diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c
index e783b9a..1f54f95 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.c
@@ -233,13 +233,14 @@ rte_mempool_calc_obj_size(uint32_t elt_size, uint32_t flags,
 	return sz->total_size;
 }
 
-
 /*
- * Calculate maximum amount of memory required to store given number of objects.
+ * Internal function to calculate required memory chunk size shared
+ * by default implementation of the corresponding callback and
+ * deprecated external function.
  */
-size_t
-rte_mempool_xmem_size(uint32_t elt_num, size_t total_elt_sz, uint32_t pg_shift,
-		      unsigned int flags)
+static size_t
+rte_mempool_xmem_size_int(uint32_t elt_num, size_t total_elt_sz,
+			  uint32_t pg_shift, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	size_t obj_per_page, pg_num, pg_sz;
 	unsigned int mask;
@@ -264,6 +265,49 @@ rte_mempool_xmem_size(uint32_t elt_num, size_t total_elt_sz, uint32_t pg_shift,
 	return pg_num << pg_shift;
 }
 
+ssize_t
+rte_mempool_calc_mem_size_def(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
+			      uint32_t obj_num, uint32_t pg_shift,
+			      size_t *min_chunk_size,
+			      __rte_unused size_t *align)
+{
+	unsigned int mp_flags;
+	int ret;
+	size_t total_elt_sz;
+	size_t mem_size;
+
+	/* Get mempool capabilities */
+	mp_flags = 0;
+	ret = rte_mempool_ops_get_capabilities(mp, &mp_flags);
+	if ((ret < 0) && (ret != -ENOTSUP))
+		return ret;
+
+	total_elt_sz = mp->header_size + mp->elt_size + mp->trailer_size;
+
+	mem_size = rte_mempool_xmem_size_int(obj_num, total_elt_sz, pg_shift,
+					     mp->flags | mp_flags);
+
+	if (mp_flags & MEMPOOL_F_CAPA_PHYS_CONTIG)
+		*min_chunk_size = mem_size;
+	else
+		*min_chunk_size = RTE_MAX((size_t)1 << pg_shift, total_elt_sz);
+
+	/* No extra align requirements by default */
+
+	return mem_size;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Calculate maximum amount of memory required to store given number of objects.
+ */
+size_t
+rte_mempool_xmem_size(uint32_t elt_num, size_t total_elt_sz, uint32_t pg_shift,
+		      unsigned int flags)
+{
+	return rte_mempool_xmem_size_int(elt_num, total_elt_sz, pg_shift,
+					 flags);
+}
+
 /*
  * Calculate how much memory would be actually required with the
  * given memory footprint to store required number of elements.
@@ -570,25 +614,16 @@ rte_mempool_populate_default(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 	unsigned int mz_flags = RTE_MEMZONE_1GB|RTE_MEMZONE_SIZE_HINT_ONLY;
 	char mz_name[RTE_MEMZONE_NAMESIZE];
 	const struct rte_memzone *mz;
-	size_t size, total_elt_sz, align, pg_sz, pg_shift;
+	ssize_t mem_size;
+	size_t align, pg_sz, pg_shift;
 	rte_iova_t iova;
 	unsigned mz_id, n;
-	unsigned int mp_flags;
 	int ret;
 
 	/* mempool must not be populated */
 	if (mp->nb_mem_chunks != 0)
 		return -EEXIST;
 
-	/* Get mempool capabilities */
-	mp_flags = 0;
-	ret = rte_mempool_ops_get_capabilities(mp, &mp_flags);
-	if ((ret < 0) && (ret != -ENOTSUP))
-		return ret;
-
-	/* update mempool capabilities */
-	mp->flags |= mp_flags;
-
 	if (rte_eal_has_hugepages()) {
 		pg_shift = 0; /* not needed, zone is physically contiguous */
 		pg_sz = 0;
@@ -599,10 +634,15 @@ rte_mempool_populate_default(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 		align = pg_sz;
 	}
 
