diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_private.h b/lib/eal/common/eal_private.h
index 86dab1f057..36bcc0b5a4 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_private.h
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_private.h
@@ -163,6 +163,16 @@ int rte_eal_intr_init(void);
  */
 int rte_eal_alarm_init(void);
 
+/**
+ * Alarm mechanism cleanup.
+ *
+ * This function is private to EAL.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *  0 on success, negative on error
+ */
+void rte_eal_alarm_cleanup(void);
+
 /**
  * Function is to check if the kernel module(like, vfio, vfio_iommu_type1,
  * etc.) loaded.
diff --git a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
index 56a60f13e9..9935356ed4 100644
--- a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
@@ -975,6 +975,7 @@ rte_eal_cleanup(void)
 	rte_mp_channel_cleanup();
 	/* after this point, any DPDK pointers will become dangling */
 	rte_eal_memory_detach();
+	rte_eal_alarm_cleanup();
 	rte_trace_save();
 	eal_trace_fini();
 	eal_cleanup_config(internal_conf);
diff --git a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal_alarm.c b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal_alarm.c
index c38b2e04f8..1a8fcf24c5 100644
--- a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal_alarm.c
+++ b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal_alarm.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 struct alarm_entry {
 	LIST_ENTRY(alarm_entry) next;
-	struct rte_intr_handle handle;
+	struct rte_intr_handle *handle;
 	struct timespec time;
 	rte_eal_alarm_callback cb_fn;
 	void *cb_arg;
@@ -43,22 +43,46 @@ struct alarm_entry {
 static LIST_HEAD(alarm_list, alarm_entry) alarm_list = LIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER();
 static rte_spinlock_t alarm_list_lk = RTE_SPINLOCK_INITIALIZER;
 
-static struct rte_intr_handle intr_handle = {.fd = -1 };
+static struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle;
 static void eal_alarm_callback(void *arg);
 
+void
+rte_eal_alarm_cleanup(void)
+{
+	rte_intr_instance_free(intr_handle);
+}
+
 int
 rte_eal_alarm_init(void)
 {
-	intr_handle.type = RTE_INTR_HANDLE_ALARM;
+	int fd;
+
+	intr_handle = rte_intr_instance_alloc(RTE_INTR_INSTANCE_F_PRIVATE);
+	if (intr_handle == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Fail to allocate intr_handle\n");
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	if (rte_intr_type_set(intr_handle, RTE_INTR_HANDLE_ALARM))
+		goto error;
+
+	if (rte_intr_fd_set(intr_handle, -1))
+		goto error;
 
 	/* on FreeBSD, timers don't use fd's, and their identifiers are stored
 	 * in separate namespace from fd's, so using any value is OK. however,
 	 * EAL interrupts handler expects fd's to be unique, so use an actual fd
 	 * to guarantee unique timer identifier.
 	 */
-	intr_handle.fd = open("/dev/zero", O_RDONLY);
+	fd = open("/dev/zero", O_RDONLY);
+
+	if (rte_intr_fd_set(intr_handle, fd))
+		goto error;
 
 	return 0;
+error:
+	rte_intr_instance_free(intr_handle);
+	return -1;
 }
 
 static inline int
@@ -118,7 +142,7 @@ unregister_current_callback(void)
 		ap = LIST_FIRST(&alarm_list);
 
 		do {
-			ret = rte_intr_callback_unregister(&intr_handle,
+			ret = rte_intr_callback_unregister(intr_handle,
 				eal_alarm_callback, &ap->time);
 		} while (ret == -EAGAIN);
 	}
@@ -136,7 +160,7 @@ register_first_callback(void)
 		ap = LIST_FIRST(&alarm_list);
 
 		/* register a new callback */
-		ret = rte_intr_callback_register(&intr_handle,
+		ret = rte_intr_callback_register(intr_handle,
 				eal_alarm_callback, &ap->time);
 	}
 	return ret;
@@ -164,6 +188,7 @@ eal_alarm_callback(void *arg __rte_unused)
 		rte_spinlock_lock(&alarm_list_lk);
 
 		LIST_REMOVE(ap, next);
+		rte_intr_instance_free(ap->handle);
 		free(ap);
 
 		ap = LIST_FIRST(&alarm_list);
@@ -202,6 +227,11 @@ rte_eal_alarm_set(uint64_t us, rte_eal_alarm_callback cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 	new_alarm->time.tv_nsec = (now.tv_nsec + ns) % NS_PER_S;
 	new_alarm->time.tv_sec = now.tv_sec + ((now.tv_nsec + ns) / NS_PER_S);
 
