diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
index 938fceac53..102a8c672b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ mlx5_alloc_verbs_buf(size_t size, void *data)
 	size_t alignment = sysconf(_SC_PAGESIZE);
 
 	assert(data != NULL);
-	assert(!mlx5_is_secondary());
 	ret = rte_malloc_socket(__func__, size, alignment,
 				priv->dev->device->numa_node);
 	DEBUG("Extern alloc size: %lu, align: %lu: %p", size, alignment, ret);
@@ -177,7 +176,6 @@ static void
 mlx5_free_verbs_buf(void *ptr, void *data __rte_unused)
 {
 	assert(data != NULL);
-	assert(!mlx5_is_secondary());
 	DEBUG("Extern free request: %p", ptr);
 	rte_free(ptr);
 }
@@ -687,7 +685,7 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv, struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
 
 		mlx5_dev[idx].ports |= test;
 
-		if (mlx5_is_secondary()) {
+		if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY) {
 			/* from rte_ethdev.c */
 			char name[RTE_ETH_NAME_MAX_LEN];
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
index 75be352cf9..ca9ad0fefc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
@@ -118,18 +118,6 @@ struct ethtool_link_settings {
 #define ETHTOOL_LINK_MODE_100000baseLR4_ER4_Full_BIT 39
 #endif
 
-/**
- * Check if running as a secondary process.
- *
- * @return
- *   Nonzero if running as a secondary process.
- */
-inline int
-mlx5_is_secondary(void)
-{
-	return rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY;
-}
-
 /**
  * Get interface name from private structure.
  *
@@ -634,9 +622,6 @@ mlx5_dev_configure(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
-
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	ret = dev_configure(dev);
 	assert(ret >= 0);
@@ -937,9 +922,6 @@ mlx5_dev_set_mtu(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t mtu)
 	uint16_t kern_mtu;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
-
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	ret = priv_get_mtu(priv, &kern_mtu);
 	if (ret)
@@ -987,9 +969,6 @@ mlx5_dev_get_flow_ctrl(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_eth_fc_conf *fc_conf)
 	};
 	int ret;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
-
 	ifr.ifr_data = (void *)&ethpause;
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	if (priv_ifreq(priv, SIOCETHTOOL, &ifr)) {
@@ -1038,9 +1017,6 @@ mlx5_dev_set_flow_ctrl(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_eth_fc_conf *fc_conf)
 	};
 	int ret;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
-
 	ifr.ifr_data = (void *)&ethpause;
 	ethpause.autoneg = fc_conf->autoneg;
 	if (((fc_conf->mode & RTE_FC_FULL) == RTE_FC_FULL) ||
@@ -1302,7 +1278,6 @@ priv_dev_interrupt_handler_install(struct priv *priv, struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	int rc, flags;
 
-	assert(!mlx5_is_secondary());
 	assert(priv->ctx->async_fd > 0);
 	flags = fcntl(priv->ctx->async_fd, F_GETFL);
 	rc = fcntl(priv->ctx->async_fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NONBLOCK);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
index d17b991e47..9fb5ba5e7e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_mac.c
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ priv_get_mac(struct priv *priv, uint8_t (*mac)[ETHER_ADDR_LEN])
 void
 mlx5_mac_addr_remove(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t index)
 {
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
 	assert(index < MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES);
 	memset(&dev->data->mac_addrs[index], 0, sizeof(struct ether_addr));
 	if (!dev->data->promiscuous && !dev->data->all_multicast)
@@ -124,8 +122,6 @@ mlx5_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac,
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	(void)vmdq;
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return 0;
 	assert(index < MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES);
 	/* First, make sure this address isn't already configured. */
 	for (i = 0; (i != MLX5_MAX_MAC_ADDRESSES); ++i) {
@@ -154,8 +150,6 @@ mlx5_mac_addr_add(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac,
 void
 mlx5_mac_addr_set(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *mac_addr)
 {
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
 	DEBUG("%p: setting primary MAC address", (void *)dev);
 	mlx5_mac_addr_add(dev, mac_addr, 0, 0);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c
index f3de46de00..f4911359b8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c
@@ -274,7 +274,6 @@ mlx5_dev_rss_reta_update(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	int ret;
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 
-	assert(!mlx5_is_secondary());
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	ret = priv_dev_rss_reta_update(priv, reta_conf, reta_size);
 	priv_unlock(priv);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxmode.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxmode.c
index 0ef2cdf095..6fb245ba1a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxmode.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxmode.c
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@
 void
 mlx5_promiscuous_enable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
 	dev->data->promiscuous = 1;
 	mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
 }
@@ -75,8 +73,6 @@ mlx5_promiscuous_enable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 void
 mlx5_promiscuous_disable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
 	dev->data->promiscuous = 0;
 	mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
 }
@@ -90,8 +86,6 @@ mlx5_promiscuous_disable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 void
 mlx5_allmulticast_enable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
 	dev->data->all_multicast = 1;
 	mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
 }
@@ -105,8 +99,6 @@ mlx5_allmulticast_enable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 void
 mlx5_allmulticast_disable(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
 	dev->data->all_multicast = 0;
 	mlx5_traffic_restart(dev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c
index a6eec2fa61..a4cdd374a1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c
@@ -242,8 +242,6 @@ mlx5_rx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t idx, uint16_t desc,
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	(void)conf;
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	if (!rte_is_power_of_2(desc)) {
 		desc = 1 << log2above(desc);
@@ -294,9 +292,6 @@ mlx5_rx_queue_release(void *dpdk_rxq)
 	struct mlx5_rxq_ctrl *rxq_ctrl;
 	struct priv *priv;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
-
 	if (rxq == NULL)
 		return;
 	rxq_ctrl = container_of(rxq, struct mlx5_rxq_ctrl, rxq);
@@ -327,7 +322,6 @@ priv_rx_intr_vec_enable(struct priv *priv)
 	unsigned int count = 0;
 	struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle = priv->dev->intr_handle;
 
-	assert(!mlx5_is_secondary());
 	if (!priv->dev->data->dev_conf.intr_conf.rxq)
 		return 0;
 	priv_rx_intr_vec_disable(priv);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c
index 5de2d026e1..ed80a6bee0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_trigger.c
@@ -132,9 +132,6 @@ mlx5_dev_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	struct mlx5_mr *mr = NULL;
 	int err;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
-
 	dev->data->dev_started = 1;
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	err = priv_flow_create_drop_queue(priv);
@@ -213,9 +210,6 @@ mlx5_dev_stop(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
 	struct mlx5_mr *mr;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
-
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	dev->data->dev_started = 0;
 	/* Prevent crashes when queues are still in use. */
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_txq.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_txq.c
index 9c5860ff4b..84d37be19a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_txq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_txq.c
@@ -142,9 +142,6 @@ mlx5_tx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t idx, uint16_t desc,
 		container_of(txq, struct mlx5_txq_ctrl, txq);
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return -E_RTE_SECONDARY;
-
 	priv_lock(priv);
 	if (desc <= MLX5_TX_COMP_THRESH) {
 		WARN("%p: number of descriptors requested for TX queue %u"
@@ -203,9 +200,6 @@ mlx5_tx_queue_release(void *dpdk_txq)
 	struct priv *priv;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (mlx5_is_secondary())
-		return;
-
 	if (txq == NULL)
 		return;
 	txq_ctrl = container_of(txq, struct mlx5_txq_ctrl, txq);