diff --git a/src/runmode-dpdk.c b/src/runmode-dpdk.c
index 3225d4c41c37..9e04e002cc50 100644
--- a/src/runmode-dpdk.c
+++ b/src/runmode-dpdk.c
@@ -316,7 +316,10 @@ static void DPDKDerefConfig(void *conf)
 {
     SCEnter();
     DPDKIfaceConfig *iconf = (DPDKIfaceConfig *)conf;
+
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
     iconf->RTERulesFree(&iconf->drop_filter);
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0) */
 
     if (SC_ATOMIC_SUB(iconf->ref, 1) == 1) {
         if (iconf->pkt_mempool != NULL) {
@@ -341,7 +344,10 @@ static void ConfigInit(DPDKIfaceConfig **iconf)
     SC_ATOMIC_INIT(ptr->ref);
     (void)SC_ATOMIC_ADD(ptr->ref, 1);
     ptr->DerefFunc = DPDKDerefConfig;
+
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
     ptr->RTERulesFree = RuleStorageFree;
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0) */
     ptr->flags = 0;
 
     *iconf = ptr;
@@ -846,10 +852,12 @@ static int ConfigLoad(DPDKIfaceConfig *iconf, const char *iface)
     if (retval < 0)
         SCReturnInt(retval);
 
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
     retval =
             ConfigLoadRTEFlowRules(if_root, if_default, dpdk_yaml.drop_filter, &iconf->drop_filter);
     if (retval < 0)
         SCReturnInt(retval);
+#endif /* SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_PATTERN_H */
 
     SCReturnInt(0);
 }
diff --git a/src/source-dpdk.c b/src/source-dpdk.c
index 8e6436c49065..96ef0b999491 100644
--- a/src/source-dpdk.c
+++ b/src/source-dpdk.c
@@ -635,12 +635,15 @@ static TmEcode ReceiveDPDKThreadInit(ThreadVars *tv, const void *initdata, void
             goto fail;
         }
 
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
         retval = CreateRules(dpdk_config->iface, dpdk_config->port_id, &dpdk_config->drop_filter,
                 dev_info.driver_name);
         if (retval != 0) {
             SCLogError("%s: error when creating rte_flow rules", dpdk_config->iface);
             goto fail;
         }
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)*/
+
         // some PMDs requires additional actions only after the device has started
         DevicePostStartPMDSpecificActions(ptv, dev_info.driver_name);
 
@@ -658,6 +661,7 @@ static TmEcode ReceiveDPDKThreadInit(ThreadVars *tv, const void *initdata, void
         }
     }
 
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
     // Save rte_flow rules from being destroyed
     char **tmp = dpdk_config->drop_filter.rules;
     dpdk_config->drop_filter.rules = NULL;
@@ -668,6 +672,7 @@ static TmEcode ReceiveDPDKThreadInit(ThreadVars *tv, const void *initdata, void
     // Restore rte_flow rules
     dpdk_config->drop_filter.rules = tmp;
     tmp = NULL;
+#endif /* SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_PATTERN_H */
 
     SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_OK);
 
diff --git a/src/source-dpdk.h b/src/source-dpdk.h
index 4a863bda2a63..a20c79db2e1b 100644
--- a/src/source-dpdk.h
+++ b/src/source-dpdk.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ typedef struct DPDKWorkerSync_ {
 } DPDKWorkerSync;
 
 typedef struct RuleStorage_ {
-    uint16_t curr_rule_count;    
+    uint16_t curr_rule_count;
     uint16_t max_rule_count;
     char **rules;
 } RuleStorage;
diff --git a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.c b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.c
index 9085ad4e1a73..c66352baaef1 100644
--- a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.c
+++ b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.c
@@ -52,10 +52,13 @@
  */
 
 #include "util-debug.h"
+#include "util-dpdk.h"
+#include "util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
+
 #include <cmdline_parse_etheraddr.h>
-#include "util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h"
 
 enum index {
     /* Special tokens. */
@@ -392,6 +395,7 @@ struct arg {
     uint32_t size;        /**< Field size. */
     const uint8_t *mask;  /**< Bit-mask to use instead of offset/size. */
 };
+
 struct buffer {
     enum index command; /**< Flow command. */
     union {
@@ -1366,13 +1370,23 @@ static int flow_parse(
     return (ret >= 0 && !strlen(src)) ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Parse rte_flow rule pattern and store individual pattern items in items and their
+ * attributes in buffer data
+ *
+ * \param pattern rte_flow rule pattern to be parsed
+ * \param data buffer to store parsed pattern
+ * \param size size of buffer
+ * \param items parsed items used when creating rte_flow rules
+ * \return int 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
 int ParsePattern(char *pattern, uint8_t *data, unsigned int size, struct rte_flow_item **items)
 {
     SCEnter();
-    int ret = flow_parse(pattern, (void *)data, size, items);
-    SCReturnInt(ret);
+    SCReturnInt(flow_parse(pattern, (void *)data, size, items));
 }
 
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)*/
 #endif /* HAVE_DPDK */
 /**
  * @}
diff --git a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h
index 8c66ca407bb8..f8a6e18cf74c 100644
--- a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h
+++ b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h
@@ -30,15 +30,20 @@
  *
  */
 
-#ifdef HAVE_DPDK
-#include <rte_ethdev.h>
-#endif
+#include "util-dpdk.h"
 
 #ifndef SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_PATTERN_H
 #define SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_PATTERN_H
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
+
+#include <rte_ethdev.h>
+
 int ParsePattern(char *pattern, uint8_t *data, unsigned int size, struct rte_flow_item **items);
 
