diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_mcfg.c b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_mcfg.c
index b60d41f7b6..2a785e74c4 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_mcfg.c
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_mcfg.c
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ rte_mcfg_timer_unlock(void)
 	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_timer_get_lock());
 }
 
+rte_spinlock_t *
+rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock(void)
+{
+	return &rte_eal_get_configuration()->mem_config->ethdev_lock;
+}
+
 bool
 rte_mcfg_get_single_file_segments(void)
 {
diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_memcfg.h b/lib/eal/common/eal_memcfg.h
index 8889ba063f..d5c63e2f4d 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_memcfg.h
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_memcfg.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct rte_mem_config {
 	rte_rwlock_t qlock;   /**< used by tailqs for thread safety. */
 	rte_rwlock_t mplock;  /**< used by mempool library for thread safety. */
 	rte_spinlock_t tlock; /**< used by timer library for thread safety. */
+	rte_spinlock_t ethdev_lock; /**< used by ethdev library. */
 
 	rte_rwlock_t memory_hotplug_lock;
 	/**< Indicates whether memory hotplug request is in progress. */
diff --git a/lib/eal/include/rte_eal_memconfig.h b/lib/eal/include/rte_eal_memconfig.h
index c527f9aa29..0b1d0d4ff0 100644
--- a/lib/eal/include/rte_eal_memconfig.h
+++ b/lib/eal/include/rte_eal_memconfig.h
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ __rte_internal
 rte_spinlock_t *
 rte_mcfg_timer_get_lock(void);
 
+__rte_internal
+rte_spinlock_t *
+rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock(void);
+
 /**
  * Lock the internal EAL shared memory configuration for shared access.
  */
diff --git a/lib/eal/version.map b/lib/eal/version.map
index 915057b325..e00a844805 100644
--- a/lib/eal/version.map
+++ b/lib/eal/version.map
@@ -452,6 +452,7 @@ INTERNAL {
 	rte_intr_vec_list_free;
 	rte_intr_vec_list_index_get;
 	rte_intr_vec_list_index_set;
+	rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock;
 	rte_mcfg_mem_get_lock;
 	rte_mcfg_mempool_get_lock;
 	rte_mcfg_tailq_get_lock;
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.c b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.c
index 30db839a77..c92cd4b947 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.c
+++ b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ eth_dev_allocated(const char *name)
 
 static uint16_t
 eth_dev_find_free_port(void)
+	__rte_exclusive_locks_required(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock())
 {
 	uint16_t i;
 
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ eth_dev_find_free_port(void)
 
 static struct rte_eth_dev *
 eth_dev_get(uint16_t port_id)
+	__rte_exclusive_locks_required(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock())
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
 
@@ -87,10 +89,10 @@ rte_eth_dev_allocate(const char *name)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
+	/* Synchronize port creation between primary and secondary processes. */
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
-	/* Synchronize port creation between primary and secondary threads. */
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 
 	if (eth_dev_allocated(name) != NULL) {
 		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(ERR,
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_allocate(const char *name)
 	pthread_mutex_init(&eth_dev->data->flow_ops_mutex, NULL);
 
 unlock:
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	return eth_dev;
 }
@@ -124,13 +126,13 @@ rte_eth_dev_allocated(const char *name)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev;
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 
 	ethdev = eth_dev_allocated(name);
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	return ethdev;
 }
@@ -146,10 +148,10 @@ rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(const char *name)
 	uint16_t i;
 	struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev = NULL;
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
-
 	/* Synchronize port attachment to primary port creation and release. */
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
+
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 
 	for (i = 0; i < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; i++) {
 		if (strcmp(eth_dev_shared_data->data[i].name, name) == 0)
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_attach_secondary(const char *name)
 		RTE_ASSERT(eth_dev->data->port_id == i);
 	}
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 	return eth_dev;
 }
 
@@ -220,7 +222,9 @@ rte_eth_dev_release_port(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	if (eth_dev == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	if (eth_dev->state != RTE_ETH_DEV_UNUSED)
 		rte_eth_dev_callback_process(eth_dev,
@@ -228,7 +232,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_release_port(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 
 	eth_dev_fp_ops_reset(rte_eth_fp_ops + eth_dev->data->port_id);
 
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	eth_dev->state = RTE_ETH_DEV_UNUSED;
 	eth_dev->device = NULL;
@@ -252,7 +256,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_release_port(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 		memset(eth_dev->data, 0, sizeof(struct rte_eth_dev_data));
 	}
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.c b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.c
index 14ec8c6ccf..6756625729 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.c
+++ b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.c
@@ -11,12 +11,8 @@
 
 static const char *MZ_RTE_ETH_DEV_DATA = "rte_eth_dev_data";
 
-/* Shared memory between primary and secondary processes. */
 struct eth_dev_shared *eth_dev_shared_data;
 
-/* spinlock for shared data allocation */
-static rte_spinlock_t eth_dev_shared_data_lock = RTE_SPINLOCK_INITIALIZER;
-
 /* spinlock for eth device callbacks */
 rte_spinlock_t eth_dev_cb_lock = RTE_SPINLOCK_INITIALIZER;
 
@@ -328,8 +324,6 @@ eth_dev_shared_data_prepare(void)
 	const unsigned int flags = 0;
 	const struct rte_memzone *mz;
 
