diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index 8808e9342..ee1870b70 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -108,36 +108,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_initialize_pools(struct spdk_nvmf_globals *spdk_nvmf)
 		      request_mempool,
 		      (unsigned int)(SPDK_NVMF_DESC_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf) * spdk_nvme_request_size()));
 
-	spdk_nvmf->bb_small_pool =
-		rte_mempool_create("bb_small_pool",
-				   SPDK_NVMF_ADMINQ_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf),
-				   SMALL_BB_MAX_SIZE,
-				   128, 0,
-				   NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-				   SOCKET_ID_ANY, 0);
-	if (!spdk_nvmf->bb_small_pool) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("create bb small pool failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_DEBUG, "Small data buffer pool %p, size 0x%x bytes\n",
-		      spdk_nvmf->bb_small_pool,
-		      (SPDK_NVMF_ADMINQ_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf) * SMALL_BB_MAX_SIZE));
-
-	spdk_nvmf->bb_large_pool =
-		rte_mempool_create("bb_large_pool",
-				   SPDK_NVMF_IOQ_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf),
-				   LARGE_BB_MAX_SIZE,
-				   32, 0,
-				   NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-				   SOCKET_ID_ANY, 0);
-	if (!spdk_nvmf->bb_large_pool) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("create bb large pool failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_DEBUG, "Large data buffer pool %p, size 0x%x bytes\n",
-		      spdk_nvmf->bb_large_pool,
-		      (SPDK_NVMF_IOQ_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf) * LARGE_BB_MAX_SIZE));
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -159,8 +129,6 @@ spdk_nvmf_check_pools(void)
 	int rc = 0;
 
 	rc += spdk_nvmf_check_pool(spdk_nvmf->nvme_request_pool, SPDK_NVMF_DESC_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf));
-	rc += spdk_nvmf_check_pool(spdk_nvmf->bb_small_pool, SPDK_NVMF_ADMINQ_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf));
-	rc += spdk_nvmf_check_pool(spdk_nvmf->bb_large_pool, SPDK_NVMF_IOQ_POOL_SIZE(spdk_nvmf));
 
 	if (rc == 0) {
 		return 0;
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index cb7e9c89d..099e71e30 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -114,8 +114,6 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_globals {
 	int MaxRecvDataSegmentLength;
 
 	struct rte_mempool *nvme_request_pool;
-	struct rte_mempool *bb_small_pool;
-	struct rte_mempool *bb_large_pool;
 	uint16_t	   sin_port;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index 6c1508315..38b15563a 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 #include <rte_cycles.h>
 #include <rte_timer.h>
 #include <rte_malloc.h>
-#include <rte_mempool.h>
 
 #include "conn.h"
 #include "rdma.h"
@@ -176,11 +175,7 @@ free_qp_desc(struct spdk_nvmf_conn *conn)
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to de-register rx bb mr\n");
 		}
 
-		if (conn->type == CONN_TYPE_AQ) {
-			rte_mempool_put(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_small_pool, (void *)tmp_rx->bb);
-		} else {
-			rte_mempool_put(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_large_pool, (void *)tmp_rx->bb);
-		}
+		rte_free(tmp_rx->bb);
 
 		rc = rdma_dereg_mr(tmp_rx->msg_buf_mr);
 		if (rc) {
@@ -941,20 +936,15 @@ alloc_qp_rx_desc(struct spdk_nvmf_conn *conn)
 		  data.
 		*/
 		if (conn->type == CONN_TYPE_AQ) {
-			rc = rte_mempool_get(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_small_pool, (void **)&rx_desc->bb);
-			if ((rc < 0) || !rx_desc->bb) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to get small bb object\n");
-				goto fail;
-			}
 			rx_desc->bb_len = SMALL_BB_MAX_SIZE;
 		} else { // for IO queues
-			rc = rte_mempool_get(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_large_pool, (void **)&rx_desc->bb);
-			if ((rc < 0) || !rx_desc->bb) {
-				SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to get large bb object\n");
-				goto fail;
-			}
 			rx_desc->bb_len = LARGE_BB_MAX_SIZE;
 		}
+		rx_desc->bb = rte_zmalloc("nvmf_bb", rx_desc->bb_len, 0);
+		if (!rx_desc->bb) {
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to get %u-byte bounce buffer\n", rx_desc->bb_len);
+			goto fail;
+		}
 		rx_desc->bb_mr = rdma_reg_read(conn->rdma.cm_id,
 					       (void *)rx_desc->bb,
 					       rx_desc->bb_len);
@@ -983,13 +973,7 @@ fail:
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (rx_desc->bb) {
-			if (conn->type == CONN_TYPE_AQ) {
-				rte_mempool_put(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_small_pool, (void *)rx_desc->bb);
-			} else {
-				rte_mempool_put(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_large_pool, (void *)rx_desc->bb);
-			}
-		}
+		rte_free(rx_desc->bb);
 
 		if (rx_desc->msg_buf_mr) {
 			rc = rdma_dereg_mr(rx_desc->msg_buf_mr);
@@ -1009,11 +993,7 @@ fail:
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to de-register rx bb mr\n");
 		}
 
-		if (conn->type == CONN_TYPE_AQ) {
-			rte_mempool_put(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_small_pool, (void *)tmp->bb);
-		} else {
-			rte_mempool_put(g_nvmf_tgt.bb_large_pool, (void *)tmp->bb);
-		}
+		rte_free(tmp->bb);
 
 		rc = rdma_dereg_mr(tmp->msg_buf_mr);
 		if (rc) {