diff --git a/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c b/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c
index eb3cce3a6..80a390b19 100644
--- a/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/af_packet/rte_eth_af_packet.c
@@ -927,8 +927,7 @@ rte_pmd_af_packet_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	PMD_LOG(INFO, "Initializing pmd_af_packet for %s", name);
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
@@ -988,6 +987,9 @@ rte_pmd_af_packet_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+
 	internals = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
 	for (q = 0; q < internals->nb_queues; q++) {
 		rte_free(internals->rx_queue[q].rd);
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
index 58f7377c6..47d0f23cc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_pmd.c
@@ -3186,8 +3186,7 @@ bond_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	name = rte_vdev_device_name(dev);
 	RTE_BOND_LOG(INFO, "Initializing pmd_bond for %s", name);
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			RTE_BOND_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
@@ -3302,6 +3301,9 @@ bond_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+
 	RTE_ASSERT(eth_dev->device == &dev->device);
 
 	internals = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
diff --git a/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c b/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c
index 085bb8452..3ce14e2b1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c
+++ b/drivers/net/kni/rte_eth_kni.c
@@ -411,8 +411,7 @@ eth_kni_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev)
 	params = rte_vdev_device_args(vdev);
 	PMD_LOG(INFO, "Initializing eth_kni for %s", name);
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(params) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
@@ -465,6 +464,9 @@ eth_kni_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+
 	eth_kni_dev_stop(eth_dev);
 
 	internals = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
diff --git a/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c b/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c
index 244f86545..ebe3e35f2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c
+++ b/drivers/net/null/rte_eth_null.c
@@ -615,8 +615,7 @@ rte_pmd_null_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	params = rte_vdev_device_args(dev);
 	PMD_LOG(INFO, "Initializing pmd_null for %s", name);
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(params) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
@@ -681,6 +680,9 @@ rte_pmd_null_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+
 	rte_free(eth_dev->data->dev_private);
 
 	rte_eth_dev_release_port(eth_dev);
diff --git a/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c
index 0f3d5d673..6d044c862 100644
--- a/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/octeontx/octeontx_ethdev.c
@@ -1141,6 +1141,11 @@ octeontx_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 		if (eth_dev == NULL)
 			return -ENODEV;
 
+		if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
+			rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		nic = octeontx_pmd_priv(eth_dev);
 		rte_event_dev_stop(nic->evdev);
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "Closing octeontx device %s", octtx_name);
@@ -1151,6 +1156,9 @@ octeontx_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 		rte_event_dev_close(nic->evdev);
 	}
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return 0;
+
 	/* Free FC resource */
 	octeontx_pko_fc_free();
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c b/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c
index e8810a171..c601b45f0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c
+++ b/drivers/net/pcap/rte_eth_pcap.c
@@ -1008,8 +1008,7 @@ pmd_pcap_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	start_cycles = rte_get_timer_cycles();
 	hz = rte_get_timer_hz();
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			PMD_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
@@ -1108,6 +1107,9 @@ pmd_pcap_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+
 	rte_free(eth_dev->data->dev_private);
 
 	rte_eth_dev_release_port(eth_dev);
diff --git a/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c b/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
index feb92b48e..7794a49bb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
+++ b/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
@@ -1993,8 +1993,7 @@ rte_pmd_tap_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	name = rte_vdev_device_name(dev);
 	params = rte_vdev_device_args(dev);
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(params) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			TAP_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s", name);
@@ -2076,7 +2075,10 @@ rte_pmd_tap_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	/* find the ethdev entry */
 	eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_allocated(rte_vdev_device_name(dev));
 	if (!eth_dev)
-		return 0;
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
 
 	internals = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c b/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c
index e58f32211..992f53b56 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vhost/rte_eth_vhost.c
@@ -1345,8 +1345,7 @@ rte_pmd_vhost_probe(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	VHOST_LOG(INFO, "Initializing pmd_vhost for %s\n", name);
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY &&
-	    strlen(rte_vdev_device_args(dev)) == 0) {
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 		eth_dev = rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(name);
 		if (!eth_dev) {
 			VHOST_LOG(ERR, "Failed to probe %s\n", name);
@@ -1437,6 +1436,9 @@ rte_pmd_vhost_remove(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return rte_eth_dev_release_port_secondary(eth_dev);
+
 	eth_dev_close(eth_dev);
 
 	rte_free(vring_states[eth_dev->data->port_id]);
