diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.c b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.c
index a203dc9e46..35de31157e 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.c
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.c
@@ -860,10 +860,15 @@ em_event_loop_vector(struct l3fwd_event_resources *evt_rsrc,
 	int i, nb_enq = 0, nb_deq = 0;
 	struct lcore_conf *lconf;
 	unsigned int lcore_id;
+	uint16_t *dst_ports;
 
 	if (event_p_id < 0)
 		return;
 
+	dst_ports = rte_zmalloc("", sizeof(uint16_t) * evt_rsrc->vector_size,
+				RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
+	if (dst_ports == NULL)
+		return;
 	lcore_id = rte_lcore_id();
 	lconf = &lcore_conf[lcore_id];
 
@@ -885,13 +890,12 @@ em_event_loop_vector(struct l3fwd_event_resources *evt_rsrc,
 			}
 
 #if defined RTE_ARCH_X86 || defined __ARM_NEON
-			l3fwd_em_process_event_vector(events[i].vec, lconf);
+			l3fwd_em_process_event_vector(events[i].vec, lconf,
+						      dst_ports);
 #else
 			l3fwd_em_no_opt_process_event_vector(events[i].vec,
-							     lconf);
+							     lconf, dst_ports);
 #endif
-			if (flags & L3FWD_EVENT_TX_DIRECT)
-				event_vector_txq_set(events[i].vec, 0);
 		}
 
 		if (flags & L3FWD_EVENT_TX_ENQ) {
@@ -915,6 +919,7 @@ em_event_loop_vector(struct l3fwd_event_resources *evt_rsrc,
 
 	l3fwd_event_worker_cleanup(event_d_id, event_p_id, events, nb_enq,
 				   nb_deq, 1);
+	rte_free(dst_ports);
 }
 
 int __rte_noinline
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.h
index fe2ee59f6a..7d051fc076 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ l3fwd_em_simple_forward(struct rte_mbuf *m, uint16_t portid,
 	}
 }
 
-static __rte_always_inline void
+static __rte_always_inline uint16_t
 l3fwd_em_simple_process(struct rte_mbuf *m, struct lcore_conf *qconf)
 {
 	struct rte_ether_hdr *eth_hdr;
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ l3fwd_em_simple_process(struct rte_mbuf *m, struct lcore_conf *qconf)
 		m->port = l3fwd_em_handle_ipv6(m, m->port, eth_hdr, qconf);
 	else
 		m->port = BAD_PORT;
+
+	return m->port;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -179,7 +181,8 @@ l3fwd_em_no_opt_process_events(int nb_rx, struct rte_event **events,
 
 static inline void
 l3fwd_em_no_opt_process_event_vector(struct rte_event_vector *vec,
-				     struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+				     struct lcore_conf *qconf,
+				     uint16_t *dst_ports)
 {
 	struct rte_mbuf **mbufs = vec->mbufs;
 	int32_t i;
@@ -188,30 +191,20 @@ l3fwd_em_no_opt_process_event_vector(struct rte_event_vector *vec,
 	for (i = 0; i < PREFETCH_OFFSET && i < vec->nb_elem; i++)
 		rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(mbufs[i], void *));
 
-	/* Process first packet to init vector attributes */
-	l3fwd_em_simple_process(mbufs[0], qconf);
-	if (vec->attr_valid) {
-		if (mbufs[0]->port != BAD_PORT)
-			vec->port = mbufs[0]->port;
-		else
-			vec->attr_valid = 0;
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * Prefetch and forward already prefetched packets.
 	 */
-	for (i = 1; i < (vec->nb_elem - PREFETCH_OFFSET); i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < (vec->nb_elem - PREFETCH_OFFSET); i++) {
 		rte_prefetch0(
 			rte_pktmbuf_mtod(mbufs[i + PREFETCH_OFFSET], void *));
-		l3fwd_em_simple_process(mbufs[i], qconf);
-		event_vector_attr_validate(vec, mbufs[i]);
+		dst_ports[i] = l3fwd_em_simple_process(mbufs[i], qconf);
 	}
 
