diff --git a/doc/guides/eventdevs/dsw.rst b/doc/guides/eventdevs/dsw.rst
index 18f7e9588f..5c6b51f65f 100644
--- a/doc/guides/eventdevs/dsw.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/eventdevs/dsw.rst
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ Port Maintenance
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 The distributed software eventdev uses an internal signaling scheme
-between the ports to achieve load balancing. Therefore, it sets the
-``RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_REQUIRES_MAINT`` flag.
+between the ports to achieve load balancing. Therefore, it does not
+set the ``RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE`` flag.
 
 During periods when the application thread using a particular port is
 neither attempting to enqueue nor to dequeue events, it must
diff --git a/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c
index 50d5c351bc..f7a5026250 100644
--- a/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ cnxk_sso_info_get(struct cnxk_sso_evdev *dev,
 				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_RUNTIME_PORT_LINK |
 				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT |
 				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE |
-				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
+				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/drivers/event/dlb2/dlb2.c b/drivers/event/dlb2/dlb2.c
index 0dbe85762c..16e9764dbf 100644
--- a/drivers/event/dlb2/dlb2.c
+++ b/drivers/event/dlb2/dlb2.c
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ static struct rte_event_dev_info evdev_dlb2_default_info = {
 			  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_BURST_MODE |
 			  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_DISTRIBUTED_SCHED |
 			  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_IMPLICIT_RELEASE_DISABLE |
-			  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_QUEUE_ALL_TYPES),
+			  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_QUEUE_ALL_TYPES |
+			  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE),
 };
 
 struct process_local_port_data
diff --git a/drivers/event/dpaa/dpaa_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/dpaa/dpaa_eventdev.c
index eec4bc62b7..ff6cc0be18 100644
--- a/drivers/event/dpaa/dpaa_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/dpaa/dpaa_eventdev.c
@@ -356,7 +356,8 @@ dpaa_event_dev_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev,
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_BURST_MODE |
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT |
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE |
-		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
+		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/drivers/event/dpaa2/dpaa2_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/dpaa2/dpaa2_eventdev.c
index 710156ad14..4d94c315d2 100644
--- a/drivers/event/dpaa2/dpaa2_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/dpaa2/dpaa2_eventdev.c
@@ -408,7 +408,8 @@ dpaa2_eventdev_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev,
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT |
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE |
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_QUEUE_ALL_TYPES |
-		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
+		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/dsw/dsw_evdev.c b/drivers/event/dsw/dsw_evdev.c
index 5ff8fcc6a9..ffabf0d23d 100644
--- a/drivers/event/dsw/dsw_evdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/dsw/dsw_evdev.c
@@ -222,8 +222,7 @@ dsw_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev __rte_unused,
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_DISTRIBUTED_SCHED|
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE|
 		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT|
-		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID|
-		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_REQUIRES_MAINT
+		RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/octeontx/ssovf_evdev.c b/drivers/event/octeontx/ssovf_evdev.c
index 366b6d356b..9e14e35d10 100644
--- a/drivers/event/octeontx/ssovf_evdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/octeontx/ssovf_evdev.c
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ ssovf_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev, struct rte_event_dev_info *dev_info)
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_RUNTIME_PORT_LINK |
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT |
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE |
-					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
+					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/octeontx2/otx2_evdev.c b/drivers/event/octeontx2/otx2_evdev.c
index f26bed334f..ccf28b678b 100644
--- a/drivers/event/octeontx2/otx2_evdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/octeontx2/otx2_evdev.c
@@ -505,7 +505,8 @@ otx2_sso_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *event_dev,
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_RUNTIME_PORT_LINK |
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT |
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE |
-					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
+					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/drivers/event/opdl/opdl_evdev.c b/drivers/event/opdl/opdl_evdev.c
index 5007e9a7bf..15c10240b0 100644
--- a/drivers/event/opdl/opdl_evdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/opdl/opdl_evdev.c
@@ -375,7 +375,8 @@ opdl_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev, struct rte_event_dev_info *info)
 		.max_event_port_enqueue_depth = MAX_OPDL_CONS_Q_DEPTH,
 		.max_num_events = OPDL_INFLIGHT_EVENTS_TOTAL,
 		.event_dev_cap = RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_BURST_MODE |
-				 RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID,
+				 RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+				 RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE,
 	};
 
 	*info = evdev_opdl_info;
diff --git a/drivers/event/skeleton/skeleton_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/skeleton/skeleton_eventdev.c
index af0efb3302..bf3b01ebc8 100644
--- a/drivers/event/skeleton/skeleton_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/skeleton/skeleton_eventdev.c
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ skeleton_eventdev_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev,
 	dev_info->event_dev_cap = RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_QUEUE_QOS |
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_BURST_MODE |
 					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_EVENT_QOS |
-					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
+					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+					RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/drivers/event/sw/sw_evdev.c b/drivers/event/sw/sw_evdev.c
index 070a4802e9..808f59d1e5 100644
--- a/drivers/event/sw/sw_evdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/sw/sw_evdev.c
@@ -609,7 +609,8 @@ sw_info_get(struct rte_eventdev *dev, struct rte_event_dev_info *info)
 				RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_RUNTIME_PORT_LINK |
 				RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MULTIPLE_QUEUE_PORT |
 				RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_NONSEQ_MODE |
-				RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID),
+				RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID |
+				RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE),
 	};
 
 	*info = evdev_sw_info;
diff --git a/lib/eventdev/rte_eventdev.h b/lib/eventdev/rte_eventdev.h
index e026486ca5..4119f51fa0 100644
--- a/lib/eventdev/rte_eventdev.h
+++ b/lib/eventdev/rte_eventdev.h
@@ -299,13 +299,14 @@ struct rte_event;
  * the content of this field is implementation dependent.
  */
 
-#define RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_REQUIRES_MAINT (1ULL << 10)
-/**< Event device requires calls to rte_event_maintain() during
- * periods when neither rte_event_dequeue_burst() nor
- * rte_event_enqueue_burst() are called on a port. This will allow the
- * event device to perform internal processing, such as flushing
- * buffered events, return credits to a global pool, or process
- * signaling related to load balancing.
+#define RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE (1ULL << 10)
+/**< Event device *does not* require calls to rte_event_maintain().
+ * An event device that does not set this flag requires calls to
+ * rte_event_maintain() during periods when neither
+ * rte_event_dequeue_burst() nor rte_event_enqueue_burst() are called
+ * on a port. This will allow the event device to perform internal
+ * processing, such as flushing buffered events, return credits to a
+ * global pool, or process signaling related to load balancing.
  */
 
 /* Event device priority levels */
@@ -2082,8 +2083,8 @@ rte_event_dequeue_burst(uint8_t dev_id, uint8_t port_id, struct rte_event ev[],
 /**
  * Maintain an event device.
  *
- * This function is only relevant for event devices which have the
- * @ref RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_REQUIRES_MAINT flag set. Such devices
+ * This function is only relevant for event devices which do not have
+ * the @ref RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_MAINTENANCE_FREE flag set. Such devices
  * require an application thread using a particular port to
  * periodically call rte_event_maintain() on that port during periods
  * which it is neither attempting to enqueue events to nor dequeue
