diff --git a/docs/backend/CANN.md b/docs/backend/CANN.md
index e172ec5c2a69e..0a0d0d4dc10fd 100644
--- a/docs/backend/CANN.md
+++ b/docs/backend/CANN.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  - [DataType Supports](#datatype-supports)
  - [Docker](#docker)
  - [Linux](#linux)
+ - [Environment variable setup](#environment-variable-setup)
  - [TODO](#todo)
 
 
@@ -281,5 +282,24 @@ cmake --build build --config release
 Please add the **[CANN]** prefix/tag in issues/PRs titles to help the CANN-team check/address them without delay.
 
 
+## Environment variable setup
+
+### GGML_CANN_ASYNC_MODE
+
+Enables asynchronous operator submission. Disabled by default.
+
+### GGML_CANN_MEM_POOL
+
+Specifies the memory pool management strategy:
+
+- vmm: Utilizes a virtual memory manager pool. If hardware support for VMM is unavailable, falls back to the legacy (leg) memory pool.
+
+- prio: Employs a priority queue-based memory pool management.
+- leg: Uses a fixed-size buffer pool.
+
+### GGML_CANN_DISABLE_BUF_POOL_CLEAN
+
+Controls automatic cleanup of the memory pool. This option is only effective when using the prio or leg memory pool strategies.
+
 ## TODO
 - Support more models and data types.
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-cann/common.h b/ggml/src/ggml-cann/common.h
index 7ef80a4793314..ba2cef0c25fb2 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-cann/common.h
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-cann/common.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <functional>
+#include <optional>
 
 #include "../include/ggml-cann.h"
 #include "../include/ggml.h"
@@ -103,6 +104,9 @@ const ggml_cann_device_info& ggml_cann_info();
 void ggml_cann_set_device(int32_t device);
 int32_t ggml_cann_get_device();
 
+std::optional<std::string> get_env(const std::string& name);
+bool parse_bool(const std::string& value);
+
 /**
  * @brief Abstract base class for memory pools used by CANN.
  */
@@ -354,7 +358,8 @@ struct ggml_backend_cann_context {
         : device(device), name("CANN" + std::to_string(device)), task_queue(1024, device) {
         ggml_cann_set_device(device);
         description = aclrtGetSocName();
-        async_mode = (getenv("GGML_CANN_ASYNC_MODE") != nullptr);
+
+        bool async_mode = parse_bool(get_env("GGML_CANN_ASYNC_MODE").value_or(""));
         GGML_LOG_INFO("%s: device %d async operator submission is %s\n", __func__,
             device, async_mode ? "ON" : "OFF");
     }
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-cann/ggml-cann.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-cann/ggml-cann.cpp
index 605b6a73c3a13..360d3ae85f775 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-cann/ggml-cann.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-cann/ggml-cann.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <mutex>
 #include <queue>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <unordered_set>
+#include <optional>
 
 #include "ggml-impl.h"
 #include "ggml-backend-impl.h"
@@ -92,6 +94,26 @@ int32_t ggml_cann_get_device() {
     return id;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief Get the value of the specified environment variable (name).
+ *        if not empty, return a std::string object
+ */
+std::optional<std::string> get_env(const std::string& name) {
+    const char* val = std::getenv(name.c_str());
+    if (!val) return std::nullopt;
+    std::string res = std::string(val);
+    std::transform(res.begin(), res.end(), res.begin(), ::tolower);
+    return res;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Verify whether the environment variable is a valid value.
+ */
+bool parse_bool(const std::string& value) {
+    std::unordered_set<std::string> valid_values = {"on", "1", "yes", "y", "enable", "true"};
+    return valid_values.find(value) != valid_values.end();
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief Initialize the CANN device information.
  *
@@ -213,7 +235,7 @@ struct ggml_cann_pool_buf_prio : public ggml_cann_pool {
      * @param device The device ID to associate with this buffer pool.
      */
     explicit ggml_cann_pool_buf_prio(int device) : device(device) {
-        disable_clean = getenv("GGML_CANN_DISABLE_BUF_POOL_CLEAN") != nullptr;
+        disable_clean = parse_bool(get_env("GGML_CANN_DISABLE_BUF_POOL_CLEAN").value_or(""));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -409,7 +431,7 @@ struct ggml_cann_pool_buf : public ggml_cann_pool {
      * @param device The device ID to associate with this buffer pool.
      */
     explicit ggml_cann_pool_buf(int device) : device(device) {
-        disable_clean = getenv("GGML_CANN_DISABLE_BUF_POOL_CLEAN") != nullptr;
+        disable_clean = parse_bool(get_env("GGML_CANN_DISABLE_BUF_POOL_CLEAN").value_or(""));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -730,16 +752,18 @@ struct ggml_cann_pool_vmm : public ggml_cann_pool {
  */
 std::unique_ptr<ggml_cann_pool> ggml_backend_cann_context::new_pool_for_device(
     int device) {
-    bool disable_vmm = (getenv("GGML_CANN_DISABLE_VMM_POOL") != nullptr);
-    if (!disable_vmm && ggml_cann_info().devices[device].vmm) {
-        GGML_LOG_INFO("%s: device %d use vmm pool\n", __func__, device);
-        return std::unique_ptr<ggml_cann_pool>(new ggml_cann_pool_vmm(device));
-    }
-    bool enable_buf_prio = (getenv("GGML_CANN_ENABLE_BUF_PRIO_POOL") != nullptr);
-    if (enable_buf_prio) {
+    std::string mem_pool_type = get_env("GGML_CANN_MEM_POOL").value_or("");
+
+    if (mem_pool_type == "prio") {
         GGML_LOG_INFO("%s: device %d use buffer pool with priority queue\n", __func__, device);
         return std::unique_ptr<ggml_cann_pool>(new ggml_cann_pool_buf_prio(device));
     }
+
+    if (ggml_cann_info().devices[device].vmm && mem_pool_type != "leg") {
+        GGML_LOG_INFO("%s: device %d use vmm pool\n", __func__, device);
+        return std::unique_ptr<ggml_cann_pool>(new ggml_cann_pool_vmm(device));
+    }
+
     GGML_LOG_INFO("%s: device %d use buffer pool\n", __func__, device);
     return std::unique_ptr<ggml_cann_pool>(new ggml_cann_pool_buf(device));
 }