diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
index 1339f54f5f..20aa745b77 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
@@ -65,11 +65,6 @@ Deprecation Notices
   structure would be made internal (or removed if all dependencies are cleared)
   in future releases.
 
-* mempool: starting from v20.05, the API of rte_mempool_populate_iova()
-  and rte_mempool_populate_virt() will change to return 0 instead
-  of -EINVAL when there is not enough room to store one object. The ABI
-  will be preserved until 20.11.
-
 * ethdev: the legacy filter API, including
   ``rte_eth_dev_filter_supported()``, ``rte_eth_dev_filter_ctrl()`` as well
   as filter types MACVLAN, ETHERTYPE, FLEXIBLE, SYN, NTUPLE, TUNNEL, FDIR,
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_20_05.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_20_05.rst
index b124c3f287..ab20a7d021 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_20_05.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_20_05.rst
@@ -241,6 +241,10 @@ API Changes
    Also, make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
    =========================================================
 
+* mempool: The API of ``rte_mempool_populate_iova()`` and
+  ``rte_mempool_populate_virt()`` changed to return 0 instead of -EINVAL
+  when there is not enough room to store one object.
+
 
 ABI Changes
 -----------
diff --git a/examples/ntb/ntb_fwd.c b/examples/ntb/ntb_fwd.c
index d49189e175..eba8ebf9fa 100644
--- a/examples/ntb/ntb_fwd.c
+++ b/examples/ntb/ntb_fwd.c
@@ -1319,7 +1319,7 @@ ntb_mbuf_pool_create(uint16_t mbuf_seg_size, uint32_t nb_mbuf,
 					mz->len - ntb_info.ntb_hdr_size,
 					ntb_mempool_mz_free,
 					(void *)(uintptr_t)mz);
-		if (ret < 0) {
+		if (ret <= 0) {
 			rte_memzone_free(mz);
 			rte_mempool_free(mp);
 			return NULL;
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/meson.build b/lib/librte_mempool/meson.build
index a6e861cbfc..7dbe6b9bea 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/meson.build
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ foreach flag: extra_flags
 	endif
 endforeach
 
+use_function_versioning = true
+
 sources = files('rte_mempool.c', 'rte_mempool_ops.c',
 		'rte_mempool_ops_default.c', 'mempool_trace_points.c')
 headers = files('rte_mempool.h', 'rte_mempool_trace.h',
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c
index 0be8f9f59d..0a6119d6ad 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <rte_string_fns.h>
 #include <rte_spinlock.h>
 #include <rte_tailq.h>
+#include <rte_function_versioning.h>
 
 #include "rte_mempool.h"
 #include "rte_mempool_trace.h"
@@ -303,12 +304,17 @@ mempool_ops_alloc_once(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20_0_2(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
+	rte_iova_t iova, size_t len, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+	void *opaque);
+
 /* Add objects in the pool, using a physically contiguous memory
  * zone. Return the number of objects added, or a negative value
  * on error.
  */
-static int
-__rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20_0_2(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
 	rte_iova_t iova, size_t len, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
 	void *opaque)
 {
@@ -359,6 +365,8 @@ __rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
 
 	STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&mp->mem_list, memhdr, next);
 	mp->nb_mem_chunks++;
+
+	rte_mempool_trace_populate_iova(mp, vaddr, iova, len, free_cb, opaque);
 	return i;
 
 fail:
@@ -366,21 +374,34 @@ __rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int
-rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
+BIND_DEFAULT_SYMBOL(rte_mempool_populate_iova, _v20_0_2, 20.0.2);
+MAP_STATIC_SYMBOL(
+	int rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
+				rte_iova_t iova, size_t len,
+				rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+				void *opaque),
+	rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20_0_2);
+
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
+	rte_iova_t iova, size_t len, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+	void *opaque);
+
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
 	rte_iova_t iova, size_t len, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
 	void *opaque)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = __rte_mempool_populate_iova(mp, vaddr, iova, len, free_cb,
+	ret = rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20_0_2(mp, vaddr, iova, len, free_cb,
 					opaque);
 	if (ret == 0)
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 
-	rte_mempool_trace_populate_iova(mp, vaddr, iova, len, free_cb, opaque);
 	return ret;
 }
+VERSION_SYMBOL(rte_mempool_populate_iova, _v20_0, 20.0);
 
 static rte_iova_t
 get_iova(void *addr)
@@ -395,11 +416,16 @@ get_iova(void *addr)
 	return ms->iova + RTE_PTR_DIFF(addr, ms->addr);
 }
 
