diff --git a/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_dev.c b/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_dev.c
index 0fc799e4a..d61c712fa 100644
--- a/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_dev.c
@@ -577,17 +577,16 @@ otx2_pf_vf_mbox_irq(void *param)
 
 	intr = otx2_read64(dev->bar2 + RVU_VF_INT);
 	if (intr == 0)
-		return;
+		otx2_base_dbg("Proceeding to check mbox UP messages if any");
 
 	otx2_write64(intr, dev->bar2 + RVU_VF_INT);
 	otx2_base_dbg("Irq 0x%" PRIx64 "(pf:%d,vf:%d)", intr, dev->pf, dev->vf);
-	if (intr) {
-		/* First process all configuration messages */
-		otx2_process_msgs(dev, dev->mbox);
 
-		/* Process Uplink messages */
-		otx2_process_msgs_up(dev, &dev->mbox_up);
-	}
+	/* First process all configuration messages */
+	otx2_process_msgs(dev, dev->mbox);
+
+	/* Process Uplink messages */
+	otx2_process_msgs_up(dev, &dev->mbox_up);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -598,18 +597,16 @@ otx2_af_pf_mbox_irq(void *param)
 
 	intr = otx2_read64(dev->bar2 + RVU_PF_INT);
 	if (intr == 0)
-		return;
+		otx2_base_dbg("Proceeding to check mbox UP messages if any");
 
 	otx2_write64(intr, dev->bar2 + RVU_PF_INT);
-
 	otx2_base_dbg("Irq 0x%" PRIx64 "(pf:%d,vf:%d)", intr, dev->pf, dev->vf);
-	if (intr) {
-		/* First process all configuration messages */
-		otx2_process_msgs(dev, dev->mbox);
 
-		/* Process Uplink messages */
-		otx2_process_msgs_up(dev, &dev->mbox_up);
-	}
+	/* First process all configuration messages */
+	otx2_process_msgs(dev, dev->mbox);
+
+	/* Process Uplink messages */
+	otx2_process_msgs_up(dev, &dev->mbox_up);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -900,6 +897,7 @@ otx2_dev_priv_init(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev, void *otx2_dev)
 {
 	int up_direction = MBOX_DIR_PFAF_UP;
 	int rc, direction = MBOX_DIR_PFAF;
+	uint64_t intr_offset = RVU_PF_INT;
 	struct otx2_dev *dev = otx2_dev;
 	uintptr_t bar2, bar4;
 	uint64_t bar4_addr;
@@ -924,15 +922,18 @@ otx2_dev_priv_init(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev, void *otx2_dev)
 	if (otx2_dev_is_vf(dev)) {
 		direction = MBOX_DIR_VFPF;
 		up_direction = MBOX_DIR_VFPF_UP;
+		intr_offset = RVU_VF_INT;
 	}
 
 	/* Initialize the local mbox */
-	rc = otx2_mbox_init(&dev->mbox_local, bar4, bar2, direction, 1);
+	rc = otx2_mbox_init(&dev->mbox_local, bar4, bar2, direction, 1,
+			    intr_offset);
 	if (rc)
 		goto error;
 	dev->mbox = &dev->mbox_local;
 
-	rc = otx2_mbox_init(&dev->mbox_up, bar4, bar2, up_direction, 1);
+	rc = otx2_mbox_init(&dev->mbox_up, bar4, bar2, up_direction, 1,
+			    intr_offset);
 	if (rc)
 		goto error;
 
@@ -967,13 +968,15 @@ otx2_dev_priv_init(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev, void *otx2_dev)
 		}
 		/* Init mbox object */
 		rc = otx2_mbox_init(&dev->mbox_vfpf, (uintptr_t)hwbase,
-				    bar2, MBOX_DIR_PFVF, pci_dev->max_vfs);
+				    bar2, MBOX_DIR_PFVF, pci_dev->max_vfs,
+				    intr_offset);
 		if (rc)
 			goto iounmap;
 
 		/* PF -> VF UP messages */
 		rc = otx2_mbox_init(&dev->mbox_vfpf_up, (uintptr_t)hwbase,
-				    bar2, MBOX_DIR_PFVF_UP, pci_dev->max_vfs);
+				    bar2, MBOX_DIR_PFVF_UP, pci_dev->max_vfs,
+				    intr_offset);
 		if (rc)
 			goto mbox_fini;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.c b/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.c
index c359bf42f..358e4b3bd 100644
--- a/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.c
+++ b/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <rte_cycles.h>
 
