diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_memory.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_memory.c
index cc7d54e0c..d9764681a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_memory.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_memory.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "eal_private.h"
 #include "eal_internal_cfg.h"
 #include "eal_memcfg.h"
+#include "eal_options.h"
 #include "malloc_heap.h"
 
 /*
@@ -182,6 +183,59 @@ eal_get_virtual_area(void *requested_addr, size_t *size,
 	return aligned_addr;
 }
 
+int
+eal_reserve_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl,
+		enum eal_mem_reserve_flags flags)
+{
+	uint64_t page_sz;
+	size_t mem_sz;
+	void *addr;
+
+	page_sz = msl->page_sz;
+	mem_sz = page_sz * msl->memseg_arr.len;
+
+	addr = eal_get_virtual_area(msl->base_va, &mem_sz, page_sz, 0, flags);
+	if (addr == NULL) {
+		if (rte_errno == EADDRNOTAVAIL)
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot reserve %llu bytes at [%p] - "
+				"please use '--" OPT_BASE_VIRTADDR "' option\n",
+				(unsigned long long)mem_sz, msl->base_va);
+		else
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot reserve memory\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	msl->base_va = addr;
+	msl->len = mem_sz;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+eal_alloc_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl, uint64_t page_sz,
+		int n_segs, int socket_id, int type_msl_idx, bool heap)
+{
+	char name[RTE_FBARRAY_NAME_LEN];
+
+	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), MEMSEG_LIST_FMT, page_sz >> 10, socket_id,
+		 type_msl_idx);
+	if (rte_fbarray_init(&msl->memseg_arr, name, n_segs,
+			sizeof(struct rte_memseg))) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot allocate memseg list: %s\n",
+			rte_strerror(rte_errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	msl->page_sz = page_sz;
+	msl->socket_id = socket_id;
+	msl->base_va = NULL;
+	msl->heap = heap;
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Memseg list allocated: 0x%zxkB at socket %i\n",
+			(size_t)page_sz >> 10, socket_id);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static struct rte_memseg *
 virt2memseg(const void *addr, const struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
index 1e89338f2..76938e379 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
@@ -246,6 +246,40 @@ void *
 eal_get_virtual_area(void *requested_addr, size_t *size, size_t page_sz,
 	int flags, int mmap_flags);
 
+/**
+ * Reserve VA space for a memory segment list.
+ *
+ * @param msl
+ *  Memory segment list with page size defined.
+ * @param flags
+ *  Extra memory reservation flags. Can be 0 if unnecessary.
+ * @return
+ *  0 on success, (-1) on failure and rte_errno is set.
+ */
+int
+eal_reserve_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl,
+	enum eal_mem_reserve_flags flags);
+
+/**
+ * Initialize a memory segment list with its backing storage.
+ *
+ * @param msl
+ *  Memory segment list to be filled.
+ * @param page_sz
+ *  Size of segment pages in the MSL.
+ * @param n_segs
+ *  Number of segments.
+ * @param socket_id
+ *  Socket ID. Must not be SOCKET_ID_ANY.
+ * @param type_msl_idx
+ *  Index of the MSL among other MSLs of the same socket and page size.
+ * @param heap
+ *  Mark MSL as pointing to a heap.
+ */
+int
+eal_alloc_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl, uint64_t page_sz,
+	int n_segs, int socket_id, int type_msl_idx, bool heap);
+
 /**
  * Get cpu core_id.
  *
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal_memory.c b/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal_memory.c
index a97d8f0f0..5174f9cd0 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal_memory.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal_memory.c
@@ -336,61 +336,23 @@ get_mem_amount(uint64_t page_sz, uint64_t max_mem)
 	return RTE_ALIGN(area_sz, page_sz);
 }
 
-#define MEMSEG_LIST_FMT "memseg-%" PRIu64 "k-%i-%i"
 static int
-alloc_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl, uint64_t page_sz,
+memseg_list_alloc(struct rte_memseg_list *msl, uint64_t page_sz,
 		int n_segs, int socket_id, int type_msl_idx)
 {
-	char name[RTE_FBARRAY_NAME_LEN];
-
-	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), MEMSEG_LIST_FMT, page_sz >> 10, socket_id,
-		 type_msl_idx);
-	if (rte_fbarray_init(&msl->memseg_arr, name, n_segs,
-			sizeof(struct rte_memseg))) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot allocate memseg list: %s\n",
-			rte_strerror(rte_errno));
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	msl->page_sz = page_sz;
-	msl->socket_id = socket_id;
-	msl->base_va = NULL;
-
-	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Memseg list allocated: 0x%zxkB at socket %i\n",
-			(size_t)page_sz >> 10, socket_id);
-
-	return 0;
+	return eal_alloc_memseg_list(
+		msl, page_sz, n_segs, socket_id, type_msl_idx, false);
 }
 
 static int
-alloc_va_space(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
+memseg_list_reserve(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
 {
-	uint64_t page_sz;
-	size_t mem_sz;
-	void *addr;
-	int flags = 0;
+	enum eal_reserve_flags flags = 0;
 
 #ifdef RTE_ARCH_PPC_64
-	flags |= MAP_HUGETLB;
+	flags |= EAL_RESERVE_HUGEPAGES;
 #endif
-
-	page_sz = msl->page_sz;
-	mem_sz = page_sz * msl->memseg_arr.len;
-
-	addr = eal_get_virtual_area(msl->base_va, &mem_sz, page_sz, 0, flags);
-	if (addr == NULL) {
-		if (rte_errno == EADDRNOTAVAIL)
-			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Could not mmap %llu bytes at [%p] - "
-				"please use '--" OPT_BASE_VIRTADDR "' option\n",
-				(unsigned long long)mem_sz, msl->base_va);
-		else
-			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot reserve memory\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-	msl->base_va = addr;
-	msl->len = mem_sz;
-
-	return 0;
+	return eal_reserve_memseg_list(msl, flags);
 }
 
