else
+			DRV_LOG(ERR,
+				"cannot use device, are drivers up to date?");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	ret = mlx5_glue->query_device_ex(ctx, NULL, &attr);
+	mlx5_glue->close_device(ctx);
+	if (ret) {
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		DRV_LOG(ERR, "unable to query device information: %s",
+			strerror(rte_errno));
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	DRV_LOG(INFO, "%u port(s) detected", attr.orig_attr.phys_port_cnt);
+	eth_list = malloc(sizeof(*eth_list) *
+			  (attr.orig_attr.phys_port_cnt + 1));
+	if (!eth_list) {
+		rte_errno = errno;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	for (i = 0; i < attr.orig_attr.phys_port_cnt; ++i) {
+		eth_list[i] = mlx5_dev_spawn_one(dpdk_dev, ibv_dev, vf,
+						 &attr, i + 1);
+		if (eth_list[i])
+			continue;
+		/* Save rte_errno and roll back in case of failure. */
+		ret = rte_errno;
+		while (i--) {
+			mlx5_dev_close(eth_list[i]);
+			if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+				rte_free(eth_list[i]->data->dev_private);
+			claim_zero(rte_eth_dev_release_port(eth_list[i]));
+		}
+		free(eth_list);
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	eth_list[i] = NULL;
+	return eth_list;
+}
+
+/**
+ * DPDK callback to register a PCI device.
+ *
+ * This function creates an Ethernet device for each port of a given
+ * PCI device.
+ *
+ * @param[in] pci_drv
+ *   PCI driver structure (mlx5_driver).
+ * @param[in] pci_dev
+ *   PCI device information.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
+ */
+static int
+mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv __rte_unused,
+	       struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
+{
+	struct ibv_device **ibv_list;
+	struct rte_eth_dev **eth_list = NULL;
+	int vf;
+	int ret;
+
+	assert(pci_drv == &mlx5_driver);
+	switch (pci_dev->id.device_id) {
+	case PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX4VF:
+	case PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX4LXVF:
+	case PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX5VF:
+	case PCI_DEVICE_ID_MELLANOX_CONNECTX5EXVF:
+		vf = 1;
+		break;
+	default:
+		vf = 0;
+	}
+	errno = 0;
+	ibv_list = mlx5_glue->get_device_list(&ret);
+	if (!ibv_list) {
+		rte_errno = errno ? errno : ENOSYS;
+		DRV_LOG(ERR, "cannot list devices, is ib_uverbs loaded?");
 		return -rte_errno;
 	}
-	return 0;
+	while (ret-- > 0) {
+		struct rte_pci_addr pci_addr;
+
+		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "checking device \"%s\"", ibv_list[ret]->name);
+		if (mlx5_ibv_device_to_pci_addr(ibv_list[ret], &pci_addr))
+			continue;
+		if (pci_dev->addr.domain != pci_addr.domain ||
+		    pci_dev->addr.bus != pci_addr.bus ||
+		    pci_dev->addr.devid != pci_addr.devid ||
+		    pci_dev->addr.function != pci_addr.function)
+			continue;
+		DRV_LOG(INFO, "PCI information matches, using device \"%s\"",
+			ibv_list[ret]->name);
+		break;
+	}
+	if (ret >= 0)
+		eth_list = mlx5_dev_spawn(&pci_dev->device, ibv_list[ret], vf);
+	mlx5_glue->free_device_list(ibv_list);
+	if (!ret) {
+		DRV_LOG(WARNING,
+			"no Verbs device matches PCI device " PCI_PRI_FMT ","
+			" are kernel drivers loaded?",
+			pci_dev->addr.domain, pci_dev->addr.bus,
+			pci_dev->addr.devid, pci_dev->addr.function);
+		rte_errno = ENOENT;
+		ret = -rte_errno;
+	} else if (!eth_list || !*eth_list) {
+		DRV_LOG(ERR,
+			"probe of PCI device " PCI_PRI_FMT " aborted after"
+			" encountering an error: %s",
+			pci_dev->addr.domain, pci_dev->addr.bus,
+			pci_dev->addr.devid, pci_dev->addr.function,
+			strerror(rte_errno));
+		ret = -rte_errno;
+	} else {
+		for (ret = 0; eth_list[ret]; ++ret) {
+			rte_eth_copy_pci_info(eth_list[ret], pci_dev);
+			rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_list[ret]);
+		}
+		ret = 0;
+	}
+	free(eth_list);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static const struct rte_pci_id mlx5_pci_id_map[] = {
