diff --git a/doc/api/doxy-api-index.md b/doc/api/doxy-api-index.md
index a9c12d1a2f..b865a51e8c 100644
--- a/doc/api/doxy-api-index.md
+++ b/doc/api/doxy-api-index.md
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ The public API headers are grouped by topics:
   [vhost]              (@ref rte_vhost.h),
   [vdpa]               (@ref rte_vdpa.h),
   [KNI]                (@ref rte_kni.h),
+  [ark]                (@ref rte_pmd_ark.h),
   [ixgbe]              (@ref rte_pmd_ixgbe.h),
   [i40e]               (@ref rte_pmd_i40e.h),
   [ice]                (@ref rte_pmd_ice.h),
diff --git a/doc/api/doxy-api.conf.in b/doc/api/doxy-api.conf.in
index e37f8c2e80..c5b01a1814 100644
--- a/doc/api/doxy-api.conf.in
+++ b/doc/api/doxy-api.conf.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ INPUT                   = @TOPDIR@/doc/api/doxy-api-index.md \
                           @TOPDIR@/drivers/bus/vdev \
                           @TOPDIR@/drivers/crypto/scheduler \
                           @TOPDIR@/drivers/mempool/dpaa2 \
+                          @TOPDIR@/drivers/net/ark \
                           @TOPDIR@/drivers/net/bnxt \
                           @TOPDIR@/drivers/net/bonding \
                           @TOPDIR@/drivers/net/dpaa \
diff --git a/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev.c
index 168b3659d6..5f19d8d1ea 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <rte_ethdev_pci.h>
 #include <rte_kvargs.h>
 
+#include "rte_pmd_ark.h"
 #include "ark_global.h"
 #include "ark_logs.h"
 #include "ark_ethdev_tx.h"
@@ -78,6 +79,8 @@ static int  eth_ark_set_mtu(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t size);
 #define ARK_TX_MAX_QUEUE (4096 * 4)
 #define ARK_TX_MIN_QUEUE (256)
 
+int rte_pmd_ark_userdata_dynfield_offset = -1;
+
 static const char * const valid_arguments[] = {
 	ARK_PKTGEN_ARG,
 	ARK_PKTCHKR_ARG,
@@ -245,6 +248,11 @@ eth_ark_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	int ret;
 	int port_count = 1;
 	int p;
+	static const struct rte_mbuf_dynfield ark_userdata_dynfield_desc = {
+		.name = RTE_PMD_ARK_USERDATA_DYNFIELD_NAME,
+		.size = sizeof(rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t),
+		.align = __alignof__(rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t),
+	};
 
 	ark->eth_dev = dev;
 
@@ -254,6 +262,16 @@ eth_ark_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	ret = check_for_ext(ark);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
+
+	/* Extra mbuf field for user data */
+	rte_pmd_ark_userdata_dynfield_offset =
+		rte_mbuf_dynfield_register(&ark_userdata_dynfield_desc);
+	if (rte_pmd_ark_userdata_dynfield_offset < 0) {
+		ARK_PMD_LOG(ERR,
+				"Failed to register mbuf field for userdata\n");
+		return -rte_errno;
+	}
+
 	pci_dev = RTE_ETH_DEV_TO_PCI(dev);
 	rte_eth_copy_pci_info(dev, pci_dev);
 	dev->data->dev_flags |= RTE_ETH_DEV_AUTOFILL_QUEUE_XSTATS;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_rx.c b/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_rx.c
index 2f8d05099c..c5788498b3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_rx.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "rte_pmd_ark.h"
 #include "ark_ethdev_rx.h"
 #include "ark_global.h"
 #include "ark_logs.h"
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ eth_ark_recv_pkts(void *rx_queue,
 		mbuf->pkt_len = meta->pkt_len;
 		mbuf->data_len = meta->pkt_len;
 		mbuf->timestamp = meta->timestamp;
-		mbuf->udata64 = meta->user_data;
+		rte_pmd_ark_mbuf_userdata_set(mbuf, meta->user_data);
 
 		if (ARK_DEBUG_CORE) {	/* debug sanity checks */
 			if ((meta->pkt_len > (1024 * 16)) ||
diff --git a/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_tx.c b/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_tx.c
index a0e35af880..ab488d83f2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ark/ark_ethdev_tx.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "rte_pmd_ark.h"
 #include "ark_ethdev_tx.h"
 #include "ark_global.h"
 #include "ark_mpu.h"
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ eth_ark_tx_meta_from_mbuf(struct ark_tx_meta *meta,
 			  uint8_t flags)
 {
 	meta->physaddr = rte_mbuf_data_iova(mbuf);
-	meta->user1 = (uint32_t)mbuf->udata64;
+	meta->user1 = (uint32_t)rte_pmd_ark_mbuf_userdata_get(mbuf);
 	meta->data_len = rte_pktmbuf_data_len(mbuf);
 	meta->flags = flags;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ark/rte_pmd_ark.h b/drivers/net/ark/rte_pmd_ark.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11e96e0e9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/net/ark/rte_pmd_ark.h
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright (c) 2020 Atomic Rules LLC
+ */
+
+#ifndef RTE_PMD_ARK_H
+#define RTE_PMD_ARK_H
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * ARK driver-specific API
+ */
+
+#include <rte_mbuf.h>
+#include <rte_mbuf_dyn.h>
+
+typedef uint64_t rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t;
+extern int rte_pmd_ark_userdata_dynfield_offset;
+
+/** mbuf dynamic field for custom ARK data */
+#define RTE_PMD_ARK_USERDATA_DYNFIELD_NAME "rte_net_ark_dynfield_userdata"
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice
+ *
+ * Read user data from mbuf.
+ *
+ * @param mbuf Structure to read from.
+ * @return user data
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+static inline rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t
+rte_pmd_ark_mbuf_userdata_get(const struct rte_mbuf *mbuf)
+{
+	return *RTE_MBUF_DYNFIELD(mbuf, rte_pmd_ark_userdata_dynfield_offset,
+			rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t *);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice
+ *
+ * Write user data to mbuf.
+ *
+ * @param mbuf Structure to write into.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+static inline void
+rte_pmd_ark_mbuf_userdata_set(struct rte_mbuf *mbuf,
+		rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t data)
+{
+	*RTE_MBUF_DYNFIELD(mbuf, rte_pmd_ark_userdata_dynfield_offset,
+			rte_pmd_ark_userdata_t *) = data;
+}
+
+#endif /* RTE_PMD_ARK_H */
