diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
index 27ead19..a87ffe1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
@@ -456,8 +456,10 @@ virtqueue_enqueue_recv_refill_packed(struct virtqueue *vq,
 		vq->vq_desc_head_idx = dxp->next;
 		if (vq->vq_desc_head_idx == VQ_RING_DESC_CHAIN_END)
 			vq->vq_desc_tail_idx = vq->vq_desc_head_idx;
-		virtio_wmb(hw->weak_barriers);
-		start_dp[idx].flags = flags;
+
+		virtqueue_store_flags_packed(&start_dp[idx], flags,
+					     hw->weak_barriers);
+
 		if (++vq->vq_avail_idx >= vq->vq_nentries) {
 			vq->vq_avail_idx -= vq->vq_nentries;
 			vq->vq_packed.cached_flags ^=
@@ -671,8 +673,7 @@ virtqueue_enqueue_xmit_packed_fast(struct virtnet_tx *txvq,
 			vq->vq_desc_tail_idx = VQ_RING_DESC_CHAIN_END;
 	}
 
-	virtio_wmb(vq->hw->weak_barriers);
-	dp->flags = flags;
+	virtqueue_store_flags_packed(dp, flags, vq->hw->weak_barriers);
 }
 
 static inline void
@@ -763,8 +764,8 @@ virtqueue_enqueue_xmit_packed(struct virtnet_tx *txvq, struct rte_mbuf *cookie,
 			vq->vq_desc_tail_idx = VQ_RING_DESC_CHAIN_END;
 	}
 
-	virtio_wmb(vq->hw->weak_barriers);
-	head_dp->flags = head_flags;
+	virtqueue_store_flags_packed(head_dp, head_flags,
+				     vq->hw->weak_barriers);
 }
 
 static inline void
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
index fab87eb..7911c39 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/virtio_user_dev.c
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ virtio_user_handle_ctrl_msg(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, struct vring *vring,
 static inline int
 desc_is_avail(struct vring_packed_desc *desc, bool wrap_counter)
 {
-	uint16_t flags = desc->flags;
+	uint16_t flags = __atomic_load_n(&desc->flags, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
 
 	return wrap_counter == !!(flags & VRING_PACKED_DESC_F_AVAIL) &&
 		wrap_counter != !!(flags & VRING_PACKED_DESC_F_USED);
@@ -684,6 +684,10 @@ virtio_user_handle_cq_packed(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint16_t queue_idx)
 	struct vring_packed *vring = &dev->packed_vrings[queue_idx];
 	uint16_t n_descs, flags;
 
+	/* Perform a load-acquire barrier in desc_is_avail to
+	 * enforce the ordering between desc flags and desc
+	 * content.
+	 */
 	while (desc_is_avail(&vring->desc[vq->used_idx],
 			     vq->used_wrap_counter)) {
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtqueue.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtqueue.h
index c6dd4a3..8d93ccb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtqueue.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtqueue.h
@@ -54,6 +54,17 @@ virtio_wmb(uint8_t weak_barriers)
 		rte_cio_wmb();
 }
 
+static inline void
+virtqueue_store_flags_packed(struct vring_packed_desc *dp,
+			      uint16_t flags, uint8_t weak_barriers)
+{
+	if (weak_barriers) {
+		__atomic_store_n(&dp->flags, flags, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+	} else {
+		rte_cio_wmb();
+		dp->flags = flags;
+	}
+}
 #ifdef RTE_PMD_PACKET_PREFETCH
 #define rte_packet_prefetch(p)  rte_prefetch1(p)
 #else
diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
index 884befa..d294ed1 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ vq_is_packed(struct virtio_net *dev)
 static inline bool
 desc_is_avail(struct vring_packed_desc *desc, bool wrap_counter)
 {
-	uint16_t flags = *((volatile uint16_t *) &desc->flags);
+	uint16_t flags = __atomic_load_n(&desc->flags, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
 
 	return wrap_counter == !!(flags & VRING_DESC_F_AVAIL) &&
 		wrap_counter != !!(flags & VRING_DESC_F_USED);
diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/virtio_net.c b/lib/librte_vhost/virtio_net.c
index 5b85b83..e7463ff 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/virtio_net.c
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/virtio_net.c
@@ -503,14 +503,13 @@ fill_vec_buf_packed(struct virtio_net *dev, struct vhost_virtqueue *vq,
 	if (avail_idx < vq->last_avail_idx)
 		wrap_counter ^= 1;
 
-	if (unlikely(!desc_is_avail(&descs[avail_idx], wrap_counter)))
-		return -1;
-
 	/*
-	 * The ordering between desc flags and desc
-	 * content reads need to be enforced.
+	 * Perform a load-acquire barrier in desc_is_avail to
+	 * enforce the ordering between desc flags and desc
+	 * content.
 	 */
-	rte_smp_rmb();
+	if (unlikely(!desc_is_avail(&descs[avail_idx], wrap_counter)))
+		return -1;
 
 	*desc_count = 0;
 	*len = 0;
