diff --git a/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool.h b/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool.h
index 3405aa7663..fc2e4b5b70 100644
--- a/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool.h
+++ b/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool.h
@@ -7,6 +7,30 @@
 
 #include <rte_mempool.h>
 
+enum cnxk_mempool_flags {
+	/* This flag is used to ensure that only aura zero is allocated.
+	 * If aura zero is not available, then mempool creation fails.
+	 */
+	CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_ZERO_AURA = RTE_BIT64(0),
+	/* Here the pool create will use the npa_aura_s structure passed
+	 * as pool config to create the pool.
+	 */
+	CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_CUSTOM_AURA = RTE_BIT64(1),
+};
+
+#define CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_MASK 0xFUL
+
+#define CNXK_MEMPOOL_FLAGS(_m)                                                 \
+	(PLT_U64_CAST((_m)->pool_config) & CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_MASK)
+#define CNXK_MEMPOOL_CONFIG(_m)                                                \
+	(PLT_PTR_CAST(PLT_U64_CAST((_m)->pool_config) & ~CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_MASK))
+#define CNXK_MEMPOOL_SET_FLAGS(_m, _f)                                         \
+	do {                                                                   \
+		void *_c = CNXK_MEMPOOL_CONFIG(_m);                            \
+		uint64_t _flags = CNXK_MEMPOOL_FLAGS(_m) | (_f);               \
+		(_m)->pool_config = PLT_PTR_CAST(PLT_U64_CAST(_c) | _flags);   \
+	} while (0)
+
 unsigned int cnxk_mempool_get_count(const struct rte_mempool *mp);
 ssize_t cnxk_mempool_calc_mem_size(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
 				   uint32_t obj_num, uint32_t pg_shift,
diff --git a/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c b/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c
index 3769afd3d1..1b6c4591bb 100644
--- a/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/mempool/cnxk/cnxk_mempool_ops.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ 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;
+	uint32_t block_count, flags, roc_flags = 0;
 	uint64_t aura_handle = 0;
 	struct npa_aura_s aura;
 	struct npa_pool_s pool;
@@ -96,15 +96,18 @@ cnxk_mempool_alloc(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 	pool.nat_align = 1;
 	pool.buf_offset = mp->header_size / ROC_ALIGN;
 
-	/* Use driver specific mp->pool_config to override aura config */
-	if (mp->pool_config != NULL)
-		memcpy(&aura, mp->pool_config, sizeof(struct npa_aura_s));
+	flags = CNXK_MEMPOOL_FLAGS(mp);
+	if (flags & CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_ZERO_AURA) {
+		roc_flags = ROC_NPA_ZERO_AURA_F;
+	} else if (flags & CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_CUSTOM_AURA) {
+		struct npa_aura_s *paura;
 
-	if (aura.ena && aura.pool_addr == 0)
-		flags = ROC_NPA_ZERO_AURA_F;
+		paura = CNXK_MEMPOOL_CONFIG(mp);
+		memcpy(&aura, paura, sizeof(struct npa_aura_s));
+	}
 
 	rc = roc_npa_pool_create(&aura_handle, block_size, block_count, &aura,
-				 &pool, flags);
+				 &pool, roc_flags);
 	if (rc) {
 		plt_err("Failed to alloc pool or aura rc=%d", rc);
 		goto error;
diff --git a/drivers/net/cnxk/cnxk_ethdev_sec.c b/drivers/net/cnxk/cnxk_ethdev_sec.c
index aa8a378a00..cd64daacc0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cnxk/cnxk_ethdev_sec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cnxk/cnxk_ethdev_sec.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <cnxk_ethdev.h>
+#include <cnxk_mempool.h>
 
 #define CNXK_NIX_INL_META_POOL_NAME "NIX_INL_META_POOL"
 
@@ -43,7 +44,6 @@ cnxk_nix_inl_meta_pool_cb(uint64_t *aura_handle, uintptr_t *mpool, uint32_t buf_
 {
 	const char *mp_name = NULL;
 	struct rte_pktmbuf_pool_private mbp_priv;
-	struct npa_aura_s *aura;
 	struct rte_mempool *mp;
 	uint16_t first_skip;
 	int rc;
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ cnxk_nix_inl_meta_pool_cb(uint64_t *aura_handle, uintptr_t *mpool, uint32_t buf_
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
 
-		plt_free(mp->pool_config);
 		rte_mempool_free(mp);
 
 		*aura_handle = 0;
@@ -84,22 +83,12 @@ cnxk_nix_inl_meta_pool_cb(uint64_t *aura_handle, uintptr_t *mpool, uint32_t buf_
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
-	/* Indicate to allocate zero aura */
-	aura = plt_zmalloc(sizeof(struct npa_aura_s), 0);
-	if (!aura) {
-		rc = -ENOMEM;
-		goto free_mp;
-	}
-	aura->ena = 1;
-	if (!mempool_name)
-		aura->pool_addr = 0;
-	else
-		aura->pool_addr = 1; /* Any non zero value, so that alloc from next free Index */
-
-	rc = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(mp, rte_mbuf_platform_mempool_ops(), aura);
+	rc = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(mp, rte_mbuf_platform_mempool_ops(),
+					mempool_name ?
+					NULL : PLT_PTR_CAST(CNXK_MEMPOOL_F_ZERO_AURA));
 	if (rc) {
 		plt_err("Failed to setup mempool ops for meta, rc=%d", rc);
-		goto free_aura;
+		goto free_mp;
 	}
 
 	/* Init mempool private area */
@@ -113,15 +102,13 @@ cnxk_nix_inl_meta_pool_cb(uint64_t *aura_handle, uintptr_t *mpool, uint32_t buf_
 	rc = rte_mempool_populate_default(mp);
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		plt_err("Failed to create inline meta pool, rc=%d", rc);
-		goto free_aura;
+		goto free_mp;
 	}
 
 	rte_mempool_obj_iter(mp, rte_pktmbuf_init, NULL);
 	*aura_handle = mp->pool_id;
 	*mpool = (uintptr_t)mp;
 	return 0;
-free_aura:
-	plt_free(aura);
 free_mp:
 	rte_mempool_free(mp);
 	return rc;
