diff --git a/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c b/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c
index ce1e31aa4..548aee09e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c
@@ -929,14 +929,11 @@ rte_pmd_af_packet_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name, &ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
index fc4d4fd97..d155c7ac2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
@@ -3177,14 +3177,12 @@ bond_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name,
+			&default_dev_ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			RTE_BOND_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &default_dev_ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/dpaa/dpaa_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/dpaa/dpaa_ethdev.c
index 5c0aafb3c..7a950ac04 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dpaa/dpaa_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dpaa/dpaa_ethdev.c
@@ -1389,6 +1389,8 @@ rte_dpaa_probe(struct rte_dpaa_driver *dpaa_drv,
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(dpaa_dev->name);
 		if (!eth_dev)
 			return -ENOMEM;
+		eth_dev->device = &dpaa_dev->device;
+		eth_dev->dev_ops = &dpaa_devops;
 		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe.c b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe.c
index 7f89486d4..0278deb33 100644
--- a/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe.c
+++ b/drivers/net/failsafe/failsafe.c
@@ -321,14 +321,12 @@ rte_pmd_failsafe_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(vdev)) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(vdev, name,
+			&failsafe_ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			ERROR("Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &failsafe_ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c b/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c
index b038fbf1a..3e653d729 100644
--- a/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c
+++ b/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c
@@ -413,14 +413,12 @@ eth_kni_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(params) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(vdev, name,
+			&eth_kni_ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &eth_kni_ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c b/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c
index d85d25f7e..46ee494f6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c
+++ b/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c
@@ -616,15 +616,12 @@ rte_pmd_null_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	PMD_LOG(INFO, "Initializing pmd_null for %s", name);
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(params) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+			strlen(params) == 0) {
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name, &ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c
index 21e5e4fca..ad96b152d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <rte_mbuf_pool_ops.h>
 #include <rte_prefetch.h>
 #include <rte_bus_vdev.h>
+#include <rte_ethdev_vdev.h>
 
 #include "octeontx_ethdev.h"
 #include "octeontx_rxtx.h"
@@ -1015,6 +1016,8 @@ octeontx_create(struct rte_vdev_device *dev, int port, uint8_t evdev,
 		if (eth_dev == NULL)
 			return -ENODEV;
 
+		eth_dev->dev_ops = &octeontx_dev_ops;
+		eth_dev->device = &dev->device;
 		eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = octeontx_xmit_pkts;
 		eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = octeontx_recv_pkts;
 		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
@@ -1176,14 +1179,12 @@ octeontx_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(dev_name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, dev_name,
+			&octeontx_dev_ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			RTE_LOG(ERR, PMD, "Failed to probe %s\n", dev_name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &octeontx_dev_ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c b/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c
index 6779f97c1..d714c4be7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c
+++ b/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c
@@ -1010,14 +1010,12 @@ pmd_pcap_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name, &ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
+		return 0;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c b/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
index 22ba872ed..e17d8955d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
+++ b/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
@@ -1925,12 +1925,11 @@ rte_pmd_tun_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(params) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name, &ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			TAP_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1993,14 +1992,11 @@ rte_pmd_tap_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(params) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name, &ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			TAP_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c b/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c
index 47b33456c..c4d8decd0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c
@@ -1347,14 +1347,11 @@ rte_pmd_vhost_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
 	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
-		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+		eth_dev = rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(dev, name, &ops);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			VHOST_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s\n", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
-		eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
-		rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_vdev.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_vdev.h
index 259feda3f..6092f6e71 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_vdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_vdev.h
@@ -81,4 +81,21 @@ rte_eth_vdev_allocate(struct rte_vdev_device *dev, size_t private_data_size)
 	return eth_dev;
 }
 
+static inline struct rte_eth_dev *
+rte_eth_vdev_secondary_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev,
+		const char *name, const struct eth_dev_ops *ops)
+{
+	struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev;
+
+	eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
+	if (!eth_dev)
+		return NULL;
+
+	/* TODO: request info from primary to set up Rx and Tx */
+	eth_dev->dev_ops = ops;
+	eth_dev->device = &vdev->device;
+	rte_eth_dev_probing_finish(eth_dev);
+	return eth_dev;
+}
+
 #endif /* _RTE_ETHDEV_VDEV_H_ */
