diff --git a/lib/eventdev/eventdev_pmd.h b/lib/eventdev/eventdev_pmd.h
index 48e970a5097..44f26473075 100644
--- a/lib/eventdev/eventdev_pmd.h
+++ b/lib/eventdev/eventdev_pmd.h
@@ -1599,6 +1599,44 @@ typedef int (*eventdev_ml_adapter_queue_pair_del_t)(const struct rte_eventdev *d
 						    const struct rte_ml_dev *cdev,
 						    int32_t queue_pair_id);
 
+/**
+ * Start ML adapter. This callback is invoked if
+ * the caps returned from rte_event_ml_adapter_caps_get(.., mldev_id)
+ * has RTE_EVENT_ML_ADAPTER_CAP_INTERNAL_PORT_* set and queue pairs
+ * from mldev_id have been added to the event device.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Event device pointer
+ *
+ * @param mldev
+ *   ML device pointer
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   - 0: Success, ML adapter started successfully.
+ *   - <0: Error code returned by the driver function.
+ */
+typedef int (*eventdev_ml_adapter_start_t)(const struct rte_eventdev *dev,
+					   const struct rte_ml_dev *mldev);
+
+/**
+ * Stop ML adapter. This callback is invoked if
+ * the caps returned from rte_event_ml_adapter_caps_get(.., mldev_id)
+ * has RTE_EVENT_ML_ADAPTER_CAP_INTERNAL_PORT_* set and queue pairs
+ * from mldev_id have been added to the event device.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Event device pointer
+ *
+ * @param mldev
+ *   ML device pointer
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   - 0: Success, ML adapter stopped successfully.
+ *   - <0: Error code returned by the driver function.
+ */
+typedef int (*eventdev_ml_adapter_stop_t)(const struct rte_eventdev *dev,
+					  const struct rte_ml_dev *mldev);
+
 /** Event device operations function pointer table */
 struct eventdev_ops {
 	eventdev_info_get_t dev_infos_get;	/**< Get device info. */
@@ -1744,6 +1782,10 @@ struct eventdev_ops {
 	/**< Add queue pair to ML adapter */
 	eventdev_ml_adapter_queue_pair_del_t ml_adapter_queue_pair_del;
 	/**< Delete queue pair from ML adapter */
+	eventdev_ml_adapter_start_t ml_adapter_start;
+	/**< Start ML adapter */
+	eventdev_ml_adapter_stop_t ml_adapter_stop;
+	/**< Stop ML adapter */
 
 	eventdev_selftest dev_selftest;
 	/**< Start eventdev Selftest */
diff --git a/lib/eventdev/rte_event_ml_adapter.c b/lib/eventdev/rte_event_ml_adapter.c
index 95f566b1025..60c10caef68 100644
--- a/lib/eventdev/rte_event_ml_adapter.c
+++ b/lib/eventdev/rte_event_ml_adapter.c
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@ struct ml_device_info {
 
 	/* Next queue pair to be processed */
 	uint16_t next_queue_pair_id;
+
+	/* Set to indicate processing has been started */
+	uint8_t dev_started;
+
+	/* Set to indicate mldev->eventdev packet
+	 * transfer uses a hardware mechanism
+	 */
+	uint8_t internal_event_port;
 } __rte_cache_aligned;
 
 struct event_ml_adapter {
@@ -1071,3 +1079,70 @@ rte_event_ml_adapter_queue_pair_del(uint8_t id, int16_t mldev_id, int32_t queue_
 
 	return ret;
 }
+
+static int
+emla_adapter_ctrl(uint8_t id, int start)
+{
+	struct event_ml_adapter *adapter;
+	struct ml_device_info *dev_info;
+	struct rte_eventdev *dev;
+	int stop = !start;
+	int use_service;
+	uint32_t i;
+
+	if (!emla_valid_id(id)) {
+		RTE_EDEV_LOG_ERR("Invalid ML adapter id = %d", id);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	adapter = emla_id_to_adapter(id);
+	if (adapter == NULL)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	dev = &rte_eventdevs[adapter->eventdev_id];
+
+	use_service = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i < rte_ml_dev_count(); i++) {
+		dev_info = &adapter->mldevs[i];
+		/* if start  check for num queue pairs */
+		if (start && !dev_info->num_qpairs)
+			continue;
+		/* if stop check if dev has been started */
+		if (stop && !dev_info->dev_started)
+			continue;
+		use_service |= !dev_info->internal_event_port;
+		dev_info->dev_started = start;
+		if (dev_info->internal_event_port == 0)
+			continue;
+		start ? (*dev->dev_ops->ml_adapter_start)(dev, &dev_info->dev[i]) :
+			(*dev->dev_ops->ml_adapter_stop)(dev, &dev_info->dev[i]);
+	}
+
+	if (use_service)
+		rte_service_runstate_set(adapter->service_id, start);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_event_ml_adapter_start(uint8_t id)
+{
+	struct event_ml_adapter *adapter;
+
+	if (!emla_valid_id(id)) {
+		RTE_EDEV_LOG_ERR("Invalid ML adapter id = %d", id);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	adapter = emla_id_to_adapter(id);
+	if (adapter == NULL)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	return emla_adapter_ctrl(id, 1);
+}
+
+int
+rte_event_ml_adapter_stop(uint8_t id)
+{
+	return emla_adapter_ctrl(id, 0);
+}