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_virt_v20_0_2(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
+	size_t len, size_t pg_sz, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+	void *opaque);
+
 /* Populate the mempool with a virtual area. Return the number of
  * objects added, or a negative value on error.
  */
-int
-rte_mempool_populate_virt(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_virt_v20_0_2(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
 	size_t len, size_t pg_sz, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
 	void *opaque)
 {
@@ -432,7 +458,7 @@ rte_mempool_populate_virt(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
 				break;
 		}
 
-		ret = __rte_mempool_populate_iova(mp, addr + off, iova,
+		ret = rte_mempool_populate_iova_v20_0_2(mp, addr + off, iova,
 			phys_len, free_cb, opaque);
 		if (ret == 0)
 			continue;
@@ -443,9 +469,6 @@ rte_mempool_populate_virt(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
 		cnt += ret;
 	}
 
-	if (cnt == 0)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	rte_mempool_trace_populate_virt(mp, addr, len, pg_sz, free_cb, opaque);
 	return cnt;
 
@@ -453,6 +476,35 @@ rte_mempool_populate_virt(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
 	rte_mempool_free_memchunks(mp);
 	return ret;
 }
+BIND_DEFAULT_SYMBOL(rte_mempool_populate_virt, _v20_0_2, 20.0.2);
+MAP_STATIC_SYMBOL(
+	int rte_mempool_populate_virt(struct rte_mempool *mp,
+				char *addr, size_t len, size_t pg_sz,
+				rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+				void *opaque),
+	rte_mempool_populate_virt_v20_0_2);
+
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_virt_v20(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
+	size_t len, size_t pg_sz, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+	void *opaque);
+
+__vsym int
+rte_mempool_populate_virt_v20(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
+	size_t len, size_t pg_sz, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
+	void *opaque)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = rte_mempool_populate_virt_v20_0_2(mp, addr, len, pg_sz,
+						free_cb, opaque);
+
+	if (ret == 0)
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+VERSION_SYMBOL(rte_mempool_populate_virt, _v20_0, 20.0);
 
 /* Get the minimal page size used in a mempool before populating it. */
 int
@@ -609,6 +661,8 @@ rte_mempool_populate_default(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 				mz->len, pg_sz,
 				rte_mempool_memchunk_mz_free,
 				(void *)(uintptr_t)mz);
+		if (ret == 0) /* should not happen */
+			ret = -ENOBUFS;
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			rte_memzone_free(mz);
 			goto fail;
@@ -701,6 +755,8 @@ rte_mempool_populate_anon(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 
 	ret = rte_mempool_populate_virt(mp, addr, size, getpagesize(),
 		rte_mempool_memchunk_anon_free, addr);
+	if (ret == 0) /* should not happen */
+		ret = -ENOBUFS;
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		rte_errno = -ret;
 		goto fail;
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h
index 6e0573ea42..652d19f9f1 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h
@@ -1112,9 +1112,12 @@ rte_mempool_free(struct rte_mempool *mp);
  * @param opaque
  *   An opaque argument passed to free_cb.
  * @return
- *   The number of objects added on success.
+ *   The number of objects added on success (strictly positive).
  *   On error, the chunk is not added in the memory list of the
- *   mempool and a negative errno is returned.
+ *   mempool the following code is returned:
+ *     (0): not enough room in chunk for one object.
+ *     (-ENOSPC): mempool is already populated.
+ *     (-ENOMEM): allocation failure.
  */
 int rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
 	rte_iova_t iova, size_t len, rte_mempool_memchunk_free_cb_t *free_cb,
@@ -1139,9 +1142,12 @@ int rte_mempool_populate_iova(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
  * @param opaque
  *   An opaque argument passed to free_cb.
  * @return
- *   The number of objects added on success.
+ *   The number of objects added on success (strictly positive).
  *   On error, the chunk is not added in the memory list of the
- *   mempool and a negative errno is returned.
+ *   mempool the following code is returned:
+ *     (0): not enough room in chunk for one object.
+ *     (-ENOSPC): mempool is already populated.
+ *     (-ENOMEM): allocation failure.
  */
 int
 rte_mempool_populate_virt(struct rte_mempool *mp, char *addr,
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map
index 695dd6e04f..9e58093665 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ DPDK_20.0 {
 	local: *;
 };
 
+DPDK_20.0.2 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_mempool_populate_iova;
+	rte_mempool_populate_virt;
+} DPDK_20.0;
+
 EXPERIMENTAL {
 	global:
 
