diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_dpi.c b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_dpi.c
index 23b2cc41a4..93c8318a3d 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_dpi.c
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_dpi.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ roc_dpi_configure(struct roc_dpi *roc_dpi)
 
 	memset(&aura, 0, sizeof(aura));
 	rc = roc_npa_pool_create(&aura_handle, DPI_CMD_QUEUE_SIZE,
-				 DPI_CMD_QUEUE_BUFS, &aura, &pool);
+				 DPI_CMD_QUEUE_BUFS, &aura, &pool, 0);
 	if (rc) {
 		plt_err("Failed to create NPA pool, err %d\n", rc);
 		return rc;
diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_nix_queue.c b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_nix_queue.c
index 692b13415a..70b4516eca 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_nix_queue.c
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_nix_queue.c
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ sqb_pool_populate(struct roc_nix *roc_nix, struct roc_nix_sq *sq)
 	aura.fc_addr = (uint64_t)sq->fc;
 	aura.fc_hyst_bits = 0; /* Store count on all updates */
 	rc = roc_npa_pool_create(&sq->aura_handle, blk_sz, nb_sqb_bufs, &aura,
-				 &pool);
+				 &pool, 0);
 	if (rc)
 		goto fail;
 
diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.c b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.c
index 1e60f443f0..760a2315b2 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.c
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.c
@@ -260,16 +260,60 @@ bitmap_ctzll(uint64_t slab)
 	return __builtin_ctzll(slab);
 }
 
+static int
+find_free_aura(struct npa_lf *lf, uint32_t flags)
+{
+	struct plt_bitmap *bmp = lf->npa_bmp;
+	uint64_t aura0_state = 0;
+	uint64_t slab;
+	uint32_t pos;
+	int idx = -1;
+	int rc;
+
+	if (flags & ROC_NPA_ZERO_AURA_F) {
+		/* Only look for zero aura */
+		if (plt_bitmap_get(bmp, 0))
+			return 0;
+		plt_err("Zero aura already in use");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	if (lf->zero_aura_rsvd) {
+		/* Save and clear zero aura bit if needed */
+		aura0_state = plt_bitmap_get(bmp, 0);
+		if (aura0_state)
+			plt_bitmap_clear(bmp, 0);
+	}
+
+	pos = 0;
+	slab = 0;
+	/* Scan from the beginning */
+	plt_bitmap_scan_init(bmp);
+	/* Scan bitmap to get the free pool */
+	rc = plt_bitmap_scan(bmp, &pos, &slab);
+	/* Empty bitmap */
+	if (rc == 0) {
+		plt_err("Aura's exhausted");
+		goto empty;
+	}
+
+	idx = pos + bitmap_ctzll(slab);
+empty:
+	if (lf->zero_aura_rsvd && aura0_state)
+		plt_bitmap_set(bmp, 0);
+
+	return idx;
+}
+
 static int
 npa_aura_pool_pair_alloc(struct npa_lf *lf, const uint32_t block_size,
 			 const uint32_t block_count, struct npa_aura_s *aura,
-			 struct npa_pool_s *pool, uint64_t *aura_handle)
+			 struct npa_pool_s *pool, uint64_t *aura_handle,
+			 uint32_t flags)
 {
 	int rc, aura_id, pool_id, stack_size, alloc_size;
 	char name[PLT_MEMZONE_NAMESIZE];
 	const struct plt_memzone *mz;
-	uint64_t slab;
-	uint32_t pos;
 
 	/* Sanity check */
 	if (!lf || !block_size || !block_count || !pool || !aura ||
@@ -281,20 +325,11 @@ npa_aura_pool_pair_alloc(struct npa_lf *lf, const uint32_t block_size,
 	    block_size > ROC_NPA_MAX_BLOCK_SZ)
 		return NPA_ERR_INVALID_BLOCK_SZ;
 
-	pos = 0;
-	slab = 0;
-	/* Scan from the beginning */
-	plt_bitmap_scan_init(lf->npa_bmp);
-	/* Scan bitmap to get the free pool */
-	rc = plt_bitmap_scan(lf->npa_bmp, &pos, &slab);
-	/* Empty bitmap */
-	if (rc == 0) {
-		plt_err("Mempools exhausted");
-		return NPA_ERR_AURA_ID_ALLOC;
-	}
-
 	/* Get aura_id from resource bitmap */
-	aura_id = pos + bitmap_ctzll(slab);
+	aura_id = find_free_aura(lf, flags);
+	if (aura_id < 0)
+		return NPA_ERR_AURA_ID_ALLOC;
+
 	/* Mark pool as reserved */
 	plt_bitmap_clear(lf->npa_bmp, aura_id);
 
@@ -374,7 +409,7 @@ npa_aura_pool_pair_alloc(struct npa_lf *lf, const uint32_t block_size,
 int
 roc_npa_pool_create(uint64_t *aura_handle, uint32_t block_size,
 		    uint32_t block_count, struct npa_aura_s *aura,
-		    struct npa_pool_s *pool)
+		    struct npa_pool_s *pool, uint32_t flags)
 {
 	struct npa_aura_s defaura;
 	struct npa_pool_s defpool;
@@ -394,6 +429,11 @@ roc_npa_pool_create(uint64_t *aura_handle, uint32_t block_size,
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	if (flags & ROC_NPA_ZERO_AURA_F && !lf->zero_aura_rsvd) {
+		rc = NPA_ERR_ALLOC;
+		goto error;
+	}
+
 	if (aura == NULL) {
 		memset(&defaura, 0, sizeof(struct npa_aura_s));
 		aura = &defaura;
@@ -406,7 +446,7 @@ roc_npa_pool_create(uint64_t *aura_handle, uint32_t block_size,
 	}
 