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data_lock);
-
 	if (eth_dev_shared_data == NULL) {
 		if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
 			/* Allocate port data and ownership shared memory. */
@@ -345,13 +339,10 @@ eth_dev_shared_data_prepare(void)
 		if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
 			eth_dev_shared_data->next_owner_id =
 					RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER + 1;
-			rte_spinlock_init(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
 			memset(eth_dev_shared_data->data, 0,
 			       sizeof(eth_dev_shared_data->data));
 		}
 	}
-
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data_lock);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.h b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.h
index acb4b335c8..f7706e6a95 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.h
+++ b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_private.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/queue.h>
 
+#include <rte_eal_memconfig.h>
 #include <rte_malloc.h>
 #include <rte_os_shim.h>
 
@@ -14,11 +15,12 @@
 
 struct eth_dev_shared {
 	uint64_t next_owner_id;
-	rte_spinlock_t ownership_lock;
 	struct rte_eth_dev_data data[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS];
 };
 
-extern struct eth_dev_shared *eth_dev_shared_data;
+/* Shared memory between primary and secondary processes. */
+extern struct eth_dev_shared *eth_dev_shared_data
+	__rte_guarded_by(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 /**
  * The user application callback description.
@@ -65,7 +67,8 @@ void eth_dev_fp_ops_setup(struct rte_eth_fp_ops *fpo,
 		const struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
 
 
-void eth_dev_shared_data_prepare(void);
+void eth_dev_shared_data_prepare(void)
+	__rte_exclusive_locks_required(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 void eth_dev_rxq_release(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t qid);
 void eth_dev_txq_release(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t qid);
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 46eaed6467..e0d22c27c6 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_is_valid_port(uint16_t port_id)
 
 static int
 eth_is_valid_owner_id(uint64_t owner_id)
+	__rte_exclusive_locks_required(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock())
 {
 	if (owner_id == RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER ||
 	    eth_dev_shared_data->next_owner_id <= owner_id)
@@ -437,13 +438,12 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_new(uint64_t *owner_id)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
-
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 	*owner_id = eth_dev_shared_data->next_owner_id++;
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	rte_ethdev_trace_owner_new(*owner_id);
 
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_new(uint64_t *owner_id)
 static int
 eth_dev_owner_set(const uint16_t port_id, const uint64_t old_owner_id,
 		       const struct rte_eth_dev_owner *new_owner)
+	__rte_exclusive_locks_required(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock())
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *ethdev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
 	struct rte_eth_dev_owner *port_owner;
@@ -503,13 +504,12 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_set(const uint16_t port_id,
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
-
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 	ret = eth_dev_owner_set(port_id, RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER, owner);
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	rte_ethdev_trace_owner_set(port_id, owner, ret);
 
@@ -523,13 +523,12 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_unset(const uint16_t port_id, const uint64_t owner_id)
 			{.id = RTE_ETH_DEV_NO_OWNER, .name = ""};
 	int ret;
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
-
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 	ret = eth_dev_owner_set(port_id, owner_id, &new_owner);
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	rte_ethdev_trace_owner_unset(port_id, owner_id, ret);
 
@@ -542,10 +541,9 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_delete(const uint64_t owner_id)
 	uint16_t port_id;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
-
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 	if (eth_is_valid_owner_id(owner_id)) {
 		for (port_id = 0; port_id < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; port_id++) {
 			struct rte_eth_dev_data *data =
@@ -564,7 +562,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_delete(const uint64_t owner_id)
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	rte_ethdev_trace_owner_delete(owner_id, ret);
 
@@ -591,11 +589,12 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_get(const uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_dev_owner *owner)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
-	rte_spinlock_lock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+	eth_dev_shared_data_prepare();
 	rte_memcpy(owner, &ethdev->data->owner, sizeof(*owner));
-	rte_spinlock_unlock(&eth_dev_shared_data->ownership_lock);
+
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
 	rte_ethdev_trace_owner_get(port_id, owner);
 
@@ -675,9 +674,12 @@ rte_eth_dev_get_name_by_port(uint16_t port_id, char *name)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 	/* shouldn't check 'rte_eth_devices[i].data',
 	 * because it might be overwritten by VDEV PMD */
 	tmp = eth_dev_shared_data->data[port_id].name;
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
+
 	strcpy(name, tmp);
 
 	rte_ethdev_trace_get_name_by_port(port_id, name);
@@ -688,6 +690,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_get_name_by_port(uint16_t port_id, char *name)
 int
 rte_eth_dev_get_port_by_name(const char *name, uint16_t *port_id)
 {
+	int ret = -ENODEV;
 	uint16_t pid;
 
 	if (name == NULL) {
@@ -701,16 +704,19 @@ rte_eth_dev_get_port_by_name(const char *name, uint16_t *port_id)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_VALID_DEV(pid)
-		if (!strcmp(name, eth_dev_shared_data->data[pid].name)) {
-			*port_id = pid;
-
-			rte_ethdev_trace_get_port_by_name(name, *port_id);
+	rte_spinlock_lock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
+	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_VALID_DEV(pid) {
+		if (strcmp(name, eth_dev_shared_data->data[pid].name) != 0)
+			continue;
 
-			return 0;
-		}
+		*port_id = pid;
+		rte_ethdev_trace_get_port_by_name(name, *port_id);
+		ret = 0;
+		break;
+	}
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(rte_mcfg_ethdev_get_lock());
 
-	return -ENODEV;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int