+	new_alarm->handle =
+		rte_intr_instance_alloc(RTE_INTR_INSTANCE_F_PRIVATE);
+	if (new_alarm->handle == NULL)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	rte_spinlock_lock(&alarm_list_lk);
 
 	if (LIST_EMPTY(&alarm_list))
@@ -255,6 +285,7 @@ rte_eal_alarm_cancel(rte_eal_alarm_callback cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 				break;
 			if (ap->executing == 0) {
 				LIST_REMOVE(ap, next);
+				rte_intr_instance_free(ap->handle);
 				free(ap);
 				count++;
 			} else {
@@ -282,6 +313,7 @@ rte_eal_alarm_cancel(rte_eal_alarm_callback cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 					 cb_arg == ap->cb_arg)) {
 				if (ap->executing == 0) {
 					LIST_REMOVE(ap, next);
+					rte_intr_instance_free(ap->handle);
 					free(ap);
 					count++;
 					ap = ap_prev;
diff --git a/lib/eal/linux/eal.c b/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
index 0d0fc66668..81fdebc6a0 100644
--- a/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
@@ -1368,6 +1368,7 @@ rte_eal_cleanup(void)
 	rte_mp_channel_cleanup();
 	/* after this point, any DPDK pointers will become dangling */
 	rte_eal_memory_detach();
+	rte_eal_alarm_cleanup();
 	rte_trace_save();
 	eal_trace_fini();
 	eal_cleanup_config(internal_conf);
diff --git a/lib/eal/linux/eal_alarm.c b/lib/eal/linux/eal_alarm.c
index 3252c6fa59..3b5e894595 100644
--- a/lib/eal/linux/eal_alarm.c
+++ b/lib/eal/linux/eal_alarm.c
@@ -54,22 +54,40 @@ struct alarm_entry {
 static LIST_HEAD(alarm_list, alarm_entry) alarm_list = LIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER();
 static rte_spinlock_t alarm_list_lk = RTE_SPINLOCK_INITIALIZER;
 
-static struct rte_intr_handle intr_handle = {.fd = -1 };
+static struct rte_intr_handle *intr_handle;
 static int handler_registered = 0;
 static void eal_alarm_callback(void *arg);
 
+void
+rte_eal_alarm_cleanup(void)
+{
+	rte_intr_instance_free(intr_handle);
+}
+
 int
 rte_eal_alarm_init(void)
 {
-	intr_handle.type = RTE_INTR_HANDLE_ALARM;
+
+	intr_handle = rte_intr_instance_alloc(RTE_INTR_INSTANCE_F_PRIVATE);
+	if (intr_handle == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Fail to allocate intr_handle\n");
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	if (rte_intr_type_set(intr_handle, RTE_INTR_HANDLE_ALARM))
+		goto error;
+
 	/* create a timerfd file descriptor */
-	intr_handle.fd = timerfd_create(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, TFD_NONBLOCK);
-	if (intr_handle.fd == -1)
+	if (rte_intr_fd_set(intr_handle,
+			timerfd_create(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, TFD_NONBLOCK)))
 		goto error;
 
+	if (rte_intr_fd_get(intr_handle) == -1)
+		goto error;
 	return 0;
 
 error:
+	rte_intr_instance_free(intr_handle);
 	rte_errno = errno;
 	return -1;
 }
@@ -109,7 +127,7 @@ eal_alarm_callback(void *arg __rte_unused)
 
 		atime.it_value.tv_sec -= now.tv_sec;
 		atime.it_value.tv_nsec -= now.tv_nsec;
-		timerfd_settime(intr_handle.fd, 0, &atime, NULL);
+		timerfd_settime(rte_intr_fd_get(intr_handle), 0, &atime, NULL);
 	}
 	rte_spinlock_unlock(&alarm_list_lk);
 }
@@ -140,7 +158,7 @@ rte_eal_alarm_set(uint64_t us, rte_eal_alarm_callback cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 	rte_spinlock_lock(&alarm_list_lk);
 	if (!handler_registered) {
 		/* registration can fail, callback can be registered later */
-		if (rte_intr_callback_register(&intr_handle,
+		if (rte_intr_callback_register(intr_handle,
 				eal_alarm_callback, NULL) == 0)
 			handler_registered = 1;
 	}
@@ -170,7 +188,7 @@ rte_eal_alarm_set(uint64_t us, rte_eal_alarm_callback cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 				.tv_nsec = (us % US_PER_S) * NS_PER_US,
 			},
 		};
-		ret |= timerfd_settime(intr_handle.fd, 0, &alarm_time, NULL);
+		ret |= timerfd_settime(rte_intr_fd_get(intr_handle), 0, &alarm_time, NULL);
 	}
 	rte_spinlock_unlock(&alarm_list_lk);
 