 	/* Forward remaining prefetched packets */
-	for (; i < vec->nb_elem; i++) {
-		l3fwd_em_simple_process(mbufs[i], qconf);
-		event_vector_attr_validate(vec, mbufs[i]);
-	}
+	for (; i < vec->nb_elem; i++)
+		dst_ports[i] = l3fwd_em_simple_process(mbufs[i], qconf);
+
+	process_event_vector(vec, dst_ports);
 }
 
 #endif /* __L3FWD_EM_H__ */
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h
index 12b997e477..2e11eefad7 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_hlm.h
@@ -332,70 +332,20 @@ l3fwd_em_process_events(int nb_rx, struct rte_event **ev,
 
 static inline void
 l3fwd_em_process_event_vector(struct rte_event_vector *vec,
-			      struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+			      struct lcore_conf *qconf, uint16_t *dst_port)
 {
-	struct rte_mbuf **mbufs = vec->mbufs;
-	uint16_t dst_port[MAX_PKT_BURST];
-	int32_t i, j, n, pos;
-
-	for (j = 0; j < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT && j < vec->nb_elem; j++)
-		rte_prefetch0(
-			rte_pktmbuf_mtod(mbufs[j], struct rte_ether_hdr *) + 1);
+	uint16_t i;
 
 	if (vec->attr_valid)
-		vec->port = em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbufs[0], mbufs[0]->port);
+		l3fwd_em_process_packets(vec->nb_elem, vec->mbufs, dst_port,
+					 vec->port, qconf, 1);
+	else
+		for (i = 0; i < vec->nb_elem; i++)
+			l3fwd_em_process_packets(1, &vec->mbufs[i],
+						 &dst_port[i],
+						 vec->mbufs[i]->port, qconf, 1);
 
-	n = RTE_ALIGN_FLOOR(vec->nb_elem, EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT);
-	for (j = 0; j < n; j += EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT) {
-		uint32_t pkt_type =
-			RTE_PTYPE_L3_MASK | RTE_PTYPE_L4_TCP | RTE_PTYPE_L4_UDP;
-		uint32_t l3_type, tcp_or_udp;
-
-		for (i = 0; i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT; i++)
-			pkt_type &= mbufs[j + i]->packet_type;
-
-		l3_type = pkt_type & RTE_PTYPE_L3_MASK;
-		tcp_or_udp = pkt_type & (RTE_PTYPE_L4_TCP | RTE_PTYPE_L4_UDP);
-
-		for (i = 0, pos = j + EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT;
-		     i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT && pos < vec->nb_elem;
-		     i++, pos++) {
-			rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(mbufs[pos],
-						       struct rte_ether_hdr *) +
-				      1);
-		}
-
-		if (tcp_or_udp && (l3_type == RTE_PTYPE_L3_IPV4)) {
-			em_get_dst_port_ipv4xN_events(qconf, &mbufs[j],
-						      &dst_port[j]);
-		} else if (tcp_or_udp && (l3_type == RTE_PTYPE_L3_IPV6)) {
-			em_get_dst_port_ipv6xN_events(qconf, &mbufs[j],
-						      &dst_port[j]);
-		} else {
-			for (i = 0; i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT; i++) {
-				mbufs[j + i]->port =
-					em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbufs[j + i],
-							mbufs[j + i]->port);
-				process_packet(mbufs[j + i],
-					       &mbufs[j + i]->port);
-				event_vector_attr_validate(vec, mbufs[j + i]);
-			}
-			continue;
-		}
-		processx4_step3(&mbufs[j], &dst_port[j]);
-
-		for (i = 0; i < EM_HASH_LOOKUP_COUNT; i++) {
-			mbufs[j + i]->port = dst_port[j + i];
-			event_vector_attr_validate(vec, mbufs[j + i]);
-		}
-	}
-
-	for (; j < vec->nb_elem; j++) {
-		mbufs[j]->port =
-			em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbufs[j], mbufs[j]->port);
-		process_packet(mbufs[j], &mbufs[j]->port);
-		event_vector_attr_validate(vec, mbufs[j]);
-	}
+	process_event_vector(vec, dst_port);
 }
 
