diff --git a/drivers/bus/ifpga/ifpga_bus.c b/drivers/bus/ifpga/ifpga_bus.c
index 80663328a..fca2dbace 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/ifpga/ifpga_bus.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/ifpga/ifpga_bus.c
@@ -280,14 +280,13 @@ ifpga_probe_one_driver(struct rte_afu_driver *drv,
 
 	/* reference driver structure */
 	afu_dev->driver = drv;
-	afu_dev->device.driver = &drv->driver;
 
 	/* call the driver probe() function */
 	ret = drv->probe(afu_dev);
-	if (ret) {
+	if (ret)
 		afu_dev->driver = NULL;
-		afu_dev->device.driver = NULL;
-	}
+	else
+		afu_dev->device.driver = &drv->driver;
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -302,7 +301,7 @@ ifpga_probe_all_drivers(struct rte_afu_device *afu_dev)
 		return -1;
 
 	/* Check if a driver is already loaded */
-	if (afu_dev->driver != NULL)
+	if (afu_dev->device.driver != NULL)
 		return 0;
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(drv, &ifpga_afu_drv_list, next) {
diff --git a/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c b/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c
index c7695d108..d63e68045 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c
@@ -160,14 +160,12 @@ rte_pci_probe_one_driver(struct rte_pci_driver *dr,
 	 * driver flags for adjusting configuration.
 	 */
 	dev->driver = dr;
-	dev->device.driver = &dr->driver;
 
 	if (dr->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_NEED_MAPPING) {
 		/* map resources for devices that use igb_uio */
 		ret = rte_pci_map_device(dev);
 		if (ret != 0) {
 			dev->driver = NULL;
-			dev->device.driver = NULL;
 			return ret;
 		}
 	}
@@ -176,7 +174,6 @@ rte_pci_probe_one_driver(struct rte_pci_driver *dr,
 	ret = dr->probe(dr, dev);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev->driver = NULL;
-		dev->device.driver = NULL;
 		if ((dr->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_NEED_MAPPING) &&
 			/* Don't unmap if device is unsupported and
 			 * driver needs mapped resources.
@@ -184,6 +181,8 @@ rte_pci_probe_one_driver(struct rte_pci_driver *dr,
 			!(ret > 0 &&
 				(dr->drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_KEEP_MAPPED_RES)))
 			rte_pci_unmap_device(dev);
+	} else {
+		dev->device.driver = &dr->driver;
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -244,7 +243,7 @@ pci_probe_all_drivers(struct rte_pci_device *dev)
 		return -1;
 
 	/* Check if a driver is already loaded */
-	if (dev->driver != NULL)
+	if (dev->device.driver != NULL)
 		return 0;
 
 	FOREACH_DRIVER_ON_PCIBUS(dr) {
diff --git a/drivers/bus/pci/rte_bus_pci.h b/drivers/bus/pci/rte_bus_pci.h
index 0d1955ffe..984df2b37 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/pci/rte_bus_pci.h
+++ b/drivers/bus/pci/rte_bus_pci.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ struct rte_pci_device {
 	struct rte_mem_resource mem_resource[PCI_MAX_RESOURCE];
 					    /**< PCI Memory Resource */
 	struct rte_intr_handle intr_handle; /**< Interrupt handle */
-	struct rte_pci_driver *driver;      /**< Associated driver */
+	struct rte_pci_driver *driver;      /**< PCI driver used in probing */
 	uint16_t max_vfs;                   /**< sriov enable if not zero */
 	enum rte_kernel_driver kdrv;        /**< Kernel driver passthrough */
 	char name[PCI_PRI_STR_SIZE+1];      /**< PCI location (ASCII) */
diff --git a/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c b/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c
index 0142fb2c8..3f27f3510 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev.c
@@ -150,10 +150,9 @@ vdev_probe_all_drivers(struct rte_vdev_device *dev)
 
 	if (vdev_parse(name, &driver))
 		return -1;
-	dev->device.driver = &driver->driver;
 	ret = driver->probe(dev);
-	if (ret)
-		dev->device.driver = NULL;
+	if (ret == 0)
+		dev->device.driver = &driver->driver;
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/bus/vmbus/vmbus_common.c b/drivers/bus/vmbus/vmbus_common.c
index e3ceb6906..de5548aa4 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/vmbus/vmbus_common.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/vmbus/vmbus_common.c
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ vmbus_probe_one_driver(struct rte_vmbus_driver *dr,
 
 	/* reference driver structure */
 	dev->driver = dr;
-	dev->device.driver = &dr->driver;
 
 	if (dev->device.numa_node < 0) {
 		VMBUS_LOG(WARNING, "  Invalid NUMA socket, default to 0");
@@ -124,6 +123,8 @@ vmbus_probe_one_driver(struct rte_vmbus_driver *dr,
 	if (ret) {
 		dev->driver = NULL;
 		rte_vmbus_unmap_device(dev);
+	} else {
+		dev->device.driver = &dr->driver;
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ vmbus_probe_all_drivers(struct rte_vmbus_device *dev)
 	int rc;
 
 	/* Check if a driver is already loaded */
-	if (dev->driver != NULL) {
+	if (dev->device.driver != NULL) {
 		VMBUS_LOG(DEBUG, "VMBUS driver already loaded");
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_vf_representor.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_vf_representor.c
index 0bfbb4f60..24751d13c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_vf_representor.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_vf_representor.c
@@ -487,9 +487,6 @@ i40e_vf_representor_init(struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev, void *init_params)
 	if (representor->vf_id >= pf->vf_num)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
-	/** representor shares the same driver as it's PF device */
-	ethdev->device->driver = representor->adapter->eth_dev->device->driver;
-
 	/* Set representor device ops */
 	ethdev->dev_ops = &i40e_representor_dev_ops;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4.c b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4.c
index defc0d4b0..3de7bc53e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4.c
@@ -734,7 +734,6 @@ mlx4_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv, struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
 		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->driver = &mlx4_driver.driver;
 		/* Initialize local interrupt handle for current port. */
 		priv->intr_handle = (struct rte_intr_handle){
 			.fd = -1,
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
index fd89e2af3..cf258345f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
@@ -1081,7 +1081,6 @@ mlx5_dev_spawn(struct rte_device *dpdk_dev,
 	priv->dev_data = eth_dev->data;
 	eth_dev->data->mac_addrs = priv->mac;
 	eth_dev->device = dpdk_dev;
-	eth_dev->device->driver = &mlx5_driver.driver;
 	err = mlx5_uar_init_primary(eth_dev);
 	if (err) {
 		err = rte_errno;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
index 036180ff3..5084c645b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ struct rte_driver {
 struct rte_device {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(rte_device) next; /**< Next device */
 	const char *name;             /**< Device name */
-	const struct rte_driver *driver;/**< Associated driver */
+	const struct rte_driver *driver; /**< Driver assigned after probing */
 	const struct rte_bus *bus;    /**< Bus handle assigned on scan */
 	int numa_node;                /**< NUMA node connection */
 	struct rte_devargs *devargs;  /**< Device user arguments */
