diff --git a/devtools/libabigail.abignore b/devtools/libabigail.abignore
index bc55c0ae5d..93158405e0 100644
--- a/devtools/libabigail.abignore
+++ b/devtools/libabigail.abignore
@@ -45,3 +45,10 @@
 [suppress_type]
 	name = rte_eth_txq_info
 	has_data_member_inserted_between = {offset_after(nb_desc), end}
+
+; Ignore all changes to rte_eth_dev_data
+; Note: we only cared about dev_configured bit addition, but libabigail
+; seems to wrongly compute bitfields offset.
+; https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=28060
+[suppress_type]
+	name = rte_eth_dev_data
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index c607eabb5b..6ebf52b641 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -1356,6 +1356,13 @@ rte_eth_dev_configure(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t nb_rx_q, uint16_t nb_tx_q,
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Ensure that "dev_configured" is always 0 each time prepare to do
+	 * dev_configure() to avoid any non-anticipated behaviour.
+	 * And set to 1 when dev_configure() is executed successfully.
+	 */
+	dev->data->dev_configured = 0;
+
 	 /* Store original config, as rollback required on failure */
 	memcpy(&orig_conf, &dev->data->dev_conf, sizeof(dev->data->dev_conf));
 
@@ -1605,6 +1612,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_configure(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t nb_rx_q, uint16_t nb_tx_q,
 		goto reset_queues;
 	}
 
+	dev->data->dev_configured = 1;
 	rte_ethdev_trace_configure(port_id, nb_rx_q, nb_tx_q, dev_conf, 0);
 	return 0;
 reset_queues:
@@ -1751,6 +1759,13 @@ rte_eth_dev_start(uint16_t port_id)
 
 	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_ERR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_start, -ENOTSUP);
 
+	if (dev->data->dev_configured == 0) {
+		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(INFO,
+			"Device with port_id=%"PRIu16" is not configured.\n",
+			port_id);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	if (dev->data->dev_started != 0) {
 		RTE_ETHDEV_LOG(INFO,
 			"Device with port_id=%"PRIu16" already started\n",
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h
index 4679d948fa..edf96de2dc 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h
+++ b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h
@@ -167,7 +167,11 @@ struct rte_eth_dev_data {
 		scattered_rx : 1,  /**< RX of scattered packets is ON(1) / OFF(0) */
 		all_multicast : 1, /**< RX all multicast mode ON(1) / OFF(0). */
 		dev_started : 1,   /**< Device state: STARTED(1) / STOPPED(0). */
-		lro         : 1;   /**< RX LRO is ON(1) / OFF(0) */
+		lro         : 1,   /**< RX LRO is ON(1) / OFF(0) */
+		dev_configured : 1;
+		/**< Indicates whether the device is configured.
+		 *   CONFIGURED(1) / NOT CONFIGURED(0).
+		 */
 	uint8_t rx_queue_state[RTE_MAX_QUEUES_PER_PORT];
 		/**< Queues state: HAIRPIN(2) / STARTED(1) / STOPPED(0). */
 	uint8_t tx_queue_state[RTE_MAX_QUEUES_PER_PORT];