diff --git a/app/test-pmd/parameters.c b/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
index aed4cdcb84..d0f7b2f11d 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ usage(char* progname)
 	printf("  --rxhdrs=eth[,ipv4]*: set RX segment protocol to split.\n");
 	printf("  --txpkts=X[,Y]*: set TX segment sizes"
 		" or total packet length.\n");
+	printf(" --multi-mempool: enable multi-mempool support\n");
 	printf("  --txonly-multi-flow: generate multiple flows in txonly mode\n");
 	printf("  --tx-ip=src,dst: IP addresses in Tx-only mode\n");
 	printf("  --tx-udp=src[,dst]: UDP ports in Tx-only mode\n");
@@ -669,6 +670,7 @@ launch_args_parse(int argc, char** argv)
 		{ "rxpkts",			1, 0, 0 },
 		{ "rxhdrs",			1, 0, 0 },
 		{ "txpkts",			1, 0, 0 },
+		{ "multi-mempool",              0, 0, 0 },
 		{ "txonly-multi-flow",		0, 0, 0 },
 		{ "rxq-share",			2, 0, 0 },
 		{ "eth-link-speed",		1, 0, 0 },
@@ -1295,6 +1297,8 @@ launch_args_parse(int argc, char** argv)
 				else
 					rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE, "bad txpkts\n");
 			}
+			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "multi-mempool"))
+				multi_mempool = 1;
 			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "txonly-multi-flow"))
 				txonly_multi_flow = 1;
 			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "rxq-share")) {
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index 4e25f77c6a..0bf2e4bd0d 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ uint32_t max_rx_pkt_len;
  */
 uint16_t rx_pkt_seg_lengths[MAX_SEGS_BUFFER_SPLIT];
 uint8_t  rx_pkt_nb_segs; /**< Number of segments to split */
+uint8_t multi_mempool; /**< Enables multi-mempool feature */
 uint16_t rx_pkt_seg_offsets[MAX_SEGS_BUFFER_SPLIT];
 uint8_t  rx_pkt_nb_offs; /**< Number of specified offsets */
 uint32_t rx_pkt_hdr_protos[MAX_SEGS_BUFFER_SPLIT];
@@ -258,6 +259,8 @@ uint16_t tx_pkt_seg_lengths[RTE_MAX_SEGS_PER_PKT] = {
 };
 uint8_t  tx_pkt_nb_segs = 1; /**< Number of segments in TXONLY packets */
 
+
+
 enum tx_pkt_split tx_pkt_split = TX_PKT_SPLIT_OFF;
 /**< Split policy for packets to TX. */
 
@@ -2659,24 +2662,9 @@ rx_queue_setup(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t rx_queue_id,
 	uint32_t prev_hdrs = 0;
 	int ret;
 
-	/* Verify Rx queue configuration is single pool and segment or
-	 * multiple pool/segment.
-	 * @see rte_eth_rxconf::rx_mempools
-	 * @see rte_eth_rxconf::rx_seg
-	 */
-	if (!(mbuf_data_size_n > 1) && !(rx_pkt_nb_segs > 1 ||
-	    ((rx_conf->offloads & RTE_ETH_RX_OFFLOAD_BUFFER_SPLIT) != 0))) {
-		/* Single pool/segment configuration */
-		rx_conf->rx_seg = NULL;
-		rx_conf->rx_nseg = 0;
-		ret = rte_eth_rx_queue_setup(port_id, rx_queue_id,
-					     nb_rx_desc, socket_id,
-					     rx_conf, mp);
-		goto exit;
-	}
 
