diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef100_rx.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef100_rx.c
index 5e761601b..c1c56d0e7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef100_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef100_rx.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ sfc_ef100_rx_qrefill(struct sfc_ef100_rxq *rxq)
 			struct sfc_ef100_rx_sw_desc *rxd;
 			rte_iova_t phys_addr;
 
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 
 			SFC_ASSERT((id & ~ptr_mask) == 0);
 			rxd = &rxq->sw_ring[id];
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ sfc_ef100_rx_process_ready_pkts(struct sfc_ef100_rxq *rxq,
 		rxq->ready_pkts--;
 
 		pkt = sfc_ef100_rx_next_mbuf(rxq);
-		MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(pkt);
+		__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(pkt);
 
 		RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON(sizeof(pkt->rearm_data[0]) !=
 				 sizeof(rxq->rearm_data));
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ sfc_ef100_rx_process_ready_pkts(struct sfc_ef100_rxq *rxq,
 			struct rte_mbuf *seg;
 
 			seg = sfc_ef100_rx_next_mbuf(rxq);
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(seg);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(seg);
 
 			seg->data_off = RTE_PKTMBUF_HEADROOM;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_essb_rx.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_essb_rx.c
index 97c81c823..b167e01c5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_essb_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_essb_rx.c
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ sfc_ef10_essb_next_mbuf(const struct sfc_ef10_essb_rxq *rxq,
 	struct rte_mbuf *m;
 
 	m = (struct rte_mbuf *)((uintptr_t)mbuf + rxq->buf_stride);
-	MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+	__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 	return m;
 }
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ sfc_ef10_essb_mbuf_by_index(const struct sfc_ef10_essb_rxq *rxq,
 	struct rte_mbuf *m;
 
 	m = (struct rte_mbuf *)((uintptr_t)mbuf + idx * rxq->buf_stride);
-	MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+	__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 	return m;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_rx.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_rx.c
index a43554a13..0a1bc1878 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_ef10_rx.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ sfc_ef10_rx_qrefill(struct sfc_ef10_rxq *rxq)
 			struct sfc_ef10_rx_sw_desc *rxd;
 			rte_iova_t phys_addr;
 
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 
 			SFC_ASSERT((id & ~ptr_mask) == 0);
 			rxd = &rxq->sw_ring[id];
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ sfc_ef10_rx_process_event(struct sfc_ef10_rxq *rxq, efx_qword_t rx_ev,
 		rxd = &rxq->sw_ring[pending++ & ptr_mask];
 		m = rxd->mbuf;
 
-		MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+		__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 
 		m->data_off = RTE_PKTMBUF_HEADROOM;
 		rte_pktmbuf_data_len(m) = seg_len;
diff --git a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_rx.c b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_rx.c
index de0773b8a..3415dcad7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sfc/sfc_rx.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ sfc_efx_rx_qrefill(struct sfc_efx_rxq *rxq)
 		     ++i, id = (id + 1) & rxq->ptr_mask) {
 			m = objs[i];
 
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 
 			rxd = &rxq->sw_desc[id];
 			rxd->mbuf = m;
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
index 8a456e5e6..53a015311 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ rte_pktmbuf_init(struct rte_mempool *mp,
 	/* init some constant fields */
 	m->pool = mp;
 	m->nb_segs = 1;
-	m->port = MBUF_INVALID_PORT;
+	m->port = RTE_MBUF_PORT_INVALID;
 	rte_mbuf_refcnt_set(m, 1);
 	m->next = NULL;
 }
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ __rte_pktmbuf_init_extmem(struct rte_mempool *mp,
 	/* init some constant fields */
 	m->pool = mp;
 	m->nb_segs = 1;
-	m->port = MBUF_INVALID_PORT;
+	m->port = RTE_MBUF_PORT_INVALID;
 	m->ol_flags = EXT_ATTACHED_MBUF;
 	rte_mbuf_refcnt_set(m, 1);
 	m->next = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h
index a1414ed7c..f2cd395d2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h
@@ -540,12 +540,29 @@ __rte_experimental
 int rte_mbuf_check(const struct rte_mbuf *m, int is_header,
 		   const char **reason);
 
-#define MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m) do {				\
-	RTE_ASSERT(rte_mbuf_refcnt_read(m) == 1);		\
-	RTE_ASSERT((m)->next == NULL);				\
-	RTE_ASSERT((m)->nb_segs == 1);				\
-	__rte_mbuf_sanity_check(m, 0);				\
-} while (0)
+/**
+ * Sanity checks on a reinitialized mbuf in debug mode.
+ *
+ * Check the consistency of the given reinitialized mbuf.
+ * The function will cause a panic if corruption is detected.
+ *
+ * Check that the mbuf is properly reinitialized (refcnt=1, next=NULL,
+ * nb_segs=1), as done by rte_pktmbuf_prefree_seg().
+ *
+ * @param m
+ *   The mbuf to be checked.
+ */
+static __rte_always_inline void
+__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(__rte_unused const struct rte_mbuf *m)
+{
+	RTE_ASSERT(rte_mbuf_refcnt_read(m) == 1);
+	RTE_ASSERT(m->next == NULL);
+	RTE_ASSERT(m->nb_segs == 1);
+	__rte_mbuf_sanity_check(m, 0);
+}
+
+/** For backwards compatibility. */
+#define MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m) __rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m)
 