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0) */
+#endif /* HAVE_DPDK */
 #endif /* SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_PATTERN_H */
 /**
  * @}
diff --git a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.c b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.c
index 3eec36d84f5c..cbe010d6c75b 100644
--- a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.c
+++ b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.c
@@ -33,10 +33,12 @@
 #include "decode.h"
 #include "runmode-dpdk.h"
 #include "util-debug.h"
+#include "util-dpdk.h"
 #include "util-dpdk-rte-flow.h"
 #include "util-dpdk-rte-flow-pattern.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
 
 #define INITIAL_RULE_COUNT_CAPACITY 5
 #define DATA_BUFFER_SIZE            1024
@@ -100,6 +102,11 @@ static int RuleStorageExtendCapacity(RuleStorage *rule_storage)
     SCReturnInt(0);
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Deallocation of memory containing user set rte_flow rules
+ *
+ * \param rule_storage rules loaded from suricata.yaml
+ */
 void RuleStorageFree(RuleStorage *rule_storage)
 {
     if (rule_storage->rules == NULL) {
@@ -112,6 +119,15 @@ void RuleStorageFree(RuleStorage *rule_storage)
     rule_storage->rules = NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Load rte_flow rules patterns from suricata.yaml
+ *
+ * \param if_root root node in suricata.yaml
+ * \param if_default default value
+ * \param filter_type type of rte_flow rules to be loaded, only drop_filter is supported
+ * \param rule_storage pointer to structure to load rte_flow rules into
+ * \return int 0 on success, -1 on failure
+ */
 int ConfigLoadRTEFlowRules(
         ConfNode *if_root, ConfNode *if_default, const char *filter_type, RuleStorage *rule_storage)
 {
@@ -142,7 +158,10 @@ int ConfigLoadRTEFlowRules(
 
 /**
  * \brief Check and log whether pattern is broad / not-specific
- *        as ice does not accept them                  */
+ *        as ice does not accept them
+ *
+ * \param items array of pattern items
+ */
 static void iceDeviceError(struct rte_flow_item *items)
 {
     int i = 0;
@@ -157,7 +176,11 @@ static void iceDeviceError(struct rte_flow_item *items)
 
 /**
  * \brief Specify ambigous error messages as some drivers have specific
- * behaviour when creating rte_flow rules */
+ * behaviour when creating rte_flow rules
+ *
+ * \param driver_name name of a driver
+ * \param items array of pattern items
+ */
 static void DriverSpecificErrorMessage(const char *driver_name, struct rte_flow_item *items)
 {
     if (strcmp(driver_name, "net_ice") == 0) {
@@ -165,6 +188,15 @@ static void DriverSpecificErrorMessage(const char *driver_name, struct rte_flow_
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Create rte_flow drop rules with patterns stored in rule_storage on a port with id port_id
+ *
+ * \param port_name name of a port
+ * \param port_id identificator of a port
+ * \param rule_storage pointer to structure containing rte_flow rule patterns
+ * \param driver_name name of a driver
+ * \return int 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
 int CreateRules(char *port_name, int port_id, RuleStorage *rule_storage, const char *driver_name)
 {
     SCEnter();
@@ -187,14 +219,12 @@ int CreateRules(char *port_name, int port_id, RuleStorage *rule_storage, const c
         if ((ret = ParsePattern(rule_storage->rules[i], data, sizeof(data), &items)) != 0) {
             failed_count++;
             SCLogError("Error when parsing rte_flow rule: %s", rule_storage->rules[i]);
-            continue;
         } else if ((ret = rte_flow_validate(port_id, &attr, items, action, &flow_error)) != 0) {
             failed_count++;
             SCLogError("Error when validating rte_flow rule with pattern %s for port %s: %s "
                        "errmsg: %s",
                     rule_storage->rules[i], port_name, rte_strerror(-ret), flow_error.message);
             DriverSpecificErrorMessage(driver_name, items);
-            continue;
         } else if ((flow = rte_flow_create(port_id, &attr, items, action, &flow_error)) == NULL) {
             failed_count++;
             SCLogError("Error when creating rte_flow rule with pattern %s on %s: %s",
@@ -214,12 +244,13 @@ int CreateRules(char *port_name, int port_id, RuleStorage *rule_storage, const c
             SCLogError("Unable to flush rte_flow rules of %s: %s Flush error msg: %s", port_name,
                     rte_strerror(-ret), flush_error.message);
         }
-        SCReturn(-1);
+        SCReturnInt(-1);
     }
 
     SCReturnInt(0);
 }
 
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)*/
 #endif /* HAVE_DPDK */
 /**
  * @}
diff --git a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.h b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.h
index 33f4c7b03deb..7038c8b55b18 100644
--- a/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.h
+++ b/src/util-dpdk-rte-flow.h
@@ -29,14 +29,24 @@
  * DPDK rte_flow rules util functions
  *
  */
+
 #include "conf.h"
+#include "util-dpdk.h"
 
 #ifndef SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_H
 #define SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_H
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+#if RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0)
+
 void RuleStorageFree(RuleStorage *rule_storage);
 int ConfigLoadRTEFlowRules(ConfNode *if_root, ConfNode *if_default, const char *filter_type,
         RuleStorage *rule_storage);
 int CreateRules(char *port_name, int port_id, RuleStorage *rule_storage, const char *driver_name);
 
+#endif /* RTE_VERSION >= RTE_VERSION_NUM(21, 0, 0, 0) */
+#endif /* HAVE_DPDK */
 #endif /* SURICATA_RTE_FLOW_RULES_H */
+/**
+ * @}
+ */