diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
index fd6f0c0..6e81d37 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.c
@@ -225,11 +225,8 @@ mlx5_dev_close(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 		claim_zero(ibv_close_device(priv->ctx));
 	} else
 		assert(priv->ctx == NULL);
-	if (priv->rss_conf != NULL) {
-		for (i = 0; (i != hash_rxq_init_n); ++i)
-			rte_free((*priv->rss_conf)[i]);
-		rte_free(priv->rss_conf);
-	}
+	if (priv->rss_conf.rss_key != NULL)
+		rte_free(priv->rss_conf.rss_key);
 	if (priv->reta_idx != NULL)
 		rte_free(priv->reta_idx);
 	priv_socket_uninit(priv);
@@ -816,19 +813,6 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv, struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
 				priv->txq_inline = MLX5_WQE_SIZE_MAX -
 						   MLX5_WQE_SIZE;
 		}
-		/* Allocate and register default RSS hash keys. */
-		priv->rss_conf = rte_calloc(__func__, hash_rxq_init_n,
-					    sizeof((*priv->rss_conf)[0]), 0);
-		if (priv->rss_conf == NULL) {
-			err = ENOMEM;
-			goto port_error;
-		}
-		err = rss_hash_rss_conf_new_key(priv,
-						rss_hash_default_key,
-						rss_hash_default_key_len,
-						ETH_RSS_PROTO_MASK);
-		if (err)
-			goto port_error;
 		/* Configure the first MAC address by default. */
 		if (priv_get_mac(priv, &mac.addr_bytes)) {
 			ERROR("cannot get MAC address, is mlx5_en loaded?"
@@ -898,10 +882,8 @@ mlx5_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv, struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev)
 		continue;
 
 port_error:
-		if (priv) {
-			rte_free(priv->rss_conf);
+		if (priv)
 			rte_free(priv);
-		}
 		if (pd)
 			claim_zero(ibv_dealloc_pd(pd));
 		if (ctx)
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
index e83961f..4718506 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5.h
@@ -134,9 +134,7 @@ struct priv {
 	/* Hash RX QPs feeding the indirection table. */
 	struct hash_rxq (*hash_rxqs)[];
 	unsigned int hash_rxqs_n; /* Hash RX QPs array size. */
-	/* RSS configuration array indexed by hash RX queue type. */
-	struct rte_eth_rss_conf *(*rss_conf)[];
-	uint64_t rss_hf; /* RSS DPDK bit field of active RSS. */
+	struct rte_eth_rss_conf rss_conf; /* RSS configuration. */
 	struct rte_intr_handle intr_handle; /* Interrupt handler. */
 	unsigned int (*reta_idx)[]; /* RETA index table. */
 	unsigned int reta_idx_n; /* RETA index size. */
@@ -226,8 +224,6 @@ void mlx5_mac_addr_set(struct rte_eth_dev *, struct ether_addr *);
 
 /* mlx5_rss.c */
 
-int rss_hash_rss_conf_new_key(struct priv *, const uint8_t *, unsigned int,
-			      uint64_t);
 int mlx5_rss_hash_update(struct rte_eth_dev *, struct rte_eth_rss_conf *);
 int mlx5_rss_hash_conf_get(struct rte_eth_dev *, struct rte_eth_rss_conf *);
 int priv_rss_reta_index_resize(struct priv *, unsigned int);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
index 318bc9d..9f5b489 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_ethdev.c
@@ -575,8 +575,29 @@ dev_configure(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	unsigned int i;
 	unsigned int j;
 	unsigned int reta_idx_n;
+	const uint8_t use_app_rss_key =
+		!!dev->data->dev_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_key_len;
 
