diff --git a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c
index e08739370e..d79ba68fda 100644
--- a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c
+++ b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c
@@ -279,7 +279,9 @@ rte_hash_create(const struct rte_hash_parameters *params)
 			rte_ring_sp_enqueue(r_ext, (void *)((uintptr_t) i));
 	}
 
-	const uint32_t key_entry_size = sizeof(struct rte_hash_key) + params->key_len;
+	const uint32_t key_entry_size =
+		RTE_ALIGN(sizeof(struct rte_hash_key) + params->key_len,
+			  KEY_ALIGNMENT);
 	const uint64_t key_tbl_size = (uint64_t) key_entry_size * num_key_slots;
 
 	k = rte_zmalloc_socket(NULL, key_tbl_size,
diff --git a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h
index ff95181848..601b2ce78e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h
+++ b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ struct rte_hash_key {
 	};
 	/* Variable key size */
 	char key[0];
-} __attribute__((aligned(KEY_ALIGNMENT)));
+};
 
 /* All different signature compare functions */
 enum rte_hash_sig_compare_function {