-	if (rx_pkt_nb_segs > 1 ||
-	    rx_conf->offloads & RTE_ETH_RX_OFFLOAD_BUFFER_SPLIT) {
+	if ((rx_pkt_nb_segs > 1) &&
+	    (rx_conf->offloads & RTE_ETH_RX_OFFLOAD_BUFFER_SPLIT)) {
 		/* multi-segment configuration */
 		for (i = 0; i < rx_pkt_nb_segs; i++) {
 			struct rte_eth_rxseg_split *rx_seg = &rx_useg[i].split;
@@ -2701,22 +2689,50 @@ rx_queue_setup(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t rx_queue_id,
 		}
 		rx_conf->rx_nseg = rx_pkt_nb_segs;
 		rx_conf->rx_seg = rx_useg;
-	} else {
+		rx_conf->rx_mempools = NULL;
+		rx_conf->rx_nmempool = 0;
+		ret = rte_eth_rx_queue_setup(port_id, rx_queue_id, nb_rx_desc,
+				    socket_id, rx_conf, NULL);
+		rx_conf->rx_seg = NULL;
+		rx_conf->rx_nseg = 0;
+	} else if (multi_mempool == 1) {
 		/* multi-pool configuration */
+		struct rte_eth_dev_info dev_info;
+
+		if (mbuf_data_size_n <= 1) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "invalid number of mempools %u",
+				mbuf_data_size_n);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		ret = rte_eth_dev_info_get(port_id, &dev_info);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			return ret;
+		if (dev_info.max_rx_mempools == 0) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "device doesn't support requested multi-mempool configuration");
+			return -ENOTSUP;
+		}
 		for (i = 0; i < mbuf_data_size_n; i++) {
 			mpx = mbuf_pool_find(socket_id, i);
 			rx_mempool[i] = mpx ? mpx : mp;
 		}
 		rx_conf->rx_mempools = rx_mempool;
 		rx_conf->rx_nmempool = mbuf_data_size_n;
-	}
-	ret = rte_eth_rx_queue_setup(port_id, rx_queue_id, nb_rx_desc,
+		rx_conf->rx_seg = NULL;
+		rx_conf->rx_nseg = 0;
+		ret = rte_eth_rx_queue_setup(port_id, rx_queue_id, nb_rx_desc,
 				    socket_id, rx_conf, NULL);
-	rx_conf->rx_seg = NULL;
-	rx_conf->rx_nseg = 0;
-	rx_conf->rx_mempools = NULL;
-	rx_conf->rx_nmempool = 0;
-exit:
+		rx_conf->rx_mempools = NULL;
+		rx_conf->rx_nmempool = 0;
+	} else {
+		/* Single pool/segment configuration */
+		rx_conf->rx_seg = NULL;
+		rx_conf->rx_nseg = 0;
+		rx_conf->rx_mempools = NULL;
+		rx_conf->rx_nmempool = 0;
+		ret = rte_eth_rx_queue_setup(port_id, rx_queue_id, nb_rx_desc,
+				    socket_id, rx_conf, mp);
+	}
+
 	ports[port_id].rxq[rx_queue_id].state = rx_conf->rx_deferred_start ?
 						RTE_ETH_QUEUE_STATE_STOPPED :
 						RTE_ETH_QUEUE_STATE_STARTED;
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index aaf69c349a..e4f9b142c9 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -589,6 +589,7 @@ extern uint32_t max_rx_pkt_len;
 extern uint32_t rx_pkt_hdr_protos[MAX_SEGS_BUFFER_SPLIT];
 extern uint16_t rx_pkt_seg_lengths[MAX_SEGS_BUFFER_SPLIT];
 extern uint8_t  rx_pkt_nb_segs; /**< Number of segments to split */
+extern uint8_t multi_mempool; /**< Enables multi-mempool feature. */
 extern uint16_t rx_pkt_seg_offsets[MAX_SEGS_BUFFER_SPLIT];
 extern uint8_t  rx_pkt_nb_offs; /**< Number of specified offsets */
 
diff --git a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
index 610e442924..329570e721 100644
--- a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
@@ -365,6 +365,10 @@ The command line options are:
     Set TX segment sizes or total packet length. Valid for ``tx-only``
     and ``flowgen`` forwarding modes.
 
+* ``--multi-mempool``
+
+    Enable multi-mempool, multiple mbuf pools per Rx queue, support.
+
 *   ``--txonly-multi-flow``
 
     Generate multiple flows in txonly mode.
