diff --git a/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/mp_server/main.c b/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/mp_server/main.c
index 802e29d10d..1084b303ff 100644
--- a/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/mp_server/main.c
+++ b/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/mp_server/main.c
@@ -59,12 +59,17 @@ static struct client_rx_buf *cl_rx_buf;
 static const char *
 get_printable_mac_addr(uint16_t port)
 {
-	static const char err_address[] = "00:00:00:00:00:00";
-	static char addresses[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS][sizeof(err_address)];
+	static const struct rte_ether_addr null_mac; /* static defaults to 0 */
+	static char err_address[32];
+	static char addresses[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS][32];
 	int ret;
 
-	if (unlikely(port >= RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS))
+	if (unlikely(port >= RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS)) {
+		if (err_address[0] == '\0')
+			rte_ether_format_addr(err_address,
+					sizeof(err_address), &null_mac);
 		return err_address;
+	}
 	if (unlikely(addresses[port][0]=='\0')){
 		struct rte_ether_addr mac;
 		ret = rte_eth_macaddr_get(port, &mac);
@@ -73,10 +78,8 @@ get_printable_mac_addr(uint16_t port)
 			       port, rte_strerror(-ret));
 			return err_address;
 		}
-		snprintf(addresses[port], sizeof(addresses[port]),
-				"%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x\n",
-				mac.addr_bytes[0], mac.addr_bytes[1], mac.addr_bytes[2],
-				mac.addr_bytes[3], mac.addr_bytes[4], mac.addr_bytes[5]);
+		rte_ether_format_addr(addresses[port],
+				sizeof(addresses[port]), &mac);
 	}
 	return addresses[port];
 }
diff --git a/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/shared/common.h b/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/shared/common.h
index 6dd43fcac2..76beca0101 100644
--- a/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/shared/common.h
+++ b/examples/multi_process/client_server_mp/shared/common.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ struct port_info {
  * Given the rx queue name template above, get the queue name
  */
 static inline const char *
-get_rx_queue_name(unsigned id)
+get_rx_queue_name(uint8_t id)
 {
 	/* buffer for return value. Size calculated by %u being replaced
 	 * by maximum 3 digits (plus an extra byte for safety) */