diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index 3057791..c5a195a 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -425,6 +425,7 @@ testpmd_mbuf_ctor(struct rte_mempool *mp,
 	mb->tx_offload   = 0;
 	mb->vlan_tci     = 0;
 	mb->hash.rss     = 0;
+	mb->priv_size    = 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/examples/vhost/main.c b/examples/vhost/main.c
index c3fcb80..e44e82f 100644
--- a/examples/vhost/main.c
+++ b/examples/vhost/main.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
 /* Number of descriptors per cacheline. */
 #define DESC_PER_CACHELINE (RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE / sizeof(struct vring_desc))
 
-#define MBUF_EXT_MEM(mb)   (RTE_MBUF_FROM_BADDR((mb)->buf_addr) != (mb))
+#define MBUF_EXT_MEM(mb)   (rte_mbuf_from_indirect(mb) != (mb))
 
 /* mask of enabled ports */
 static uint32_t enabled_port_mask = 0;
@@ -1550,7 +1550,7 @@ attach_rxmbuf_zcp(struct virtio_net *dev)
 static inline void pktmbuf_detach_zcp(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 {
 	const struct rte_mempool *mp = m->pool;
-	void *buf = RTE_MBUF_TO_BADDR(m);
+	void *buf = rte_mbuf_to_baddr(m);
 	uint32_t buf_ofs;
 	uint32_t buf_len = mp->elt_size - sizeof(*m);
 	m->buf_physaddr = rte_mempool_virt2phy(mp, m) + sizeof(*m);
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
index 526b18d..e095999 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ rte_pktmbuf_init(struct rte_mempool *mp,
 	m->pool = mp;
 	m->nb_segs = 1;
 	m->port = 0xff;
+	m->priv_size = 0;
 }
 
 /* do some sanity checks on a mbuf: panic if it fails */
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h
index 17ba791..932fe58 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.h
@@ -317,18 +317,51 @@ struct rte_mbuf {
 			/* uint64_t unused:8; */
 		};
 	};
+
+	/** Size of the application private data. In case of an indirect
+	 * mbuf, it stores the direct mbuf private data size. */
+	uint16_t priv_size;
 } __rte_cache_aligned;
 
 /**
- * Given the buf_addr returns the pointer to corresponding mbuf.
+ * Return the mbuf owning the data buffer address of an indirect mbuf.
+ *
+ * @param mi
+ *   The pointer to the indirect mbuf.
+ * @return
+ *   The address of the direct mbuf corresponding to buffer_addr.
  */
-#define RTE_MBUF_FROM_BADDR(ba)     (((struct rte_mbuf *)(ba)) - 1)
+static inline struct rte_mbuf *
+rte_mbuf_from_indirect(struct rte_mbuf *mi)
+{
+       struct rte_mbuf *md;
+
+       /* mi->buf_addr and mi->priv_size correspond to buffer and
+	* private size of the direct mbuf */
+       md = (struct rte_mbuf *)((char *)mi->buf_addr - sizeof(*mi) -
+	       mi->priv_size);
+       return md;
+}
 
 /**
- * Given the pointer to mbuf returns an address where it's  buf_addr
- * should point to.
+ * Return the buffer address embedded in the given mbuf.
+ *
+ * The user must ensure that m->priv_size corresponds to the
+ * private size of this mbuf, which is not the case for indirect
+ * mbufs.
+ *
+ * @param md
+ *   The pointer to the mbuf.
+ * @return
+ *   The address of the data buffer owned by the mbuf.
  */
-#define RTE_MBUF_TO_BADDR(mb)       (((struct rte_mbuf *)(mb)) + 1)
+static inline char *
+rte_mbuf_to_baddr(struct rte_mbuf *md)
+{
+       char *buffer_addr;
+       buffer_addr = (char *)md + sizeof(*md) + md->priv_size;
+       return buffer_addr;
+}
 
