diff --git a/drivers/net/Makefile b/drivers/net/Makefile
index 7a2cb00ba1..3d180e1d67 100644
--- a/drivers/net/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/net/Makefile
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
 
 include $(RTE_SDK)/mk/rte.vars.mk
 
+# set in mk/toolchain/xxx/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_THUNDERX_NICVF_PMD),d)
+        $(warning thunderx pmd is not supported by old compilers)
+endif
+
 core-libs := librte_eal librte_mbuf librte_mempool librte_ring librte_ether
 core-libs += librte_net librte_kvargs
 
diff --git a/mk/toolchain/gcc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk b/mk/toolchain/gcc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
index 6eed20cc32..280dde2a65 100644
--- a/mk/toolchain/gcc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
+++ b/mk/toolchain/gcc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
@@ -89,4 +89,9 @@ else
 	ifeq ($(shell test $(GCC_VERSION) -lt 42 && echo 1), 1)
 		MACHINE_CFLAGS := $(filter-out -march% -mtune% -msse%,$(MACHINE_CFLAGS))
 	endif
+
+	# Disable thunderx PMD for gcc < 4.7
+	ifeq ($(shell test $(GCC_VERSION) -lt 47 && echo 1), 1)
+		CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_THUNDERX_NICVF_PMD=d
+	endif
 endif
diff --git a/mk/toolchain/icc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk b/mk/toolchain/icc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
index 41344668eb..73770f72d9 100644
--- a/mk/toolchain/icc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
+++ b/mk/toolchain/icc/rte.toolchain-compat.mk
@@ -72,4 +72,9 @@ else
 		# remove march options
 		MACHINE_CFLAGS := $(patsubst -march=%,-xSSE3,$(MACHINE_CFLAGS))
 	endif
+
+	# Disable thunderx PMD for icc <= 14.0
+	ifeq ($(shell test $(ICC_MAJOR_VERSION) -le 14 && echo 1), 1)
+		CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_THUNDERX_NICVF_PMD=d
+	endif
 endif