diff --git a/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
index 74b0f3d1d..f439aeee4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ static int bnxt_update_phy_setting(struct bnxt *bp)
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static int bnxt_init_chip(struct bnxt *bp)
+static int bnxt_start_nic(struct bnxt *bp)
 {
 	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(bp->eth_dev);
 	struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle = &pci_dev->intr_handle;
@@ -1417,7 +1417,7 @@ static int bnxt_dev_start_op(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 
 	bnxt_enable_int(bp);
 
-	rc = bnxt_init_chip(bp);
+	rc = bnxt_start_nic(bp);
 	if (rc)
 		goto error;
 
@@ -1464,6 +1464,27 @@ bnxt_uninit_locks(struct bnxt *bp)
 	}
 }
 
+static void bnxt_drv_uninit(struct bnxt *bp)
+{
+	bnxt_free_switch_domain(bp);
+	bnxt_free_leds_info(bp);
+	bnxt_free_cos_queues(bp);
+	bnxt_free_link_info(bp);
+	bnxt_free_pf_info(bp);
+	bnxt_free_parent_info(bp);
+	bnxt_uninit_locks(bp);
+
+	rte_memzone_free((const struct rte_memzone *)bp->tx_mem_zone);
+	bp->tx_mem_zone = NULL;
+	rte_memzone_free((const struct rte_memzone *)bp->rx_mem_zone);
+	bp->rx_mem_zone = NULL;
+
+	bnxt_hwrm_free_vf_info(bp);
+
+	rte_free(bp->grp_info);
+	bp->grp_info = NULL;
+}
+
 static int bnxt_dev_close_op(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 {
 	struct bnxt *bp = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
@@ -1488,26 +1509,9 @@ static int bnxt_dev_close_op(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	if (eth_dev->data->dev_started)
 		ret = bnxt_dev_stop(eth_dev);
 
-	bnxt_free_switch_domain(bp);
-
 	bnxt_uninit_resources(bp, false);
 
-	bnxt_free_leds_info(bp);
-	bnxt_free_cos_queues(bp);
-	bnxt_free_link_info(bp);
-	bnxt_free_pf_info(bp);
-	bnxt_free_parent_info(bp);
-	bnxt_uninit_locks(bp);
-
-	rte_memzone_free((const struct rte_memzone *)bp->tx_mem_zone);
-	bp->tx_mem_zone = NULL;
-	rte_memzone_free((const struct rte_memzone *)bp->rx_mem_zone);
-	bp->rx_mem_zone = NULL;
-
-	bnxt_hwrm_free_vf_info(bp);
-
-	rte_free(bp->grp_info);
-	bp->grp_info = NULL;
+	bnxt_drv_uninit(bp);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -4086,7 +4090,7 @@ bool bnxt_stratus_device(struct bnxt *bp)
 	}
 }
 
-static int bnxt_init_board(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
+static int bnxt_map_pci_bars(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 {
 	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(eth_dev);
 	struct bnxt *bp = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
@@ -4723,7 +4727,11 @@ static int bnxt_map_hcomm_fw_status_reg(struct bnxt *bp)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int bnxt_init_fw(struct bnxt *bp)
+/* This function gets the FW version along with the
+ * capabilities(MAX and current) of the function, vnic,
+ * error recovery, phy and other chip related info
+ */
+static int bnxt_get_config(struct bnxt *bp)
 {
 	uint16_t mtu;
 	int rc = 0;
@@ -4819,7 +4827,7 @@ static int bnxt_init_resources(struct bnxt *bp, bool reconfig_dev)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
 
-	rc = bnxt_init_fw(bp);
+	rc = bnxt_get_config(bp);
 	if (rc)
 		return rc;
 
