diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index abcc31c19e..76699cc10f 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -2862,7 +2862,8 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_xstat *xstats,
 	int ret;
 
 	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -EINVAL);
-
+	if (xstats == NULL && n > 0)
+		return -EINVAL;
 	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
 
 	nb_rxqs = RTE_MIN(dev->data->nb_rx_queues, RTE_ETHDEV_QUEUE_STAT_CNTRS);
@@ -2878,7 +2879,7 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_xstat *xstats,
 		 * xstats struct.
 		 */
 		xcount = (*dev->dev_ops->xstats_get)(dev,
-				     xstats ? xstats + count : NULL,
+				     (n > count) ? xstats + count : NULL,
 				     (n > count) ? n - count : 0);
 
 		if (xcount < 0)
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
index 9cc12ef97e..826339009b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -2363,9 +2363,13 @@ int rte_eth_xstats_get_names(uint16_t port_id,
  * @param xstats
  *   A pointer to a table of structure of type *rte_eth_xstat*
  *   to be filled with device statistics ids and values.
- *   This parameter can be set to NULL if n is 0.
+ *   This parameter can be set to NULL if and only if n is 0.
  * @param n
  *   The size of the xstats array (number of elements).
+ *   If lower than the required number of elements, the function returns
+ *   the required number of elements.
+ *   If equal to zero, the xstats must be NULL, the function returns the
+ *   required number of elements.
  * @return
  *   - A positive value lower or equal to n: success. The return value
  *     is the number of entries filled in the stats table.