 /**
  * Returns TRUE if given mbuf is indirect, or FALSE otherwise.
@@ -688,6 +721,7 @@ static inline struct rte_mbuf *rte_pktmbuf_alloc(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 
 /**
  * Attach packet mbuf to another packet mbuf.
+ *
  * After attachment we refer the mbuf we attached as 'indirect',
  * while mbuf we attached to as 'direct'.
  * Right now, not supported:
@@ -701,7 +735,6 @@ static inline struct rte_mbuf *rte_pktmbuf_alloc(struct rte_mempool *mp)
  * @param md
  *   The direct packet mbuf.
  */
-
 static inline void rte_pktmbuf_attach(struct rte_mbuf *mi, struct rte_mbuf *md)
 {
 	RTE_MBUF_ASSERT(RTE_MBUF_DIRECT(md) &&
@@ -712,6 +745,7 @@ static inline void rte_pktmbuf_attach(struct rte_mbuf *mi, struct rte_mbuf *md)
 	mi->buf_physaddr = md->buf_physaddr;
 	mi->buf_addr = md->buf_addr;
 	mi->buf_len = md->buf_len;
+	mi->priv_size = md->priv_size;
 
 	mi->next = md->next;
 	mi->data_off = md->data_off;
@@ -732,7 +766,8 @@ static inline void rte_pktmbuf_attach(struct rte_mbuf *mi, struct rte_mbuf *md)
 }
 
 /**
- * Detach an indirect packet mbuf -
+ * Detach an indirect packet mbuf.
+ *
  *  - restore original mbuf address and length values.
  *  - reset pktmbuf data and data_len to their default values.
  *  All other fields of the given packet mbuf will be left intact.
@@ -740,22 +775,28 @@ static inline void rte_pktmbuf_attach(struct rte_mbuf *mi, struct rte_mbuf *md)
  * @param m
  *   The indirect attached packet mbuf.
  */
-
 static inline void rte_pktmbuf_detach(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 {
-	const struct rte_mempool *mp = m->pool;
-	void *buf = RTE_MBUF_TO_BADDR(m);
-	uint32_t buf_len = mp->elt_size - sizeof(*m);
-	m->buf_physaddr = rte_mempool_virt2phy(mp, m) + sizeof (*m);
-
+	struct rte_pktmbuf_pool_private *mbp_priv;
+	struct rte_mempool *mp = m->pool;
+	void *buf;
+	unsigned mhdr_size;
+
+	/* first, restore the priv_size, this is needed before calling
+	 * rte_mbuf_to_baddr() */
+	mbp_priv = rte_mempool_get_priv(mp);
+	m->priv_size = mp->elt_size - RTE_PKTMBUF_HEADROOM -
+		mbp_priv->mbuf_data_room_size -
+		sizeof(struct rte_mbuf);
+
+	buf = rte_mbuf_to_baddr(m);
+	mhdr_size = (char *)buf - (char *)m;
+	m->buf_physaddr = rte_mempool_virt2phy(mp, m) + mhdr_size;
 	m->buf_addr = buf;
-	m->buf_len = (uint16_t)buf_len;
-
+	m->buf_len = (uint16_t)(mp->elt_size - mhdr_size);
 	m->data_off = (RTE_PKTMBUF_HEADROOM <= m->buf_len) ?
 			RTE_PKTMBUF_HEADROOM : m->buf_len;
-
 	m->data_len = 0;
-
 	m->ol_flags = 0;
 }
 
@@ -774,7 +815,7 @@ __rte_pktmbuf_prefree_seg(struct rte_mbuf *m)
 		 *  - free attached mbuf segment
 		 */
 		if (RTE_MBUF_INDIRECT(m)) {
-			struct rte_mbuf *md = RTE_MBUF_FROM_BADDR(m->buf_addr);
+			struct rte_mbuf *md = rte_mbuf_from_indirect(m);
 			rte_pktmbuf_detach(m);
 			if (rte_mbuf_refcnt_update(md, -1) == 0)
 				__rte_mbuf_raw_free(md);
