diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/cryptodev_lib.rst b/doc/guides/prog_guide/cryptodev_lib.rst
index f68fb72d3..74a930b6d 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/cryptodev_lib.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/cryptodev_lib.rst
@@ -327,6 +327,10 @@ the set API to set the user data and retrieve it using get API.
 	void * rte_cryptodev_sym_session_get_user_data(
 		struct rte_cryptodev_sym_session *sess);
 
+Please note the ``size`` passed to set API cannot be bigger than the predefined
+``user_data_sz`` when creating the session header mempool, otherwise the
+function will return error. Also when ``user_data_sz`` was defined as ``0`` when
+creating the session header mempool, the get API will always return ``NULL``.
 
 For session-less mode, the private user data information can be placed along with the
 ``struct rte_crypto_op``. The ``rte_crypto_op::private_data_offset`` indicates the
diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/img/cryptodev_sym_sess.svg b/doc/guides/prog_guide/img/cryptodev_sym_sess.svg
index 5c843f736..20059cc0f 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/img/cryptodev_sym_sess.svg
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/img/cryptodev_sym_sess.svg
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
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@@ -298,6 +294,20 @@
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        x="-240.04274">} session_data[];</text>
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diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
index 2a8e07d27..d01bb110e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
@@ -992,6 +992,7 @@ rte_cryptodev_queue_pair_setup(uint8_t dev_id, uint16_t queue_pair_id,
 		}
 
 		s.nb_drivers = pool_priv->nb_drivers;
+		s.user_data_sz = pool_priv->user_data_sz;
 
 		if ((rte_cryptodev_sym_get_existing_header_session_size(&s) >
 			obj_size) || (s.nb_drivers <= dev->driver_id) ||
@@ -1307,7 +1308,8 @@ rte_cryptodev_sym_session_pool_create(const char *name, uint32_t nb_elts,
 static unsigned int
 rte_cryptodev_sym_session_data_size(struct rte_cryptodev_sym_session *sess)
 {
-	return (sizeof(sess->sess_data[0]) * sess->nb_drivers);
+	return (sizeof(sess->sess_data[0]) * sess->nb_drivers) +
+			sess->user_data_sz;
 }
 
 struct rte_cryptodev_sym_session *
@@ -1335,7 +1337,7 @@ rte_cryptodev_sym_session_create(struct rte_mempool *mp)
 	}
 
 	sess->nb_drivers = pool_priv->nb_drivers;
-
+	sess->user_data_sz = pool_priv->user_data_sz;
 
 	/* Clear device session pointer.
 	 * Include the flag indicating presence of user data
@@ -1538,6 +1540,9 @@ rte_cryptodev_sym_session_set_user_data(
 	if (sess == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	if (sess->user_data_sz < size)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	rte_memcpy(sess->sess_data + sess->nb_drivers, data, size);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1546,7 +1551,7 @@ void * __rte_experimental
 rte_cryptodev_sym_session_get_user_data(
 					struct rte_cryptodev_sym_session *sess)
 {
-	if (sess == NULL)
+	if (sess == NULL || sess->user_data_sz == 0)
 		return NULL;
 
 	return (void *)(sess->sess_data + sess->nb_drivers);
diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h
index cc22a1878..232cd1aa8 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h
@@ -959,6 +959,8 @@ rte_cryptodev_enqueue_burst(uint8_t dev_id, uint16_t qp_id,
 struct rte_cryptodev_sym_session {
 	uint16_t nb_drivers;
 	/**< number of elements in sess_data array */
+	uint16_t user_data_sz;
+	/**< session user data will be placed after sess_data */
 	__extension__ struct {
 		void *data;
 	} sess_data[0];
@@ -1132,7 +1134,8 @@ rte_cryptodev_asym_session_clear(uint8_t dev_id,
 			struct rte_cryptodev_asym_session *sess);
 
 /**
- * Get the size of the header session, for all registered drivers.
+ * Get the size of the header session, for all registered drivers excluding
+ * the user data size.
  *
  * @return
  *   Size of the symmetric eader session.
