diff --git a/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c b/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c
index 6832f01e24..ada025ffeb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ rte_eth_from_rings(const char *name, struct rte_ring *const rx_queues[],
 	eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = eth_ring_rx;
 	eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = eth_ring_tx;
 
-	return 0;
+	return data->port_id;
 
 error:
 	rte_free(data);
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ eth_dev_ring_create(const char *name, const unsigned numa_node,
 			return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (rte_eth_from_rings(name, rxtx, num_rings, rxtx, num_rings, numa_node))
+	if (rte_eth_from_rings(name, rxtx, num_rings, rxtx, num_rings, numa_node) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -424,8 +424,9 @@ eth_dev_ring_pair_create(const char *name, const unsigned numa_node,
 	}
 
 	if (rte_eth_from_rings(rx_rng_name, rx, num_rings, tx, num_rings,
-			numa_node) || rte_eth_from_rings(tx_rng_name, tx, num_rings, rx,
-					num_rings, numa_node))
+				numa_node) < 0 ||
+			rte_eth_from_rings(tx_rng_name, tx, num_rings, rx,
+				num_rings, numa_node) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.h b/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.h
index d36489abc7..2262249707 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.h
@@ -40,6 +40,24 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include <rte_ring.h>
 
+/**
+ * Create a new ethdev port from a set of rings
+ *
+ * @param name
+ *    name to be given to the new ethdev port
+ * @param rx_queues
+ *    pointer to array of rte_rings to be used as RX queues
+ * @param nb_rx_queues
+ *    number of elements in the rx_queues array
+ * @param tx_queues
+ *    pointer to array of rte_rings to be used as TX queues
+ * @param nb_tx_queues
+ *    number of elements in the tx_queues array
+ * @param numa_node
+ *    the numa node on which the memory for this port is to be allocated
+ * @return
+ *    the port number of the newly created the ethdev or -1 on error.
+ */
 int rte_eth_from_rings(const char *name,
 		struct rte_ring * const rx_queues[],
 		const unsigned nb_rx_queues,