diff --git a/include/spdk/env.h b/include/spdk/env.h
index 5e841d09f..3d7f5fca4 100644
--- a/include/spdk/env.h
+++ b/include/spdk/env.h
@@ -255,6 +255,22 @@ void spdk_dma_free(void *buf);
  */
 void *spdk_memzone_reserve(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id, unsigned flags);
 
+/**
+ * Reserve a named, process shared memory zone with the given size, socket_id,
+ * flags and alignment.
+ *
+ * \param name Name to set for this memory zone.
+ * \param len Length in bytes.
+ * \param socket_id Socket ID to allocate memory on, or SPDK_ENV_SOCKET_ID_ANY
+ * for any socket.
+ * \param flags Flags to set for this memory zone.
+ * \param align Alignment for resulting memzone. Must be a power of 2.
+ *
+ * \return a pointer to the allocated memory address on success, or NULL on failure.
+ */
+void *spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id,
+				   unsigned flags, unsigned align);
+
 /**
  * Lookup the memory zone identified by the given name.
  *
diff --git a/lib/env_dpdk/env.c b/lib/env_dpdk/env.c
index b7659600b..02cd55730 100644
--- a/lib/env_dpdk/env.c
+++ b/lib/env_dpdk/env.c
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ spdk_dma_free(void *buf)
 }
 
 void *
-spdk_memzone_reserve(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id, unsigned flags)
+spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id,
+			     unsigned flags, unsigned align)
 {
 	const struct rte_memzone *mz;
 	unsigned dpdk_flags = 0;
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ spdk_memzone_reserve(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id, unsigned flags
 		socket_id = SOCKET_ID_ANY;
 	}
 
-	mz = rte_memzone_reserve(name, len, socket_id, dpdk_flags);
+	mz = rte_memzone_reserve_aligned(name, len, socket_id, dpdk_flags, align);
 
 	if (mz != NULL) {
 		memset(mz->addr, 0, len);
@@ -161,6 +162,13 @@ spdk_memzone_reserve(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id, unsigned flags
 	}
 }
 
+void *
+spdk_memzone_reserve(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id, unsigned flags)
+{
+	return spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned(name, len, socket_id, flags,
+					    RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
+}
+
 void *
 spdk_memzone_lookup(const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/test/common/lib/test_env.c b/test/common/lib/test_env.c
index 43a1c4134..deda18564 100644
--- a/test/common/lib/test_env.c
+++ b/test/common/lib/test_env.c
@@ -75,6 +75,20 @@ spdk_memzone_reserve(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id, unsigned flags
 	}
 }
 
+/* setup the mock control to pass thru by default */
+void *ut_p_spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned = MOCK_PASS_THRU_P;
+void *
+spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned(const char *name, size_t len, int socket_id,
+			     unsigned flags, unsigned align)
+{
+	if (ut_p_spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned &&
+	    ut_p_spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned == MOCK_PASS_THRU_P) {
+		return malloc(len);
+	} else {
+		return ut_p_spdk_memzone_reserve_aligned;
+	}
+}
+
 void *
 spdk_dma_malloc(size_t size, size_t align, uint64_t *phys_addr)
 {