-	total_elt_sz = mp->header_size + mp->elt_size + mp->trailer_size;
 	for (mz_id = 0, n = mp->size; n > 0; mz_id++, n -= ret) {
-		size = rte_mempool_xmem_size(n, total_elt_sz, pg_shift,
-						mp->flags);
+		size_t min_chunk_size;
+
+		mem_size = rte_mempool_ops_calc_mem_size(mp, n, pg_shift,
+				&min_chunk_size, &align);
+		if (mem_size < 0) {
+			ret = mem_size;
+			goto fail;
+		}
 
 		ret = snprintf(mz_name, sizeof(mz_name),
 			RTE_MEMPOOL_MZ_FORMAT "_%d", mp->name, mz_id);
@@ -611,7 +651,7 @@ rte_mempool_populate_default(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 			goto fail;
 		}
 
-		mz = rte_memzone_reserve_aligned(mz_name, size,
+		mz = rte_memzone_reserve_aligned(mz_name, mem_size,
 			mp->socket_id, mz_flags, align);
 		/* not enough memory, retry with the biggest zone we have */
 		if (mz == NULL)
@@ -622,6 +662,12 @@ rte_mempool_populate_default(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 			goto fail;
 		}
 
+		if (mz->len < min_chunk_size) {
+			rte_memzone_free(mz);
+			ret = -ENOMEM;
+			goto fail;
+		}
+
 		if (mp->flags & MEMPOOL_F_NO_PHYS_CONTIG)
 			iova = RTE_BAD_IOVA;
 		else
@@ -654,13 +700,14 @@ rte_mempool_populate_default(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 static size_t
 get_anon_size(const struct rte_mempool *mp)
 {
-	size_t size, total_elt_sz, pg_sz, pg_shift;
+	size_t size, pg_sz, pg_shift;
+	size_t min_chunk_size;
+	size_t align;
 
 	pg_sz = getpagesize();
 	pg_shift = rte_bsf32(pg_sz);
-	total_elt_sz = mp->header_size + mp->elt_size + mp->trailer_size;
-	size = rte_mempool_xmem_size(mp->size, total_elt_sz, pg_shift,
-					mp->flags);
+	size = rte_mempool_ops_calc_mem_size(mp, mp->size, pg_shift,
+					     &min_chunk_size, &align);
 
 	return size;
 }
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h
index e21026a..be8a371 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool.h
@@ -428,6 +428,39 @@ typedef int (*rte_mempool_get_capabilities_t)(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
 typedef int (*rte_mempool_ops_register_memory_area_t)
 (const struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr, rte_iova_t iova, size_t len);
 
+/**
+ * Calculate memory size required to store specified number of objects.
+ *
+ * Note that if object size is bigger then page size, then it assumes
+ * that pages are grouped in subsets of physically continuous pages big
+ * enough to store at least one object.
+ *
+ * @param mp
+ *   Pointer to the memory pool.
+ * @param obj_num
+ *   Number of objects.
+ * @param pg_shift
+ *   LOG2 of the physical pages size. If set to 0, ignore page boundaries.
+ * @param min_chunk_size
+ *   Location for minimum size of the memory chunk which may be used to
+ *   store memory pool objects.
+ * @param align
+ *   Location with required memory chunk alignment.
+ * @return
+ *   Required memory size aligned at page boundary.
+ */
+typedef ssize_t (*rte_mempool_calc_mem_size_t)(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
+		uint32_t obj_num,  uint32_t pg_shift,
+		size_t *min_chunk_size, size_t *align);
+
+/**
+ * Default way to calculate memory size required to store specified
+ * number of objects.
+ */
+ssize_t rte_mempool_calc_mem_size_def(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
+				      uint32_t obj_num, uint32_t pg_shift,
+				      size_t *min_chunk_size, size_t *align);
+
 /** Structure defining mempool operations structure */
 struct rte_mempool_ops {
 	char name[RTE_MEMPOOL_OPS_NAMESIZE]; /**< Name of mempool ops struct. */
@@ -444,6 +477,11 @@ struct rte_mempool_ops {
 	 * Notify new memory area to mempool
 	 */
 	rte_mempool_ops_register_memory_area_t register_memory_area;
+	/**
+	 * Optional callback to calculate memory size required to
+	 * store specified number of objects.
+	 */
+	rte_mempool_calc_mem_size_t calc_mem_size;
 } __rte_cache_aligned;
 
