diff --git a/drivers/event/cnxk/cn10k_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/cnxk/cn10k_eventdev.c
index fe562d65b..20d141f16 100644
--- a/drivers/event/cnxk/cn10k_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/cnxk/cn10k_eventdev.c
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ cn10k_sso_dev_configure(const struct rte_eventdev *event_dev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
+	rc = cnxk_sso_xaq_allocate(dev);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		goto cnxk_rsrc_fini;
+
+	return 0;
+cnxk_rsrc_fini:
+	roc_sso_rsrc_fini(&dev->sso);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/cnxk/cn9k_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/cnxk/cn9k_eventdev.c
index d49acad83..5f93fc2a7 100644
--- a/drivers/event/cnxk/cn9k_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/cnxk/cn9k_eventdev.c
@@ -63,6 +63,13 @@ cn9k_sso_dev_configure(const struct rte_eventdev *event_dev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
+	rc = cnxk_sso_xaq_allocate(dev);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		goto cnxk_rsrc_fini;
+
+	return 0;
+cnxk_rsrc_fini:
+	roc_sso_rsrc_fini(&dev->sso);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c b/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c
index e22479a19..34a8bce05 100644
--- a/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c
+++ b/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.c
@@ -28,12 +28,107 @@ cnxk_sso_info_get(struct cnxk_sso_evdev *dev,
 				  RTE_EVENT_DEV_CAP_CARRY_FLOW_ID;
 }
 
+int
+cnxk_sso_xaq_allocate(struct cnxk_sso_evdev *dev)
+{
+	char pool_name[RTE_MEMZONE_NAMESIZE];
+	uint32_t xaq_cnt, npa_aura_id;
+	const struct rte_memzone *mz;
+	struct npa_aura_s *aura;
+	static int reconfig_cnt;
+	int rc;
+
+	if (dev->xaq_pool) {
+		rc = roc_sso_hwgrp_release_xaq(&dev->sso, dev->nb_event_queues);
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			plt_err("Failed to release XAQ %d", rc);
+			return rc;
+		}
+		rte_mempool_free(dev->xaq_pool);
+		dev->xaq_pool = NULL;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Allocate memory for Add work backpressure.
+	 */
+	mz = rte_memzone_lookup(CNXK_SSO_FC_NAME);
+	if (mz == NULL)
+		mz = rte_memzone_reserve_aligned(CNXK_SSO_FC_NAME,
+						 sizeof(struct npa_aura_s) +
+							 RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE,
+						 0, 0, RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
+	if (mz == NULL) {
+		plt_err("Failed to allocate mem for fcmem");
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
+	dev->fc_iova = mz->iova;
+	dev->fc_mem = mz->addr;
+
+	aura = (struct npa_aura_s *)((uintptr_t)dev->fc_mem +
+				     RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
+	memset(aura, 0, sizeof(struct npa_aura_s));
+
+	aura->fc_ena = 1;
+	aura->fc_addr = dev->fc_iova;
+	aura->fc_hyst_bits = 0; /* Store count on all updates */
+
+	/* Taken from HRM 14.3.3(4) */
+	xaq_cnt = dev->nb_event_queues * CNXK_SSO_XAQ_CACHE_CNT;
+	xaq_cnt += (dev->sso.iue / dev->sso.xae_waes) +
+		   (CNXK_SSO_XAQ_SLACK * dev->nb_event_queues);
+
+	plt_sso_dbg("Configuring %d xaq buffers", xaq_cnt);
+	/* Setup XAQ based on number of nb queues. */
+	snprintf(pool_name, 30, "cnxk_xaq_buf_pool_%d", reconfig_cnt);
+	dev->xaq_pool = (void *)rte_mempool_create_empty(
+		pool_name, xaq_cnt, dev->sso.xaq_buf_size, 0, 0,
+		rte_socket_id(), 0);
+
+	if (dev->xaq_pool == NULL) {
+		plt_err("Unable to create empty mempool.");
+		rte_memzone_free(mz);
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
+	rc = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(dev->xaq_pool,
+					rte_mbuf_platform_mempool_ops(), aura);
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		plt_err("Unable to set xaqpool ops.");
+		goto alloc_fail;
+	}
+
+	rc = rte_mempool_populate_default(dev->xaq_pool);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		plt_err("Unable to set populate xaqpool.");
+		goto alloc_fail;
+	}
+	reconfig_cnt++;
+	/* When SW does addwork (enqueue) check if there is space in XAQ by
+	 * comparing fc_addr above against the xaq_lmt calculated below.
+	 * There should be a minimum headroom (CNXK_SSO_XAQ_SLACK / 2) for SSO
+	 * to request XAQ to cache them even before enqueue is called.
+	 */
+	dev->xaq_lmt =
+		xaq_cnt - (CNXK_SSO_XAQ_SLACK / 2 * dev->nb_event_queues);
+	dev->nb_xaq_cfg = xaq_cnt;
+
+	npa_aura_id = roc_npa_aura_handle_to_aura(dev->xaq_pool->pool_id);
+	return roc_sso_hwgrp_alloc_xaq(&dev->sso, npa_aura_id,
+				       dev->nb_event_queues);
+alloc_fail:
+	rte_mempool_free(dev->xaq_pool);
+	rte_memzone_free(mz);
+	return rc;
+}
+
 int
 cnxk_sso_dev_validate(const struct rte_eventdev *event_dev)
 {
 	struct rte_event_dev_config *conf = &event_dev->data->dev_conf;
 	struct cnxk_sso_evdev *dev = cnxk_sso_pmd_priv(event_dev);
 	uint32_t deq_tmo_ns;
+	int rc;
 
