diff --git a/drivers/net/memif/memif.h b/drivers/net/memif/memif.h
index f5a4693..3f5b407 100644
--- a/drivers/net/memif/memif.h
+++ b/drivers/net/memif/memif.h
@@ -169,9 +169,9 @@ typedef struct __rte_packed __rte_aligned(128)
 	uint32_t cookie;			/**< MEMIF_COOKIE */
 	uint16_t flags;				/**< flags */
 #define MEMIF_RING_FLAG_MASK_INT 1		/**< disable interrupt mode */
-	uint16_t head;			/**< pointer to ring buffer head */
+	RTE_ATOMIC(uint16_t) head;			/**< pointer to ring buffer head */
 	MEMIF_CACHELINE_ALIGN_MARK(cacheline1);
-	uint16_t tail;			/**< pointer to ring buffer tail */
+	RTE_ATOMIC(uint16_t) tail;			/**< pointer to ring buffer tail */
 	MEMIF_CACHELINE_ALIGN_MARK(cacheline2);
 	memif_desc_t desc[0];			/**< buffer descriptors */
 } memif_ring_t;
diff --git a/drivers/net/memif/rte_eth_memif.c b/drivers/net/memif/rte_eth_memif.c
index 18377d9..16da22b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/memif/rte_eth_memif.c
+++ b/drivers/net/memif/rte_eth_memif.c
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 	 * threads, so using load-acquire pairs with store-release
 	 * in function eth_memif_rx for C2S queues.
 	 */
-	cur_tail = __atomic_load_n(&ring->tail, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+	cur_tail = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->tail, rte_memory_order_acquire);
 	while (mq->last_tail != cur_tail) {
 		RTE_MBUF_PREFETCH_TO_FREE(mq->buffers[(mq->last_tail + 1) & mask]);
 		rte_pktmbuf_free_seg(mq->buffers[mq->last_tail & mask]);
@@ -334,10 +334,10 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 
 	if (type == MEMIF_RING_C2S) {
 		cur_slot = mq->last_head;
-		last_slot = __atomic_load_n(&ring->head, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+		last_slot = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->head, rte_memory_order_acquire);
 	} else {
 		cur_slot = mq->last_tail;
-		last_slot = __atomic_load_n(&ring->tail, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+		last_slot = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->tail, rte_memory_order_acquire);
 	}
 
 	if (cur_slot == last_slot)
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 
 no_free_bufs:
 	if (type == MEMIF_RING_C2S) {
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->tail, cur_slot, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->tail, cur_slot, rte_memory_order_release);
 		mq->last_head = cur_slot;
 	} else {
 		mq->last_tail = cur_slot;
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 		 * is called in the context of receiver thread. The loads in
 		 * the receiver do not need to synchronize with its own stores.
 		 */
-		head = __atomic_load_n(&ring->head, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+		head = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->head, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 		n_slots = ring_size - head + mq->last_tail;
 
 		while (n_slots--) {
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 			d0 = &ring->desc[s0];
 			d0->length = pmd->run.pkt_buffer_size;
 		}
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, head, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, head, rte_memory_order_release);
 	}
 
 	mq->n_pkts += n_rx_pkts;
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 	 * threads, so using load-acquire pairs with store-release
 	 * to synchronize it between threads.
 	 */
-	last_slot = __atomic_load_n(&ring->tail, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+	last_slot = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->tail, rte_memory_order_acquire);
 	if (cur_slot == last_slot)
 		goto refill;
 	n_slots = last_slot - cur_slot;
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 	 * is called in the context of receiver thread. The loads in
 	 * the receiver do not need to synchronize with its own stores.
 	 */
-	head = __atomic_load_n(&ring->head, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+	head = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->head, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 	n_slots = ring_size - head + mq->last_tail;
 
 	if (n_slots < 32)
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 	 * threads, so using store-release pairs with load-acquire
 	 * in function eth_memif_tx.
 	 */
-	__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, head, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+	rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, head, rte_memory_order_release);
 
 	mq->n_pkts += n_rx_pkts;
 
@@ -668,9 +668,9 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 		 * its own stores. Hence, the following load can be a
 		 * relaxed load.
 		 */
-		slot = __atomic_load_n(&ring->head, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+		slot = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->head, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 		n_free = ring_size - slot +
-				__atomic_load_n(&ring->tail, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+				rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->tail, rte_memory_order_acquire);
 	} else {
 		/* For S2C queues ring->tail is updated by the sender and
 		 * this function is called in the context of sending thread.
@@ -678,8 +678,8 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 		 * its own stores. Hence, the following load can be a
 		 * relaxed load.
 		 */
-		slot = __atomic_load_n(&ring->tail, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
-		n_free = __atomic_load_n(&ring->head, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE) - slot;
+		slot = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->tail, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
+		n_free = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->head, rte_memory_order_acquire) - slot;
 	}
 
 	uint16_t i;
@@ -792,9 +792,9 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 
 no_free_slots:
 	if (type == MEMIF_RING_C2S)
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, slot, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, slot, rte_memory_order_release);
 	else
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->tail, slot, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->tail, slot, rte_memory_order_release);
 
 	if (((ring->flags & MEMIF_RING_FLAG_MASK_INT) == 0) &&
 	    (rte_intr_fd_get(mq->intr_handle) >= 0)) {
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 	 * its own stores. Hence, the following load can be a
 	 * relaxed load.
 	 */
-	slot = __atomic_load_n(&ring->head, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+	slot = rte_atomic_load_explicit(&ring->head, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 	n_free = ring_size - slot + mq->last_tail;
 
 	int used_slots;
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 	 * threads, so using store-release pairs with load-acquire
 	 * in function eth_memif_rx for C2S rings.
 	 */
-	__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, slot, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+	rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, slot, rte_memory_order_release);
 
 	/* Send interrupt, if enabled. */
 	if ((ring->flags & MEMIF_RING_FLAG_MASK_INT) == 0) {
@@ -1155,8 +1155,8 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 
 	for (i = 0; i < pmd->run.num_c2s_rings; i++) {
 		ring = memif_get_ring(pmd, proc_private, MEMIF_RING_C2S, i);
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->tail, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->tail, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 		ring->cookie = MEMIF_COOKIE;
 		ring->flags = 0;
 
@@ -1175,8 +1175,8 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 
 	for (i = 0; i < pmd->run.num_s2c_rings; i++) {
 		ring = memif_get_ring(pmd, proc_private, MEMIF_RING_S2C, i);
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
-		__atomic_store_n(&ring->tail, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
+		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->tail, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 		ring->cookie = MEMIF_COOKIE;
 		ring->flags = 0;
 
@@ -1314,8 +1314,8 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 				MIF_LOG(ERR, "Wrong ring");
 				return -1;
 			}
-			__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
-			__atomic_store_n(&ring->tail, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+			rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
+			rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->tail, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 			mq->last_head = 0;
 			mq->last_tail = 0;
 			/* enable polling mode */
@@ -1330,8 +1330,8 @@ struct mp_region_msg {
 				MIF_LOG(ERR, "Wrong ring");
 				return -1;
 			}
-			__atomic_store_n(&ring->head, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
-			__atomic_store_n(&ring->tail, 0, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+			rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->head, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
+			rte_atomic_store_explicit(&ring->tail, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
 			mq->last_head = 0;
 			mq->last_tail = 0;
 			/* enable polling mode */
