diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 5fa598842..1def123be 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@ struct internal_config internal_config;
 /* used by rte_rdtsc() */
 int rte_cycles_vmware_tsc_map;
 
+/* Return mbuf pool name */
+const char *
+rte_eal_mbuf_default_mempool_ops(void)
+{
+	return internal_config.mbuf_pool_name;
+}
+
 /* Return a pointer to the configuration structure */
 struct rte_config *
 rte_eal_get_configuration(void)
@@ -385,6 +392,16 @@ eal_parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 			continue;
 
 		switch (opt) {
+		case OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS_NUM:
+			ret = snprintf(internal_config.mbuf_pool_name,
+					sizeof(internal_config.mbuf_pool_name),
+					"%s", optarg);
+			if (ret < 0 || (uint32_t)ret >=
+			    sizeof(internal_config.mbuf_pool_name)) {
+				ret = -1;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			break;
 		case 'h':
 			eal_usage(prgname);
 			exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index aac6fd776..172a28bbf 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -237,3 +237,10 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_service_unregister;
 
 } DPDK_17.08;
+
+DPDK_17.11 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_eal_mbuf_default_mempool_ops;
+
+} DPDK_17.08;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
index 1da185e59..78db639e2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ eal_long_options[] = {
 	{OPT_VFIO_INTR,         1, NULL, OPT_VFIO_INTR_NUM        },
 	{OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP,    0, NULL, OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP_NUM   },
 	{OPT_XEN_DOM0,          0, NULL, OPT_XEN_DOM0_NUM         },
+	{OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS,     1, NULL, OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS_NUM},
 	{0,                     0, NULL, 0                        }
 };
 
@@ -220,6 +221,9 @@ eal_reset_internal_config(struct internal_config *internal_cfg)
 #endif
 	internal_cfg->vmware_tsc_map = 0;
 	internal_cfg->create_uio_dev = 0;
+	snprintf(internal_cfg->mbuf_pool_name,
+		 sizeof(internal_cfg->mbuf_pool_name), "%s",
+		 RTE_MBUF_DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_OPS);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1309,5 +1313,6 @@ eal_common_usage(void)
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_PCI"            Disable PCI\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_HPET"           Disable HPET\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_SHCONF"         No shared config (mmap'd files)\n"
+	       "  --"OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS"     Pool ops name for mbuf to use\n"
 	       "\n", RTE_MAX_LCORE);
 }
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
index 7b7e8c887..e8a770a42 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ struct internal_config {
 	const char *hugefile_prefix;      /**< the base filename of hugetlbfs files */
 	const char *hugepage_dir;         /**< specific hugetlbfs directory to use */
 
+	char mbuf_pool_name[RTE_MBUF_POOL_OPS_NAMESIZE]; /**< mbuf pool name */
 	unsigned num_hugepage_sizes;      /**< how many sizes on this system */
 	struct hugepage_info hugepage_info[MAX_HUGEPAGE_SIZES];
 };
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
index 439a26104..9c893aa2d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ enum {
 	OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP_NUM,
 #define OPT_XEN_DOM0          "xen-dom0"
 	OPT_XEN_DOM0_NUM,
+#define OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS       "mbuf-pool-ops"
+	OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS_NUM,
 	OPT_LONG_MAX_NUM
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
index 0e7363d77..fcd212843 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
 /* Maximum thread_name length. */
 #define RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN 16
+/* Maximum length of mbuf pool ops name. */
+#define RTE_MBUF_POOL_OPS_NAMESIZE 32
 
 /**
  * The lcore role (used in RTE or not).
@@ -287,6 +289,15 @@ static inline int rte_gettid(void)
 	return RTE_PER_LCORE(_thread_id);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Ops to get default pool name for mbuf
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   returns default pool name.
+ */
+const char *
+rte_eal_mbuf_default_mempool_ops(void);
+
 #define RTE_INIT(func) \
 static void __attribute__((constructor, used)) func(void)
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 48f12f44c..99c2a14d4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -121,6 +121,13 @@ struct internal_config internal_config;
 /* used by rte_rdtsc() */
 int rte_cycles_vmware_tsc_map;
 
+/* Return mbuf pool name */
+const char *
+rte_eal_mbuf_default_mempool_ops(void)
+{
+	return internal_config.mbuf_pool_name;
+}
+
 /* Return a pointer to the configuration structure */
 struct rte_config *
 rte_eal_get_configuration(void)
@@ -610,6 +617,17 @@ eal_parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 			internal_config.create_uio_dev = 1;
 			break;
 
+		case OPT_MBUF_POOL_OPS_NUM:
+			ret = snprintf(internal_config.mbuf_pool_name,
+					sizeof(internal_config.mbuf_pool_name),
+					"%s", optarg);
+			if (ret < 0 || (uint32_t)ret >=
+			    sizeof(internal_config.mbuf_pool_name)) {
+				ret = -1;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			break;
+
 		default:
 			if (opt < OPT_LONG_MIN_NUM && isprint(opt)) {
 				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Option %c is not supported "
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 3a8f15406..5b48fcd37 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -242,3 +242,10 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_service_unregister;
 
 } DPDK_17.08;
+
+DPDK_17.11 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_eal_mbuf_default_mempool_ops;
+
+} DPDK_17.08;
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
index 26a62b8e1..e1fc90ef3 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ rte_pktmbuf_pool_create(const char *name, unsigned n,
 {
 	struct rte_mempool *mp;
 	struct rte_pktmbuf_pool_private mbp_priv;
+	const char *mp_name;
 	unsigned elt_size;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -176,8 +177,8 @@ rte_pktmbuf_pool_create(const char *name, unsigned n,
 	if (mp == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	ret = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(mp,
-		RTE_MBUF_DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_OPS, NULL);
+	mp_name = rte_eal_mbuf_default_mempool_ops();
+	ret = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(mp, mp_name, NULL);
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, MBUF, "error setting mempool handler\n");
 		rte_mempool_free(mp);