@@ -5266,38 +5274,14 @@ static int bnxt_alloc_switch_domain(struct bnxt *bp)
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static int
-bnxt_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev, void *params __rte_unused)
+/* Allocate and initialize various fields in bnxt struct that
+ * need to be allocated/destroyed only once in the lifetime of the driver
+ */
+static int bnxt_drv_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 {
 	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(eth_dev);
-	static int version_printed;
-	struct bnxt *bp;
-	int rc;
-
-	if (version_printed++ == 0)
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "%s\n", bnxt_version);
-
-	eth_dev->dev_ops = &bnxt_dev_ops;
-	eth_dev->rx_queue_count = bnxt_rx_queue_count_op;
-	eth_dev->rx_descriptor_status = bnxt_rx_descriptor_status_op;
-	eth_dev->tx_descriptor_status = bnxt_tx_descriptor_status_op;
-	eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = &bnxt_recv_pkts;
-	eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = &bnxt_xmit_pkts;
-
-	/*
-	 * For secondary processes, we don't initialise any further
-	 * as primary has already done this work.
-	 */
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
-		return 0;
-
-	rte_eth_copy_pci_info(eth_dev, pci_dev);
-	eth_dev->data->dev_flags |= RTE_ETH_DEV_AUTOFILL_QUEUE_XSTATS;
-
-	bp = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
-
-	/* Parse dev arguments passed on when starting the DPDK application. */
-	bnxt_parse_dev_args(bp, pci_dev->device.devargs);
+	struct bnxt *bp = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
+	int rc = 0;
 
 	bp->flags &= ~BNXT_FLAG_RX_VECTOR_PKT_MODE;
 
@@ -5329,7 +5313,7 @@ bnxt_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev, void *params __rte_unused)
 		}
 	}
 
-	rc = bnxt_init_board(eth_dev);
+	rc = bnxt_map_pci_bars(eth_dev);
 	if (rc) {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR,
 			    "Failed to initialize board rc: %x\n", rc);
@@ -5338,31 +5322,75 @@ bnxt_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev, void *params __rte_unused)
 
 	rc = bnxt_alloc_pf_info(bp);
 	if (rc)
-		goto error_free;
+		return rc;
 
 	rc = bnxt_alloc_link_info(bp);
 	if (rc)
-		goto error_free;
+		return rc;
 
 	rc = bnxt_alloc_parent_info(bp);
 	if (rc)
-		goto error_free;
+		return rc;
 
 	rc = bnxt_alloc_hwrm_resources(bp);
 	if (rc) {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR,
 			    "Failed to allocate hwrm resource rc: %x\n", rc);
-		goto error_free;
+		return rc;
 	}
 	rc = bnxt_alloc_leds_info(bp);
 	if (rc)
-		goto error_free;
+		return rc;
 
 	rc = bnxt_alloc_cos_queues(bp);
 	if (rc)
-		goto error_free;
+		return rc;
 
 	rc = bnxt_init_locks(bp);
+	if (rc)
+		return rc;
+
+	rc = bnxt_alloc_switch_domain(bp);
+	if (rc)
+		return rc;
+
+	return rc;
+}
+
+static int
+bnxt_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev, void *params __rte_unused)
+{
+	struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(eth_dev);
+	static int version_printed;
+	struct bnxt *bp;
+	int rc;
+
+	if (version_printed++ == 0)
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "%s\n", bnxt_version);
+
+	eth_dev->dev_ops = &bnxt_dev_ops;
+	eth_dev->rx_queue_count = bnxt_rx_queue_count_op;
+	eth_dev->rx_descriptor_status = bnxt_rx_descriptor_status_op;
+	eth_dev->tx_descriptor_status = bnxt_tx_descriptor_status_op;
+	eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = &bnxt_recv_pkts;
+	eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = &bnxt_xmit_pkts;
+
+	/*
+	 * For secondary processes, we don't initialise any further
+	 * as primary has already done this work.
+	 */
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() != RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
+		return 0;
+
+	rte_eth_copy_pci_info(eth_dev, pci_dev);
+	eth_dev->data->dev_flags |= RTE_ETH_DEV_AUTOFILL_QUEUE_XSTATS;
+
+	bp = eth_dev->data->dev_private;
+
+	/* Parse dev arguments passed on when starting the DPDK application. */
+	bnxt_parse_dev_args(bp, pci_dev->device.devargs);
+
+	rc = bnxt_drv_init(eth_dev);
 	if (rc)
 		goto error_free;
 
@@ -5374,8 +5402,6 @@ bnxt_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev, void *params __rte_unused)
 	if (rc)
 		goto error_free;
 
-	bnxt_alloc_switch_domain(bp);
-
 	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO,
 		    DRV_MODULE_NAME "found at mem %" PRIX64 ", node addr %pM\n",
 		    pci_dev->mem_resource[0].phys_addr,