 	deq_tmo_ns = conf->dequeue_timeout_ns;
 
@@ -67,6 +162,16 @@ cnxk_sso_dev_validate(const struct rte_eventdev *event_dev)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	if (dev->xaq_pool) {
+		rc = roc_sso_hwgrp_release_xaq(&dev->sso, dev->nb_event_queues);
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			plt_err("Failed to release XAQ %d", rc);
+			return rc;
+		}
+		rte_mempool_free(dev->xaq_pool);
+		dev->xaq_pool = NULL;
+	}
+
 	dev->nb_event_queues = conf->nb_event_queues;
 	dev->nb_event_ports = conf->nb_event_ports;
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.h b/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.h
index 426219c85..4abe4548d 100644
--- a/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.h
+++ b/drivers/event/cnxk/cnxk_eventdev.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #ifndef __CNXK_EVENTDEV_H__
 #define __CNXK_EVENTDEV_H__
 
+#include <rte_mbuf_pool_ops.h>
 #include <rte_pci.h>
 
 #include <eventdev_pmd_pci.h>
@@ -13,7 +14,10 @@
 
 #define USEC2NSEC(__us) ((__us)*1E3)
 
-#define CNXK_SSO_MZ_NAME "cnxk_evdev_mz"
+#define CNXK_SSO_FC_NAME       "cnxk_evdev_xaq_fc"
+#define CNXK_SSO_MZ_NAME       "cnxk_evdev_mz"
+#define CNXK_SSO_XAQ_CACHE_CNT (0x7)
+#define CNXK_SSO_XAQ_SLACK     (8)
 
 struct cnxk_sso_evdev {
 	struct roc_sso sso;
@@ -26,6 +30,11 @@ struct cnxk_sso_evdev {
 	uint32_t min_dequeue_timeout_ns;
 	uint32_t max_dequeue_timeout_ns;
 	int32_t max_num_events;
+	uint64_t *fc_mem;
+	uint64_t xaq_lmt;
+	uint64_t nb_xaq_cfg;
+	rte_iova_t fc_iova;
+	struct rte_mempool *xaq_pool;
 	/* CN9K */
 	uint8_t dual_ws;
 } __rte_cache_aligned;
@@ -36,6 +45,9 @@ cnxk_sso_pmd_priv(const struct rte_eventdev *event_dev)
 	return event_dev->data->dev_private;
 }
 
+/* Configuration functions */
+int cnxk_sso_xaq_allocate(struct cnxk_sso_evdev *dev);
+
 /* Common ops API. */
 int cnxk_sso_init(struct rte_eventdev *event_dev);
 int cnxk_sso_fini(struct rte_eventdev *event_dev);
