diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
index 5218f1b12d..552b9298d2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
@@ -393,8 +393,10 @@ vq_is_packed(struct virtio_net *dev)
 static inline bool
 desc_is_avail(struct vring_packed_desc *desc, bool wrap_counter)
 {
-	return wrap_counter == !!(desc->flags & VRING_DESC_F_AVAIL) &&
-		wrap_counter != !!(desc->flags & VRING_DESC_F_USED);
+	uint16_t flags = *((volatile uint16_t *) &desc->flags);
+
+	return wrap_counter == !!(flags & VRING_DESC_F_AVAIL) &&
+		wrap_counter != !!(flags & VRING_DESC_F_USED);
 }
 
 #define VHOST_LOG_PAGE	4096