 
@@ -479,7 +441,7 @@ memseg_primary_init(void)
 					cur_max_mem);
 			n_segs = cur_mem / hugepage_sz;
 
-			if (alloc_memseg_list(msl, hugepage_sz, n_segs,
+			if (memseg_list_alloc(msl, hugepage_sz, n_segs,
 					0, type_msl_idx))
 				return -1;
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal_memory.c b/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal_memory.c
index 7a9c97ff8..a01a7ce76 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal_memory.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal_memory.c
@@ -802,7 +802,7 @@ get_mem_amount(uint64_t page_sz, uint64_t max_mem)
 }
 
 static int
-free_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
+memseg_list_free(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
 {
 	if (rte_fbarray_destroy(&msl->memseg_arr)) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot destroy memseg list\n");
@@ -812,58 +812,18 @@ free_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-#define MEMSEG_LIST_FMT "memseg-%" PRIu64 "k-%i-%i"
 static int
-alloc_memseg_list(struct rte_memseg_list *msl, uint64_t page_sz,
+memseg_list_alloc(struct rte_memseg_list *msl, uint64_t page_sz,
 		int n_segs, int socket_id, int type_msl_idx)
 {
-	char name[RTE_FBARRAY_NAME_LEN];
-
-	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), MEMSEG_LIST_FMT, page_sz >> 10, socket_id,
-		 type_msl_idx);
-	if (rte_fbarray_init(&msl->memseg_arr, name, n_segs,
-			sizeof(struct rte_memseg))) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot allocate memseg list: %s\n",
-			rte_strerror(rte_errno));
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	msl->page_sz = page_sz;
-	msl->socket_id = socket_id;
-	msl->base_va = NULL;
-	msl->heap = 1; /* mark it as a heap segment */
-
-	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Memseg list allocated: 0x%zxkB at socket %i\n",
-			(size_t)page_sz >> 10, socket_id);
-
-	return 0;
+	return eal_alloc_memseg_list(
+		msl, page_sz, n_segs, socket_id, type_msl_idx, true);
 }
 
 static int
-alloc_va_space(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
+memseg_list_reserve(struct rte_memseg_list *msl)
 {
-	uint64_t page_sz;
-	size_t mem_sz;
-	void *addr;
-	int flags = 0;
-
-	page_sz = msl->page_sz;
-	mem_sz = page_sz * msl->memseg_arr.len;
-
-	addr = eal_get_virtual_area(msl->base_va, &mem_sz, page_sz, 0, flags);
-	if (addr == NULL) {
-		if (rte_errno == EADDRNOTAVAIL)
-			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Could not mmap %llu bytes at [%p] - "
-				"please use '--" OPT_BASE_VIRTADDR "' option\n",
-				(unsigned long long)mem_sz, msl->base_va);
-		else
-			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot reserve memory\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-	msl->base_va = addr;
-	msl->len = mem_sz;
-
-	return 0;
+	return eal_reserve_memseg_list(msl, 0);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1009,12 +969,12 @@ prealloc_segments(struct hugepage_file *hugepages, int n_pages)
 			}
 
 			/* now, allocate fbarray itself */
-			if (alloc_memseg_list(msl, page_sz, n_segs, socket,
+			if (memseg_list_alloc(msl, page_sz, n_segs, socket,
 						msl_idx) < 0)
 				return -1;
 
 			/* finally, allocate VA space */
-			if (alloc_va_space(msl) < 0)
+			if (memseg_list_reserve(msl) < 0)
 				return -1;
 		}
 	}
@@ -2191,7 +2151,7 @@ memseg_primary_init_32(void)
 						max_pagesz_mem);
 				n_segs = cur_mem / hugepage_sz;
 
-				if (alloc_memseg_list(msl, hugepage_sz, n_segs,
+				if (memseg_list_alloc(msl, hugepage_sz, n_segs,
 						socket_id, type_msl_idx)) {
 					/* failing to allocate a memseg list is
 					 * a serious error.
@@ -2200,13 +2160,13 @@ memseg_primary_init_32(void)
 					return -1;
 				}
 
-				if (alloc_va_space(msl)) {
+				if (memseg_list_reserve(msl)) {
 					/* if we couldn't allocate VA space, we
 					 * can try with smaller page sizes.
 					 */
 					RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot allocate VA space for memseg list, retrying with different page size\n");
 					/* deallocate memseg list */
-					if (free_memseg_list(msl))
+					if (memseg_list_free(msl))
 						return -1;
 					break;
 				}
@@ -2395,11 +2355,11 @@ memseg_primary_init(void)
 			}
 			msl = &mcfg->memsegs[msl_idx++];
 
-			if (alloc_memseg_list(msl, pagesz, n_segs,
+			if (memseg_list_alloc(msl, pagesz, n_segs,
 					socket_id, cur_seglist))
 				goto out;
 
-			if (alloc_va_space(msl)) {
+			if (memseg_list_reserve(msl)) {
 				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot allocate VA space for memseg list\n");
 				goto out;
 			}
@@ -2433,7 +2393,7 @@ memseg_secondary_init(void)
 		}
 
 		/* preallocate VA space */
-		if (alloc_va_space(msl)) {
+		if (memseg_list_reserve(msl)) {
 			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot preallocate VA space for hugepage memory\n");
 			return -1;
 		}