-	priv->rss_hf = dev->data->dev_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf;
+	if (use_app_rss_key &&
+	    (dev->data->dev_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_key_len !=
+	     rss_hash_default_key_len)) {
+		/* MLX5 RSS only support 40bytes key. */
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+	priv->rss_conf.rss_key =
+		rte_realloc(priv->rss_conf.rss_key,
+			    rss_hash_default_key_len, 0);
+	if (!priv->rss_conf.rss_key) {
+		ERROR("cannot allocate RSS hash key memory (%u)", rxqs_n);
+		return ENOMEM;
+	}
+	memcpy(priv->rss_conf.rss_key,
+	       use_app_rss_key ?
+	       dev->data->dev_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_key :
+	       rss_hash_default_key,
+	       rss_hash_default_key_len);
+	priv->rss_conf.rss_key_len = rss_hash_default_key_len;
+	priv->rss_conf.rss_hf = dev->data->dev_conf.rx_adv_conf.rss_conf.rss_hf;
 	priv->rxqs = (void *)dev->data->rx_queues;
 	priv->txqs = (void *)dev->data->tx_queues;
 	if (txqs_n != priv->txqs_n) {
@@ -694,9 +715,7 @@ mlx5_dev_infos_get(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_eth_dev_info *info)
 		info->if_index = if_nametoindex(ifname);
 	info->reta_size = priv->reta_idx_n ?
 		priv->reta_idx_n : priv->ind_table_max_size;
-	info->hash_key_size = ((*priv->rss_conf) ?
-			       (*priv->rss_conf)[0]->rss_key_len :
-			       0);
+	info->hash_key_size = priv->rss_conf.rss_key_len;
 	info->speed_capa = priv->link_speed_capa;
 	priv_unlock(priv);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c
index 8942879..ad6d9ab 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rss.c
@@ -54,74 +54,6 @@
 #include "mlx5_rxtx.h"
 
