diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c
index db32b39..540e1a7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/linux/mlx5_os.c
@@ -239,12 +239,15 @@
 	/* Create tags hash list table. */
 	snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s_tags", sh->ibdev_name);
 	sh->tag_table = mlx5_hlist_create(s, MLX5_TAGS_HLIST_ARRAY_SIZE, 0,
-					  0, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+					  MLX5_HLIST_WRITE_MOST,
+					  flow_dv_tag_create_cb, NULL,
+					  flow_dv_tag_remove_cb);
 	if (!sh->tag_table) {
 		DRV_LOG(ERR, "tags with hash creation failed.");
 		err = ENOMEM;
 		goto error;
 	}
+	sh->tag_table->ctx = sh;
 	snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s_hdr_modify", sh->ibdev_name);
 	sh->modify_cmds = mlx5_hlist_create(s, MLX5_FLOW_HDR_MODIFY_HTABLE_SZ,
 					    0, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h
index 2e1e0c1..007dd31 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h
@@ -1422,4 +1422,9 @@ struct mlx5_flow_tbl_resource *flow_dv_tbl_resource_get(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 		bool external, const struct mlx5_flow_tunnel *tunnel,
 		uint32_t group_id, uint8_t dummy, struct rte_flow_error *error);
 
+struct mlx5_hlist_entry *flow_dv_tag_create_cb(struct mlx5_hlist *list,
+					       uint64_t key, void *cb_ctx);
+void flow_dv_tag_remove_cb(struct mlx5_hlist *list,
+			   struct mlx5_hlist_entry *entry);
+
 #endif /* RTE_PMD_MLX5_FLOW_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
index 6b1eeb4..578019a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
@@ -8215,6 +8215,35 @@ struct mlx5_flow_tbl_resource *
 	return 0;
 }
 
+struct mlx5_hlist_entry *
+flow_dv_tag_create_cb(struct mlx5_hlist *list, uint64_t key, void *ctx)
+{
+	struct mlx5_dev_ctx_shared *sh = list->ctx;
+	struct rte_flow_error *error = ctx;
+	struct mlx5_flow_dv_tag_resource *entry;
+	uint32_t idx = 0;
+	int ret;
+
+	entry = mlx5_ipool_zmalloc(sh->ipool[MLX5_IPOOL_TAG], &idx);
+	if (!entry) {
+		rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOMEM,
+				   RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED, NULL,
+				   "cannot allocate resource memory");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	entry->idx = idx;
+	ret = mlx5_flow_os_create_flow_action_tag(key,
+						  &entry->action);
+	if (ret) {
+		mlx5_ipool_free(sh->ipool[MLX5_IPOOL_TAG], idx);
+		rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOMEM,
+				   RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED,
+				   NULL, "cannot create action");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return &entry->entry;
+}
+
 /**
  * Find existing tag resource or create and register a new one.
  *
@@ -8238,54 +8267,32 @@ struct mlx5_flow_tbl_resource *
 			 struct rte_flow_error *error)
 {
 	struct mlx5_priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
-	struct mlx5_dev_ctx_shared *sh = priv->sh;
 	struct mlx5_flow_dv_tag_resource *cache_resource;
 	struct mlx5_hlist_entry *entry;
-	int ret;
 
-	/* Lookup a matching resource from cache. */
-	entry = mlx5_hlist_lookup(sh->tag_table, (uint64_t)tag_be24, NULL);
+	entry = mlx5_hlist_register(priv->sh->tag_table, tag_be24, error);
 	if (entry) {
 		cache_resource = container_of
 			(entry, struct mlx5_flow_dv_tag_resource, entry);
-		rte_atomic32_inc(&cache_resource->refcnt);
 		dev_flow->handle->dvh.rix_tag = cache_resource->idx;
 		dev_flow->dv.tag_resource = cache_resource;
-		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "cached tag resource %p: refcnt now %d++",
-			(void *)cache_resource,
-			rte_atomic32_read(&cache_resource->refcnt));
 		return 0;
 	}
-	/* Register new resource. */
-	cache_resource = mlx5_ipool_zmalloc(sh->ipool[MLX5_IPOOL_TAG],
-				       &dev_flow->handle->dvh.rix_tag);
-	if (!cache_resource)
-		return rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOMEM,
-					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED, NULL,
-					  "cannot allocate resource memory");
-	cache_resource->entry.key = (uint64_t)tag_be24;
-	ret = mlx5_flow_os_create_flow_action_tag(tag_be24,
-						  &cache_resource->action);
-	if (ret) {
-		mlx5_free(cache_resource);
-		return rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOMEM,
-					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED,
-					  NULL, "cannot create action");
-	}
-	rte_atomic32_init(&cache_resource->refcnt);
-	rte_atomic32_inc(&cache_resource->refcnt);
-	if (mlx5_hlist_insert(sh->tag_table, &cache_resource->entry)) {
-		mlx5_flow_os_destroy_flow_action(cache_resource->action);
-		mlx5_free(cache_resource);
-		return rte_flow_error_set(error, EEXIST,
-					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED,
-					  NULL, "cannot insert tag");
-	}
-	dev_flow->dv.tag_resource = cache_resource;
-	DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "new tag resource %p: refcnt now %d++",
-		(void *)cache_resource,
-		rte_atomic32_read(&cache_resource->refcnt));
-	return 0;
+	return -rte_errno;
+}
+
+void
+flow_dv_tag_remove_cb(struct mlx5_hlist *list,
+		      struct mlx5_hlist_entry *entry)
+{
+	struct mlx5_dev_ctx_shared *sh = list->ctx;
+	struct mlx5_flow_dv_tag_resource *tag =
+		container_of(entry, struct mlx5_flow_dv_tag_resource, entry);
+
+	MLX5_ASSERT(tag && sh && tag->action);
+	claim_zero(mlx5_flow_os_destroy_flow_action(tag->action));
+	DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "Tag %p: removed.", (void *)tag);
+	mlx5_ipool_free(sh->ipool[MLX5_IPOOL_TAG], tag->idx);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -8304,24 +8311,14 @@ struct mlx5_flow_tbl_resource *
 		    uint32_t tag_idx)
 {
 	struct mlx5_priv *priv = dev->data->dev_private;
-	struct mlx5_dev_ctx_shared *sh = priv->sh;
 	struct mlx5_flow_dv_tag_resource *tag;
 
 	tag = mlx5_ipool_get(priv->sh->ipool[MLX5_IPOOL_TAG], tag_idx);
 	if (!tag)
 		return 0;
 	DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "port %u tag %p: refcnt %d--",
-		dev->data->port_id, (void *)tag,
-		rte_atomic32_read(&tag->refcnt));
-	if (rte_atomic32_dec_and_test(&tag->refcnt)) {
-		claim_zero(mlx5_flow_os_destroy_flow_action(tag->action));
-		mlx5_hlist_remove(sh->tag_table, &tag->entry);
-		DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "port %u tag %p: removed",
-			dev->data->port_id, (void *)tag);
-		mlx5_ipool_free(priv->sh->ipool[MLX5_IPOOL_TAG], tag_idx);
-		return 0;
-	}
-	return 1;
+		dev->data->port_id, (void *)tag, tag->entry.ref_cnt);
+	return mlx5_hlist_unregister(priv->sh->tag_table, &tag->entry);
 }
 
 /**
