diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_defs.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_defs.h
index 3fb2f1480..e3aa03bef 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_defs.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_defs.h
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
 /* Reported driver name. */
 #define MLX5_DRIVER_NAME "net_mlx5"
 
+/* Maximum number of simultaneous unicast MAC addresses. */
+#define MLX5_MAX_UC_MAC_ADDRESSES 128
 /* Maximum number of simultaneous MAC addresses. */
-#define MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES 128
+#define MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES MLX5_MAX_UC_MAC_ADDRESSES
 
 /* Maximum number of simultaneous VLAN filters. */
 #define MLX5_MAX_VLAN_IDS 128
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
index ef44cc91f..99ac4cc5c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ mlx5_dev_infos_get(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_eth_dev_info *info)
 		max = 65535;
 	info->max_rx_queues = max;
 	info->max_tx_queues = max;
-	info->max_mac_addrs = RTE_DIM(priv->mac);
+	info->max_mac_addrs = MLX5_MAX_UC_MAC_ADDRESSES;
 	info->rx_queue_offload_capa = mlx5_get_rx_queue_offloads(dev);
 	info->rx_offload_capa = (mlx5_get_rx_port_offloads() |
 				 info->rx_queue_offload_capa);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
index f24b5f759..e9334ea4a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
@@ -57,38 +57,30 @@ mlx5_get_mac(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint8_t (*mac)[ETHER_ADDR_LEN])
 }
 
 /**
- * DPDK callback to remove a MAC address.
+ * Remove a MAC address from the internal array.
  *
  * @param dev
  *   Pointer to Ethernet device structure.
  * @param index
  *   MAC address index.
  */
-void
-mlx5_mac_addr_remove(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t index)
+static void
+mlx5_internal_mac_addr_remove(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t index)
 {
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 	const int vf = priv->config.vf;
-	int ret;
 
-	if (index >= MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES)
-		return;
+	assert(index < MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES);
 	if (is_zero_ether_addr(&dev->data->mac_addrs[index]))
 		return;
 	if (vf)
 		mlx5_nl_mac_addr_remove(dev, &dev->data->mac_addrs[index],
 					index);
 	memset(&dev->data->mac_addrs[index], 0, sizeof(struct ether_addr));
-	if (!dev->data->promiscuous) {
-		ret = mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
-		if (ret)
-			DRV_LOG(ERR, "port %u cannot restart traffic: %s",
-				dev->data->port_id, strerror(rte_errno));
-	}
 }
 
 /**
- * DPDK callback to add a MAC address.
+ * Adds a MAC address to the internal array.
  *
  * @param dev
  *   Pointer to Ethernet device structure.
@@ -96,24 +88,19 @@ mlx5_mac_addr_remove(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t index)
  *   MAC address to register.
  * @param index
  *   MAC address index.
- * @param vmdq
- *   VMDq pool index to associate address with (ignored).
  *
  * @return
  *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
  */
-int
-mlx5_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac,
-		  uint32_t index, uint32_t vmdq __rte_unused)
+static int
+mlx5_internal_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac,
+			   uint32_t index)
 {
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 	const int vf = priv->config.vf;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (index >= MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES) {
-		rte_errno = EINVAL;
-		return -rte_errno;
-	}
+	assert(index < MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES);
 	if (is_zero_ether_addr(mac)) {
 		rte_errno = EINVAL;
 		return -rte_errno;
@@ -136,6 +123,61 @@ mlx5_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac,
 			return ret;
 	}
 	dev->data->mac_addrs[index] = *mac;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * DPDK callback to remove a MAC address.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Pointer to Ethernet device structure.
+ * @param index
+ *   MAC address index.
+ */
+void
+mlx5_mac_addr_remove(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t index)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if (index >= MLX5_MAX_UC_MAC_ADDRESSES)
+		return;
+	mlx5_internal_mac_addr_remove(dev, index);
+	if (!dev->data->promiscuous) {
+		ret = mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
+		if (ret)
+			DRV_LOG(ERR, "port %u cannot restart traffic: %s",
+				dev->data->port_id, strerror(rte_errno));
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * DPDK callback to add a MAC address.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Pointer to Ethernet device structure.
+ * @param mac_addr
+ *   MAC address to register.
+ * @param index
+ *   MAC address index.
+ * @param vmdq
+ *   VMDq pool index to associate address with (ignored).
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   0 on success, a negative errno value otherwise and rte_errno is set.
+ */
+int
+mlx5_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac,
+		  uint32_t index, uint32_t vmdq __rte_unused)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if (index >= MLX5_MAX_UC_MAC_ADDRESSES) {
+		rte_errno = EINVAL;
+		return -rte_errno;
+	}
+	ret = mlx5_internal_mac_addr_add(dev, mac, index);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
 	if (!dev->data->promiscuous)
 		return mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
 	return 0;