 #include "otx2_mbox.h"
+#include "otx2_dev.h"
 
 #define RVU_AF_AFPF_MBOX0	(0x02000)
 #define RVU_AF_AFPF_MBOX1	(0x02008)
@@ -59,12 +60,13 @@ otx2_mbox_reset(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid)
 }
 
 int
-otx2_mbox_init(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, uintptr_t hwbase,
-	       uintptr_t reg_base, int direction, int ndevs)
+otx2_mbox_init(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, uintptr_t hwbase, uintptr_t reg_base,
+	       int direction, int ndevs, uint64_t intr_offset)
 {
 	struct otx2_mbox_dev *mdev;
 	int devid;
 
+	mbox->intr_offset = intr_offset;
 	mbox->reg_base = reg_base;
 	mbox->hwbase = hwbase;
 
@@ -230,8 +232,8 @@ otx2_mbox_get_rsp(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid, void **msg)
 	int rc;
 
 	rc = otx2_mbox_wait_for_rsp(mbox, devid);
-	if (rc != 1)
-		return -EIO;
+	if (rc < 0)
+		return rc;
 
 	rte_rmb();
 
@@ -244,6 +246,38 @@ otx2_mbox_get_rsp(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid, void **msg)
 	return msghdr->rc;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Polling for given wait time to get mailbox response
+ */
+static int
+mbox_poll(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, uint32_t wait)
+{
+	uint32_t timeout = 0, sleep = 1;
+	uint32_t wait_us = wait * 1000;
+	uint64_t rsp_reg = 0;
+	uintptr_t reg_addr;
+
+	reg_addr = mbox->reg_base + mbox->intr_offset;
+	do {
+		rte_smp_rmb();
+		rsp_reg = otx2_read64(reg_addr);
+
+		if (timeout >= wait_us)
+			return -ETIMEDOUT;
+
+		rte_delay_us(sleep);
+		timeout += sleep;
+	} while (!rsp_reg);
+
+	/* Clear interrupt */
+	otx2_write64(rsp_reg, reg_addr);
+
+	/* Reset mbox */
+	otx2_mbox_reset(mbox, 0);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * @internal
  * Wait and get mailbox response with timeout
@@ -258,8 +292,8 @@ otx2_mbox_get_rsp_tmo(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid, void **msg,
 	int rc;
 
 	rc = otx2_mbox_wait_for_rsp_tmo(mbox, devid, tmo);
-	if (rc != 1)
-		return -EIO;
+	if (rc < 0)
+		return rc;
 
 	rte_rmb();
 
@@ -321,11 +355,15 @@ otx2_mbox_wait_for_rsp_tmo(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid, uint32_t tmo)
 	}
 
 	/* Wait message */
-	rc = mbox_wait(mbox, devid, tmo);
-	if (rc)
-		return rc;
+	if (rte_thread_is_intr())
+		rc = mbox_poll(mbox, tmo);
+	else
+		rc = mbox_wait(mbox, devid, tmo);
 
-	return mdev->msgs_acked;
+	if (!rc)
+		rc = mdev->num_msgs;
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.h b/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.h
index e0e4e2f63..0535cec36 100644
--- a/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.h
+++ b/drivers/common/octeontx2/otx2_mbox.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ struct otx2_mbox {
 	uint16_t tx_size;  /* Size of Tx region */
 	uint16_t ndevs;    /* The number of peers */
 	struct otx2_mbox_dev *dev;
+	uint64_t intr_offset; /* Offset to interrupt register */
 };
 
 /* Header which precedes all mbox messages */
@@ -1562,8 +1563,8 @@ struct tim_enable_rsp {
 const char *otx2_mbox_id2name(uint16_t id);
 int otx2_mbox_id2size(uint16_t id);
 void otx2_mbox_reset(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid);
-int otx2_mbox_init(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, uintptr_t hwbase,
-		   uintptr_t reg_base, int direction, int ndevs);
+int otx2_mbox_init(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, uintptr_t hwbase, uintptr_t reg_base,
+		   int direction, int ndevsi, uint64_t intr_offset);
 void otx2_mbox_fini(struct otx2_mbox *mbox);
 void otx2_mbox_msg_send(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid);
 int otx2_mbox_wait_for_rsp(struct otx2_mbox *mbox, int devid);
