diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
index dfa2735a20..fc4f059c02 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ struct virtio_user_dev;
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops {
 	int (*setup)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
+	int (*destroy)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
 	int (*get_backend_features)(uint64_t *features);
 	int (*set_owner)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
 	int (*get_features)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint64_t *features);
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
index 2047d41a50..26a71ad07b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
@@ -357,6 +357,12 @@ vhost_kernel_setup(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+vhost_kernel_destroy(struct virtio_user_dev *dev __rte_unused)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 vhost_kernel_set_backend(int vhostfd, int tapfd)
 {
@@ -455,6 +461,7 @@ vhost_kernel_get_backend_features(uint64_t *features)
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_kernel = {
 	.setup = vhost_kernel_setup,
+	.destroy = vhost_kernel_destroy,
 	.get_backend_features = vhost_kernel_get_backend_features,
 	.set_owner = vhost_kernel_set_owner,
 	.get_features = vhost_kernel_get_features,
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
index e3bc5a9b03..26b8c9e9c9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 #include "vhost.h"
 #include "virtio_user_dev.h"
 
+struct vhost_user_data {
+	uint64_t protocol_features;
+};
 
 #ifndef VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES
 #define VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES 30
@@ -287,6 +290,7 @@ static int
 vhost_user_get_features(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint64_t *features)
 {
 	int ret;
+	struct vhost_user_data *data = dev->backend_data;
 	struct vhost_user_msg msg = {
 		.request = VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES,
 		.flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
@@ -316,17 +320,17 @@ vhost_user_get_features(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint64_t *features)
 		return 0;
 
 	/* Negotiate protocol features */
-	ret = vhost_user_get_protocol_features(dev, &dev->protocol_features);
+	ret = vhost_user_get_protocol_features(dev, &data->protocol_features);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto err;
 
-	dev->protocol_features &= VHOST_USER_SUPPORTED_PROTOCOL_FEATURES;
+	data->protocol_features &= VHOST_USER_SUPPORTED_PROTOCOL_FEATURES;
 
-	ret = vhost_user_set_protocol_features(dev, dev->protocol_features);
+	ret = vhost_user_set_protocol_features(dev, data->protocol_features);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto err;
 
-	if (!(dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MQ)))
+	if (!(data->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MQ)))
 		dev->unsupported_features |= (1ull << VIRTIO_NET_F_MQ);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -444,12 +448,13 @@ vhost_user_set_memory_table(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	struct walk_arg wa;
 	int fds[VHOST_MEMORY_MAX_NREGIONS];
 	int ret, fd_num;
+	struct vhost_user_data *data = dev->backend_data;
 	struct vhost_user_msg msg = {
 		.request = VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE,
 		.flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
 	};
 
-	if (dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_REPLY_ACK))
+	if (data->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_REPLY_ACK))
 		msg.flags |= VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY_MASK;
 
 	wa.region_nr = 0;
@@ -628,6 +633,7 @@ static int
 vhost_user_get_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t *status)
 {
 	int ret;
+	struct vhost_user_data *data = dev->backend_data;
 	struct vhost_user_msg msg = {
 		.request = VHOST_USER_GET_STATUS,
 		.flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
@@ -644,7 +650,7 @@ vhost_user_get_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t *status)
 	if (!(dev->device_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES)))
 		return -ENOTSUP;
 
-	if (!(dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_STATUS)))
+	if (!(data->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_STATUS)))
 		return -ENOTSUP;
 
 	ret = vhost_user_write(dev->vhostfd, &msg, NULL, 0);
@@ -681,6 +687,7 @@ static int
 vhost_user_set_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t status)
 {
 	int ret;
+	struct vhost_user_data *data = dev->backend_data;
 	struct vhost_user_msg msg = {
 		.request = VHOST_USER_SET_STATUS,
 		.flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
@@ -699,10 +706,10 @@ vhost_user_set_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t status)
 	if (!(dev->device_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES)))
 		return -ENOTSUP;
 
-	if (!(dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_STATUS)))
+	if (!(data->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_STATUS)))
 		return -ENOTSUP;
 
-	if (dev->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_REPLY_ACK))
+	if (data->protocol_features & (1ULL << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_REPLY_ACK))
 		msg.flags |= VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY_MASK;
 
 	ret = vhost_user_write(dev->vhostfd, &msg, NULL, 0);
@@ -762,11 +769,22 @@ vhost_user_setup(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	int fd;
 	int flag;
 	struct sockaddr_un un;
+	struct vhost_user_data *data;
+
+	data = malloc(sizeof(*data));
+	if (!data) {
+		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "(%s) Failed to allocate Vhost-user data\n", dev->path);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	memset(data, 0, sizeof(*data));
+
+	dev->backend_data = data;
 
 	fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "socket() error, %s", strerror(errno));
-		return -1;
+		goto err_data;
 	}
 
 	flag = fcntl(fd, F_GETFD);
@@ -781,18 +799,35 @@ vhost_user_setup(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 		dev->listenfd = fd;
 		if (virtio_user_start_server(dev, &un) < 0) {
 			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "virtio-user startup fails in server mode");
-			close(fd);
-			return -1;
+			goto err_socket;
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (connect(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&un, sizeof(un)) < 0) {
 			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "connect error, %s", strerror(errno));
-			close(fd);
-			return -1;
+			goto err_socket;
 		}
 		dev->vhostfd = fd;
 	}
 
+	return 0;
+
+err_socket:
+	close(fd);
+err_data:
+	free(data);
+	dev->backend_data = NULL;
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static int
+vhost_user_destroy(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
+{
+	if (dev->backend_data) {
+		free(dev->backend_data);
+		dev->backend_data = NULL;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -830,6 +865,7 @@ vhost_user_get_backend_features(uint64_t *features)
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_user = {
 	.setup = vhost_user_setup,
+	.destroy = vhost_user_destroy,
 	.get_backend_features = vhost_user_get_backend_features,
 	.set_owner = vhost_user_set_owner,
 	.get_features = vhost_user_get_features,
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
index 8d354b298e..f5a8943993 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
@@ -432,6 +432,12 @@ vhost_vdpa_setup(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+vhost_vdpa_destroy(struct virtio_user_dev *dev __rte_unused)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 vhost_vdpa_enable_queue_pair(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
 			       uint16_t pair_idx,
@@ -467,6 +473,7 @@ vhost_vdpa_get_backend_features(uint64_t *features)
 
 struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_vdpa = {
 	.setup = vhost_vdpa_setup,
+	.destroy = vhost_vdpa_destroy,
 	.get_backend_features = vhost_vdpa_get_backend_features,
 	.set_owner = vhost_vdpa_set_owner,
 	.get_features = vhost_vdpa_get_features,
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
index 2614bcb349..215819d46d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
@@ -621,6 +621,8 @@ virtio_user_dev_uninit(struct virtio_user_dev *dev)
 
 	if (dev->is_server)
 		unlink(dev->path);
+
+	dev->ops->destroy(dev);
 }
 
 uint8_t
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
index ab62463a5b..7650097b6d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ struct virtio_user_dev {
 	struct virtio_user_backend_ops *ops;
 	pthread_mutex_t	mutex;
 	bool		started;
+
+	void *backend_data;
 };
 
 int virtio_user_dev_set_features(struct virtio_user_dev *dev);
