diff --git a/include/spdk/env.h b/include/spdk/env.h
index 6b236940c..b22ccf51d 100644
--- a/include/spdk/env.h
+++ b/include/spdk/env.h
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ extern "C" {
 
 struct spdk_pci_device;
 
+/**
+ * Allocate a pinned, physically contiguous memory buffer with the
+ *   given size and alignment.
+ */
+void *
+spdk_malloc(size_t size, size_t align, uint64_t *phys_addr);
+
 /**
  * Allocate a pinned, physically contiguous memory buffer with the
  *   given size and alignment. The buffer will be zeroed.
diff --git a/lib/env/env.c b/lib/env/env.c
index 6772fc958..c9c07d8f3 100644
--- a/lib/env/env.c
+++ b/lib/env/env.c
@@ -43,14 +43,21 @@
 #include <rte_version.h>
 
 void *
-spdk_zmalloc(size_t size, size_t align, uint64_t *phys_addr)
+spdk_malloc(size_t size, size_t align, uint64_t *phys_addr)
 {
 	void *buf = rte_malloc(NULL, size, align);
+	if (buf && phys_addr) {
+		*phys_addr = rte_malloc_virt2phy(buf);
+	}
+	return buf;
+}
+
+void *
+spdk_zmalloc(size_t size, size_t align, uint64_t *phys_addr)
+{
+	void *buf = spdk_malloc(size, align, phys_addr);
 	if (buf) {
 		memset(buf, 0, size);
-		if (phys_addr) {
-			*phys_addr = rte_malloc_virt2phy(buf);
-		}
 	}
 	return buf;
 }