diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.c b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.c
index fcf76c9..f18c714 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.c
@@ -39,8 +39,12 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 
 #include <rte_errno.h>
+#include <rte_malloc.h>
+#include <rte_memory.h>
 
 #include "mlx4_utils.h"
 
@@ -64,3 +68,150 @@ mlx4_fd_set_non_blocking(int fd)
 	rte_errno = errno;
 	return -rte_errno;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Internal helper to allocate memory once for several disparate objects.
+ *
+ * The most restrictive alignment constraint for standard objects is assumed
+ * to be sizeof(double) and is used as a default value.
+ *
+ * C11 code would include stdalign.h and use alignof(max_align_t) however
+ * we'll stick with C99 for the time being.
+ */
+static inline size_t
+mlx4_mallocv_inline(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+		    unsigned int cnt, int zero, int socket)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+	size_t size;
+	size_t least;
+	uint8_t *data = NULL;
+	int fill = !vec[0].addr;
+
+fill:
+	size = 0;
+	least = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i < cnt; ++i) {
+		size_t align = (uintptr_t)vec[i].align;
+
+		if (!align) {
+			align = sizeof(double);
+		} else if (!rte_is_power_of_2(align)) {
+			rte_errno = EINVAL;
+			goto error;
+		}
+		if (least < align)
+			least = align;
+		align = RTE_ALIGN_CEIL(size, align);
+		size = align + vec[i].size;
+		if (fill && vec[i].addr)
+			*vec[i].addr = data + align;
+	}
+	if (fill)
+		return size;
+	if (!zero)
+		data = rte_malloc_socket(type, size, least, socket);
+	else
+		data = rte_zmalloc_socket(type, size, least, socket);
+	if (data) {
+		fill = 1;
+		goto fill;
+	}
+	rte_errno = ENOMEM;
+error:
+	for (i = 0; i != cnt; ++i)
+		if (vec[i].addr)
+			*vec[i].addr = NULL;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Allocate memory once for several disparate objects.
+ *
+ * This function adds iovec-like semantics (e.g. readv()) to rte_malloc().
+ * Memory is allocated once for several contiguous objects of nonuniform
+ * sizes and alignment constraints.
+ *
+ * Each entry of @p vec describes the size, alignment constraint and
+ * provides a buffer address where the resulting object pointer must be
+ * stored.
+ *
+ * The buffer of the first entry is guaranteed to point to the beginning of
+ * the allocated region and is safe to use with rte_free().
+ *
+ * NULL buffers are silently ignored.
+ *
+ * Providing a NULL buffer in the first entry prevents this function from
+ * allocating any memory but has otherwise no effect on its behavior. In
+ * this case, the contents of remaining non-NULL buffers are updated with
+ * addresses relative to zero (i.e. offsets that would have been used during
+ * the allocation).
+ *
+ * @param[in] type
+ *   A string identifying the type of allocated objects (useful for debug
+ *   purposes, such as identifying the cause of a memory leak). Can be NULL.
+ * @param[in, out] vec
+ *   Description of objects to allocate memory for.
+ * @param cnt
+ *   Number of entries in @p vec.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Size in bytes of the allocated region including any padding. In case of
+ *   error, rte_errno is set, 0 is returned and NULL is stored in the
+ *   non-NULL buffers pointed by @p vec.
+ *
+ * @see struct mlx4_malloc_vec
+ * @see rte_malloc()
+ */
+size_t
+mlx4_mallocv(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+	     unsigned int cnt)
+{
+	return mlx4_mallocv_inline(type, vec, cnt, 0, SOCKET_ID_ANY);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Combines the semantics of mlx4_mallocv() with those of rte_zmalloc().
+ *
+ * @see mlx4_mallocv()
+ * @see rte_zmalloc()
+ */
+size_t
+mlx4_zmallocv(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+	      unsigned int cnt)
+{
+	return mlx4_mallocv_inline(type, vec, cnt, 1, SOCKET_ID_ANY);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Socket-aware version of mlx4_mallocv().
+ *
+ * This function takes one additional parameter.
+ *
+ * @param socket
+ *   NUMA socket to allocate memory on. If SOCKET_ID_ANY is used, this
+ *   function will behave the same as mlx4_mallocv().
+ *
+ * @see mlx4_mallocv()
+ * @see rte_malloc_socket()
+ */
+size_t
+mlx4_mallocv_socket(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+		    unsigned int cnt, int socket)
+{
+	return mlx4_mallocv_inline(type, vec, cnt, 0, socket);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Combines the semantics of mlx4_mallocv_socket() with those of
+ * mlx4_zmalloc_socket().
+ *
+ * @see mlx4_mallocv_socket()
+ * @see rte_zmalloc_socket()
+ */
+size_t
+mlx4_zmallocv_socket(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+		     unsigned int cnt, int socket)
+{
+	return mlx4_mallocv_inline(type, vec, cnt, 1, socket);
+}
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.h b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.h
index 13f731a..bebd4ae 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/mlx4_utils.h
@@ -110,8 +110,23 @@ pmd_drv_log_basename(const char *s)
 /** Similar to MLX4_STR() with enclosed macros expanded first. */
 #define MLX4_STR_EXPAND(...) MLX4_STR(__VA_ARGS__)
 
+/** Object description used with mlx4_mallocv() and similar functions. */
+struct mlx4_malloc_vec {
+	size_t align; /**< Alignment constraint (power of 2), 0 if unknown. */
+	size_t size; /**< Object size. */
+	void **addr; /**< Storage for allocation address. */
+};
+
 /* mlx4_utils.c */
 
 int mlx4_fd_set_non_blocking(int fd);
+size_t mlx4_mallocv(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+		    unsigned int cnt);
+size_t mlx4_zmallocv(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+		     unsigned int cnt);
+size_t mlx4_mallocv_socket(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+			   unsigned int cnt, int socket);
+size_t mlx4_zmallocv_socket(const char *type, const struct mlx4_malloc_vec *vec,
+			    unsigned int cnt, int socket);
 
 #endif /* MLX4_UTILS_H_ */