 #define RTE_MEMPOOL_MAX_OPS_IDX 16  /**< Max registered ops structs */
@@ -593,6 +631,29 @@ rte_mempool_ops_register_memory_area(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
 				char *vaddr, rte_iova_t iova, size_t len);
 
 /**
+ * @internal wrapper for mempool_ops calc_mem_size callback.
+ * API to calculate size of memory required to store specified number of
+ * object.
+ *
+ * @param mp
+ *   Pointer to the memory pool.
+ * @param obj_num
+ *   Number of objects.
+ * @param pg_shift
+ *   LOG2 of the physical pages size. If set to 0, ignore page boundaries.
+ * @param min_chunk_size
+ *   Location for minimum size of the memory chunk which may be used to
+ *   store memory pool objects.
+ * @param align
+ *   Location with required memory chunk alignment.
+ * @return
+ *   Required memory size aligned at page boundary.
+ */
+ssize_t rte_mempool_ops_calc_mem_size(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
+				      uint32_t obj_num, uint32_t pg_shift,
+				      size_t *min_chunk_size, size_t *align);
+
+/**
  * @internal wrapper for mempool_ops free callback.
  *
  * @param mp
@@ -1562,7 +1623,7 @@ uint32_t rte_mempool_calc_obj_size(uint32_t elt_size, uint32_t flags,
  * of objects. Assume that the memory buffer will be aligned at page
  * boundary.
  *
- * Note that if object size is bigger then page size, then it assumes
+ * Note that if object size is bigger than page size, then it assumes
  * that pages are grouped in subsets of physically continuous pages big
  * enough to store at least one object.
  *
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_ops.c b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_ops.c
index 92b9f90..d048b37 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_ops.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_ops.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ rte_mempool_register_ops(const struct rte_mempool_ops *h)
 	ops->get_count = h->get_count;
 	ops->get_capabilities = h->get_capabilities;
 	ops->register_memory_area = h->register_memory_area;
+	ops->calc_mem_size = h->calc_mem_size;
 
 	rte_spinlock_unlock(&rte_mempool_ops_table.sl);
 
@@ -152,6 +153,23 @@ rte_mempool_ops_register_memory_area(const struct rte_mempool *mp, char *vaddr,
 	return ops->register_memory_area(mp, vaddr, iova, len);
 }
 
+/* wrapper to notify new memory area to external mempool */
+ssize_t
+rte_mempool_ops_calc_mem_size(const struct rte_mempool *mp,
+				uint32_t obj_num, uint32_t pg_shift,
+				size_t *min_chunk_size, size_t *align)
+{
+	struct rte_mempool_ops *ops;
+
+	ops = rte_mempool_get_ops(mp->ops_index);
+
+	if (ops->calc_mem_size == NULL)
+		return rte_mempool_calc_mem_size_def(mp, obj_num, pg_shift,
+						     min_chunk_size, align);
+
+	return ops->calc_mem_size(mp, obj_num, pg_shift, min_chunk_size, align);
+}
+
 /* sets mempool ops previously registered by rte_mempool_register_ops. */
 int
 rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(struct rte_mempool *mp, const char *name,
diff --git a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map
index 62b76f9..9fa7270 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_mempool/rte_mempool_version.map
@@ -51,3 +51,11 @@ DPDK_17.11 {
 	rte_mempool_populate_iova_tab;
 
 } DPDK_16.07;
+
+DPDK_18.05 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_mempool_calc_mem_size_def;
+
+} DPDK_17.11;
+