 /**
- * Get a RSS configuration hash key.
- *
- * @param priv
- *   Pointer to private structure.
- * @param rss_hf
- *   RSS hash functions configuration must be retrieved for.
- *
- * @return
- *   Pointer to a RSS configuration structure or NULL if rss_hf cannot
- *   be matched.
- */
-static struct rte_eth_rss_conf *
-rss_hash_get(struct priv *priv, uint64_t rss_hf)
-{
-	unsigned int i;
-
-	for (i = 0; (i != hash_rxq_init_n); ++i) {
-		uint64_t dpdk_rss_hf = hash_rxq_init[i].dpdk_rss_hf;
-
-		if (!(dpdk_rss_hf & rss_hf))
-			continue;
-		return (*priv->rss_conf)[i];
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-/**
- * Register a RSS key.
- *
- * @param priv
- *   Pointer to private structure.
- * @param key
- *   Hash key to register.
- * @param key_len
- *   Hash key length in bytes.
- * @param rss_hf
- *   RSS hash functions the provided key applies to.
- *
- * @return
- *   0 on success, errno value on failure.
- */
-int
-rss_hash_rss_conf_new_key(struct priv *priv, const uint8_t *key,
-			  unsigned int key_len, uint64_t rss_hf)
-{
-	unsigned int i;
-
-	for (i = 0; (i != hash_rxq_init_n); ++i) {
-		struct rte_eth_rss_conf *rss_conf;
-		uint64_t dpdk_rss_hf = hash_rxq_init[i].dpdk_rss_hf;
-
-		if (!(dpdk_rss_hf & rss_hf))
-			continue;
-		rss_conf = rte_realloc((*priv->rss_conf)[i],
-				       (sizeof(*rss_conf) + key_len),
-				       0);
-		if (!rss_conf)
-			return ENOMEM;
-		rss_conf->rss_key = (void *)(rss_conf + 1);
-		rss_conf->rss_key_len = key_len;
-		rss_conf->rss_hf = dpdk_rss_hf;
-		memcpy(rss_conf->rss_key, key, key_len);
-		(*priv->rss_conf)[i] = rss_conf;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
-/**
  * DPDK callback to update the RSS hash configuration.
  *
  * @param dev
@@ -137,23 +69,24 @@ mlx5_rss_hash_update(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 		     struct rte_eth_rss_conf *rss_conf)
 {
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
-	int err = 0;
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	priv_lock(priv);
-
-	assert(priv->rss_conf != NULL);
-
-	/* Apply configuration. */
-	if (rss_conf->rss_key)
-		err = rss_hash_rss_conf_new_key(priv,
-						rss_conf->rss_key,
-						rss_conf->rss_key_len,
-						rss_conf->rss_hf);
-	/* Store protocols for which RSS is enabled. */
-	priv->rss_hf = rss_conf->rss_hf;
+	if (rss_conf->rss_key_len) {
+		priv->rss_conf.rss_key = rte_realloc(priv->rss_conf.rss_key,
+						     rss_conf->rss_key_len, 0);
+		if (!priv->rss_conf.rss_key) {
+			ret = -ENOMEM;
+			goto out;
+		}
+		memcpy(&priv->rss_conf.rss_key, rss_conf->rss_key,
+		       rss_conf->rss_key_len);
+		priv->rss_conf.rss_key_len = rss_conf->rss_key_len;
+	}
+	priv->rss_conf.rss_hf = rss_conf->rss_hf;
+out:
 	priv_unlock(priv);
-	assert(err >= 0);
-	return -err;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -172,28 +105,22 @@ mlx5_rss_hash_conf_get(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 		       struct rte_eth_rss_conf *rss_conf)
 {
 	struct priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
-	struct rte_eth_rss_conf *priv_rss_conf;
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	priv_lock(priv);
-
-	assert(priv->rss_conf != NULL);
-
-	priv_rss_conf = rss_hash_get(priv, rss_conf->rss_hf);
-	if (!priv_rss_conf) {
-		rss_conf->rss_hf = 0;
-		priv_unlock(priv);
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (!rss_conf->rss_key) {
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out;
 	}
-	if (rss_conf->rss_key &&
-	    rss_conf->rss_key_len >= priv_rss_conf->rss_key_len)
-		memcpy(rss_conf->rss_key,
-		       priv_rss_conf->rss_key,
-		       priv_rss_conf->rss_key_len);
-	rss_conf->rss_key_len = priv_rss_conf->rss_key_len;
-	rss_conf->rss_hf = priv_rss_conf->rss_hf;
-
+	if (rss_conf->rss_key_len < priv->rss_conf.rss_key_len) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+	memcpy(rss_conf->rss_key, priv->rss_conf.rss_key,
+	       priv->rss_conf.rss_key_len);
+out:
 	priv_unlock(priv);
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c
index c603d2b..d37dfbb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_rxq.c
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ priv_make_ind_table_init(struct priv *priv,
 	/* Mandatory to receive frames not handled by normal hash RX queues. */
 	unsigned int hash_types_sup = 1 << HASH_RXQ_ETH;
 
-	rss_hf = priv->rss_hf;
+	rss_hf = priv->rss_conf.rss_hf;
 	/* Process other protocols only if more than one queue. */
 	if (priv->rxqs_n > 1)
 		for (i = 0; (i != hash_rxq_init_n); ++i)
@@ -435,8 +435,7 @@ priv_create_hash_rxqs(struct priv *priv)
 		struct hash_rxq *hash_rxq = &(*hash_rxqs)[i];
 		enum hash_rxq_type type =
 			hash_rxq_type_from_pos(&ind_table_init[j], k);
-		struct rte_eth_rss_conf *priv_rss_conf =
-			(*priv->rss_conf)[type];
+		struct rte_eth_rss_conf *priv_rss_conf = &priv->rss_conf;
 		struct ibv_rx_hash_conf hash_conf = {
 			.rx_hash_function = IBV_RX_HASH_FUNC_TOEPLITZ,
 			.rx_hash_key_len = (priv_rss_conf ?