 #endif /* __L3FWD_EM_HLM_H__ */
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_sequential.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_sequential.h
index d2f75edb8a..067f23889a 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_sequential.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_em_sequential.h
@@ -113,39 +113,48 @@ l3fwd_em_process_events(int nb_rx, struct rte_event **events,
 
 	for (i = 1, j = 0; j < nb_rx; i++, j++) {
 		struct rte_mbuf *mbuf = events[j]->mbuf;
+		uint16_t port;
 
 		if (i < nb_rx) {
 			rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(
 					events[i]->mbuf,
 					struct rte_ether_hdr *) + 1);
 		}
+		port = mbuf->port;
 		mbuf->port = em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbuf, mbuf->port);
 		process_packet(mbuf, &mbuf->port);
+		if (mbuf->port == BAD_PORT)
+			mbuf->port = port;
 	}
 }
 
 static inline void
 l3fwd_em_process_event_vector(struct rte_event_vector *vec,
-			      struct lcore_conf *qconf)
+			      struct lcore_conf *qconf, uint16_t *dst_ports)
 {
+	const uint8_t attr_valid = vec->attr_valid;
 	struct rte_mbuf **mbufs = vec->mbufs;
 	int32_t i, j;
 
 	rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(mbufs[0], struct rte_ether_hdr *) + 1);
 
-	if (vec->attr_valid)
-		vec->port = em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbufs[0], mbufs[0]->port);
-
 	for (i = 0, j = 1; i < vec->nb_elem; i++, j++) {
 		if (j < vec->nb_elem)
 			rte_prefetch0(rte_pktmbuf_mtod(mbufs[j],
 						       struct rte_ether_hdr *) +
 				      1);
-		mbufs[i]->port =
-			em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbufs[i], mbufs[i]->port);
-		process_packet(mbufs[i], &mbufs[i]->port);
-		event_vector_attr_validate(vec, mbufs[i]);
+		dst_ports[i] = em_get_dst_port(qconf, mbufs[i],
+					       attr_valid ? vec->port :
+							    mbufs[i]->port);
 	}
+	j = RTE_ALIGN_FLOOR(vec->nb_elem, FWDSTEP);
+
+	for (i = 0; i != j; i += FWDSTEP)
+		processx4_step3(&vec->mbufs[i], &dst_ports[i]);
+	for (; i < vec->nb_elem; i++)
+		process_packet(vec->mbufs[i], &dst_ports[i]);
+
+	process_event_vector(vec, dst_ports);
 }
 
 #endif /* __L3FWD_EM_SEQUENTIAL_H__ */
diff --git a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_event.h b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_event.h
index 3fe38aada0..e21817c36b 100644
--- a/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_event.h
+++ b/examples/l3fwd/l3fwd_event.h
@@ -103,27 +103,6 @@ process_dst_port(uint16_t *dst_ports, uint16_t nb_elem)
 }
 #endif
 
-static inline void
-event_vector_attr_validate(struct rte_event_vector *vec, struct rte_mbuf *mbuf)
-{
-	/* l3fwd application only changes mbuf port while processing */
-	if (vec->attr_valid && (vec->port != mbuf->port))
-		vec->attr_valid = 0;
-}
-
-static inline void
-event_vector_txq_set(struct rte_event_vector *vec, uint16_t txq)
-{
-	if (vec->attr_valid) {
-		vec->queue = txq;
-	} else {
-		int i;
-
-		for (i = 0; i < vec->nb_elem; i++)
-			rte_event_eth_tx_adapter_txq_set(vec->mbufs[i], txq);
-	}
-}
-
 static inline uint16_t
 filter_bad_packets(struct rte_mbuf **mbufs, uint16_t *dst_port,
 		   uint16_t nb_pkts)