 /**
  * Allocate an uninitialized mbuf from mempool *mp*.
@@ -572,7 +589,7 @@ static inline struct rte_mbuf *rte_mbuf_raw_alloc(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 
 	if (rte_mempool_get(mp, (void **)&m) < 0)
 		return NULL;
-	MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(m);
+	__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 	return m;
 }
 
@@ -595,10 +612,7 @@ rte_mbuf_raw_free(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 {
 	RTE_ASSERT(!RTE_MBUF_CLONED(m) &&
 		  (!RTE_MBUF_HAS_EXTBUF(m) || RTE_MBUF_HAS_PINNED_EXTBUF(m)));
-	RTE_ASSERT(rte_mbuf_refcnt_read(m) == 1);
-	RTE_ASSERT(m->next == NULL);
-	RTE_ASSERT(m->nb_segs == 1);
-	__rte_mbuf_sanity_check(m, 0);
+	__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(m);
 	rte_mempool_put(m->pool, m);
 }
 
@@ -844,8 +858,6 @@ static inline void rte_pktmbuf_reset_headroom(struct rte_mbuf *m)
  * @param m
  *   The packet mbuf to be reset.
  */
-#define MBUF_INVALID_PORT UINT16_MAX
-
 static inline void rte_pktmbuf_reset(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 {
 	m->next = NULL;
@@ -854,7 +866,7 @@ static inline void rte_pktmbuf_reset(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 	m->vlan_tci = 0;
 	m->vlan_tci_outer = 0;
 	m->nb_segs = 1;
-	m->port = MBUF_INVALID_PORT;
+	m->port = RTE_MBUF_PORT_INVALID;
 
 	m->ol_flags &= EXT_ATTACHED_MBUF;
 	m->packet_type = 0;
@@ -917,22 +929,22 @@ static inline int rte_pktmbuf_alloc_bulk(struct rte_mempool *pool,
 	switch (count % 4) {
 	case 0:
 		while (idx != count) {
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(mbufs[idx]);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(mbufs[idx]);
 			rte_pktmbuf_reset(mbufs[idx]);
 			idx++;
 			/* fall-through */
 	case 3:
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(mbufs[idx]);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(mbufs[idx]);
 			rte_pktmbuf_reset(mbufs[idx]);
 			idx++;
 			/* fall-through */
 	case 2:
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(mbufs[idx]);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(mbufs[idx]);
 			rte_pktmbuf_reset(mbufs[idx]);
 			idx++;
 			/* fall-through */
 	case 1:
-			MBUF_RAW_ALLOC_CHECK(mbufs[idx]);
+			__rte_mbuf_raw_sanity_check(mbufs[idx]);
 			rte_pktmbuf_reset(mbufs[idx]);
 			idx++;
 			/* fall-through */
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf_core.h b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf_core.h
index 065d87d28..f68d467bd 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf_core.h
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf_core.h
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ extern "C" {
  * mbuf 'vlan_tci' & 'vlan_tci_outer' must be valid when this flag is set.
  */
 #define PKT_TX_QINQ        (1ULL << 49)
-/* this old name is deprecated */
+/** This old name is deprecated. */
 #define PKT_TX_QINQ_PKT    PKT_TX_QINQ
 
 /**
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ struct rte_mbuf_ext_shared_info {
 	uint16_t refcnt;
 };
 
-/**< Maximum number of nb_segs allowed. */
+/** Maximum number of nb_segs allowed. */
 #define RTE_MBUF_MAX_NB_SEGS	UINT16_MAX
 
 /**
@@ -707,7 +707,10 @@ struct rte_mbuf_ext_shared_info {
 #define RTE_MBUF_DIRECT(mb) \
 	(!((mb)->ol_flags & (IND_ATTACHED_MBUF | EXT_ATTACHED_MBUF)))
 
-#define MBUF_INVALID_PORT UINT16_MAX
+/** Uninitialized or unspecified port. */
+#define RTE_MBUF_PORT_INVALID UINT16_MAX
+/** For backwards compatibility. */
+#define MBUF_INVALID_PORT RTE_MBUF_PORT_INVALID
 
 /**
  * A macro that points to an offset into the data in the mbuf.
