diff --git a/app/test/meson.build b/app/test/meson.build
index 961bebc5cb..2b480adfba 100644
--- a/app/test/meson.build
+++ b/app/test/meson.build
@@ -426,6 +426,11 @@ if dpdk_conf.has('RTE_NET_RING')
         fast_tests += [['pdump_autotest', true]]
     endif
 endif
+if dpdk_conf.has('RTE_NET_NULL')
+    test_deps += 'net_null'
+    test_sources += 'test_vdev.c'
+    fast_tests += [['vdev_autotest', true]]
+endif
 
 if dpdk_conf.has('RTE_HAS_LIBPCAP')
     ext_deps += pcap_dep
diff --git a/app/test/test_vdev.c b/app/test/test_vdev.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..720722c363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/test/test_vdev.c
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright 2021 6WIND S.A.
+ */
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <rte_common.h>
+#include <rte_kvargs.h>
+#include <rte_bus_vdev.h>
+
+#include "test.h"
+
+#define TEST_VDEV_KEY_NAME "name"
+
+static const char * const valid_keys[] = {
+	TEST_VDEV_KEY_NAME,
+	NULL,
+};
+
+static int
+cmp_dev_name(const struct rte_device *dev, const void *name)
+{
+	return strcmp(dev->name, name);
+}
+
+static int
+cmp_dev_match(const struct rte_device *dev, const void *_kvlist)
+{
+	const struct rte_kvargs *kvlist = _kvlist;
+	const char *key = TEST_VDEV_KEY_NAME;
+	const char *name;
+
+	/* no kvlist arg, all devices match */
+	if (kvlist == NULL)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* if key is present in kvlist and does not match, filter device */
+	name = rte_kvargs_get(kvlist, key);
+	if (name != NULL && strcmp(name, dev->name))
+		return -1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static struct rte_device *
+get_matching_vdev(const char *match_str)
+{
+	struct rte_bus *vdev_bus = rte_bus_find_by_name("vdev");
+	struct rte_kvargs *kvargs = NULL;
+	struct rte_device *dev;
+
+	if (match_str != NULL) {
+		kvargs = rte_kvargs_parse(match_str, valid_keys);
+		if (kvargs == NULL) {
+			printf("Failed to parse match string\n");
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
+
+	dev = vdev_bus->find_device(NULL, cmp_dev_match, kvargs);
+	rte_kvargs_free(kvargs);
+
+	return dev;
+}
+
+static int
+test_vdev_bus(void)
+{
+	struct rte_bus *vdev_bus = rte_bus_find_by_name("vdev");
+	struct rte_dev_iterator dev_iter = { 0 };
+	struct rte_device *dev, *dev0, *dev1;
+
+	/* not supported */
+	if (vdev_bus == NULL)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* create first vdev */
+	if (rte_vdev_init("net_null_test0", "") < 0) {
+		printf("Failed to create vdev net_null_test0\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+	dev0 = vdev_bus->find_device(NULL, cmp_dev_name, "net_null_test0");
+	if (dev0 == NULL) {
+		printf("Cannot find net_null_test0 vdev\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	/* create second vdev */
+	if (rte_vdev_init("net_null_test1", "") < 0) {
+		printf("Failed to create vdev net_null_test1\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+	dev1 = vdev_bus->find_device(NULL, cmp_dev_name, "net_null_test1");
+	if (dev1 == NULL) {
+		printf("Cannot find net_null_test1 vdev\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	/* try to match vdevs */
+	dev = get_matching_vdev("name=net_null_test0");
+	if (dev != dev0) {
+		printf("Cannot match net_null_test0 vdev\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	dev = get_matching_vdev("name=net_null_test1");
+	if (dev != dev1) {
+		printf("Cannot match net_null_test1 vdev\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	dev = get_matching_vdev("name=unexistant");
+	if (dev != NULL) {
+		printf("Unexistant vdev should not match\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	dev = get_matching_vdev("");
+	if (dev == NULL || dev == dev1) {
+		printf("Cannot match any vdev with empty match string\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	dev = get_matching_vdev(NULL);
+	if (dev == NULL || dev == dev1) {
+		printf("Cannot match any vdev with NULL match string\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	/* iterate all vdevs, and ensure we find vdev0 and vdev1 */
+	RTE_DEV_FOREACH(dev, "bus=vdev", &dev_iter) {
+		if (dev == dev0)
+			dev0 = NULL;
+		else if (dev == dev1)
+			dev1 = NULL;
+	}
+	if (dev0 != NULL) {
+		printf("dev0 was not iterated\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+	if (dev1 != NULL) {
+		printf("dev1 was not iterated\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	rte_vdev_uninit("net_null_test0");
+	rte_vdev_uninit("net_null_test1");
+
+	return 0;
+
+fail:
+	rte_vdev_uninit("net_null_test0");
+	rte_vdev_uninit("net_null_test1");
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static int
+test_vdev(void)
+{
+	printf("== test vdev bus ==\n");
+	if (test_vdev_bus() < 0)
+		return -1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(vdev_autotest, test_vdev);
diff --git a/drivers/bus/auxiliary/auxiliary_params.c b/drivers/bus/auxiliary/auxiliary_params.c
index 8dd8813611..9c08ccdd1b 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/auxiliary/auxiliary_params.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/auxiliary/auxiliary_params.c
@@ -28,8 +28,15 @@ auxiliary_dev_match(const struct rte_device *dev,
 {
 	const struct rte_kvargs *kvlist = _kvlist;
 	const char *key = auxiliary_params_keys[RTE_AUXILIARY_PARAM_NAME];
+	const char *name;
 
-	if (rte_kvargs_get_with_value(kvlist, key, dev->name) == NULL)
+	/* no kvlist arg, all devices match */
+	if (kvlist == NULL)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* if key is present in kvlist and does not match, filter device */
+	name = rte_kvargs_get(kvlist, key);
+	if (name != NULL && strcmp(name, dev->name))
 		return -1;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev_params.c b/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev_params.c
index 37d95395e7..3969faf16d 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev_params.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/vdev/vdev_params.c
@@ -28,8 +28,15 @@ vdev_dev_match(const struct rte_device *dev,
 {
 	const struct rte_kvargs *kvlist = _kvlist;
 	const char *key = vdev_params_keys[RTE_VDEV_PARAM_NAME];
+	const char *name;
 
-	if (rte_kvargs_get_with_value(kvlist, key, dev->name) == NULL)
+	/* no kvlist arg, all devices match */
+	if (kvlist == NULL)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* if key is present in kvlist and does not match, filter device */
+	name = rte_kvargs_get(kvlist, key);
+	if (name != NULL && strcmp(name, dev->name))
 		return -1;
 
 	return 0;