 	rc = npa_aura_pool_pair_alloc(lf, block_size, block_count, aura, pool,
-				      aura_handle);
+				      aura_handle, flags);
 	if (rc) {
 		plt_err("Failed to alloc pool or aura rc=%d", rc);
 		goto error;
@@ -522,6 +562,26 @@ roc_npa_pool_range_update_check(uint64_t aura_handle)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+uint64_t
+roc_npa_zero_aura_handle(void)
+{
+	struct idev_cfg *idev;
+	struct npa_lf *lf;
+
+	lf = idev_npa_obj_get();
+	if (lf == NULL)
+		return NPA_ERR_DEVICE_NOT_BOUNDED;
+
+	idev = idev_get_cfg();
+	if (idev == NULL)
+		return NPA_ERR_ALLOC;
+
+	/* Return aura handle only if reserved */
+	if (lf->zero_aura_rsvd)
+		return roc_npa_aura_handle_gen(0, lf->base);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static inline int
 npa_attach(struct mbox *mbox)
 {
@@ -672,6 +732,10 @@ npa_dev_init(struct npa_lf *lf, uintptr_t base, struct mbox *mbox)
 	for (i = 0; i < nr_pools; i++)
 		plt_bitmap_set(lf->npa_bmp, i);
 
+	/* Reserve zero aura for all models other than CN9K */
+	if (!roc_model_is_cn9k())
+		lf->zero_aura_rsvd = true;
+
 	/* Allocate memory for qint context */
 	lf->npa_qint_mem = plt_zmalloc(sizeof(struct npa_qint) * nr_pools, 0);
 	if (lf->npa_qint_mem == NULL) {
diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.h b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.h
index 59d13d88a1..69129cb4cc 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.h
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa.h
@@ -711,10 +711,13 @@ struct roc_npa {
 int __roc_api roc_npa_dev_init(struct roc_npa *roc_npa);
 int __roc_api roc_npa_dev_fini(struct roc_npa *roc_npa);
 
+/* Flags to pool create */
+#define ROC_NPA_ZERO_AURA_F BIT(0)
+
 /* NPA pool */
 int __roc_api roc_npa_pool_create(uint64_t *aura_handle, uint32_t block_size,
 				  uint32_t block_count, struct npa_aura_s *aura,
-				  struct npa_pool_s *pool);
+				  struct npa_pool_s *pool, uint32_t flags);
 int __roc_api roc_npa_aura_limit_modify(uint64_t aura_handle,
 					uint16_t aura_limit);
 int __roc_api roc_npa_pool_destroy(uint64_t aura_handle);
@@ -722,6 +725,7 @@ int __roc_api roc_npa_pool_range_update_check(uint64_t aura_handle);
 void __roc_api roc_npa_aura_op_range_set(uint64_t aura_handle,
 					 uint64_t start_iova,
 					 uint64_t end_iova);
+uint64_t __roc_api roc_npa_zero_aura_handle(void);
 
 /* Init callbacks */
 typedef int (*roc_npa_lf_init_cb_t)(struct plt_pci_device *pci_dev);
diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa_priv.h b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa_priv.h
index 5a02a61e00..de3d5448ba 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa_priv.h
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_npa_priv.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ struct npa_lf {
 	uint8_t aura_sz;
 	uint32_t qints;
 	uintptr_t base;
+	bool zero_aura_rsvd;
 };
 
 struct npa_qint {
diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_sso.c b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_sso.c
index 126a9cba99..4bee5a97e1 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_sso.c
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/roc_sso.c
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ sso_hwgrp_init_xaq_aura(struct dev *dev, struct roc_sso_xaq_data *xaq,
 	aura.fc_addr = (uint64_t)xaq->fc;
 	aura.fc_hyst_bits = 0; /* Store count on all updates */
 	rc = roc_npa_pool_create(&xaq->aura_handle, xaq_buf_size, xaq->nb_xaq,
-				 &aura, &pool);
+				 &aura, &pool, 0);
 	if (rc) {
 		plt_err("Failed to create XAQ pool");
 		goto npa_fail;
diff --git a/drivers/common/cnxk/version.map b/drivers/common/cnxk/version.map
index 6d43e37d1e..6c05e893e3 100644
--- a/drivers/common/cnxk/version.map
+++ b/drivers/common/cnxk/version.map
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ INTERNAL {
 	roc_npa_pool_destroy;
 	roc_npa_pool_op_pc_reset;
 	roc_npa_pool_range_update_check;
+	roc_npa_zero_aura_handle;
 	roc_npc_fini;
 	roc_npc_flow_create;
 	roc_npc_flow_destroy;
diff --git a/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c b/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c
index c7b75f026d..a0b94bb95c 100644
--- a/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ cnxk_mempool_calc_mem_size(const struct rte_mempool *mp, uint32_t obj_num,
 int
 cnxk_mempool_alloc(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 {
+	uint32_t block_count, flags = 0;
 	uint64_t aura_handle = 0;
 	struct npa_aura_s aura;
 	struct npa_pool_s pool;
-	uint32_t block_count;
 	size_t block_size;
 	int rc = -ERANGE;
 
@@ -100,8 +100,11 @@ cnxk_mempool_alloc(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 	if (mp->pool_config != NULL)
 		memcpy(&aura, mp->pool_config, sizeof(struct npa_aura_s));
 
+	if (aura.ena && aura.pool_addr == 0)
+		flags = ROC_NPA_ZERO_AURA_F;
+
 	rc = roc_npa_pool_create(&aura_handle, block_size, block_count, &aura,
-				 &pool);
+				 &pool, flags);
 	if (rc) {
 		plt_err("Failed to alloc pool or aura rc=%d", rc);
 		goto error;
