diff --git a/src/runmode-dpdk.c b/src/runmode-dpdk.c
index 7b0b7552e6d..0a5ffff53f4 100644
--- a/src/runmode-dpdk.c
+++ b/src/runmode-dpdk.c
@@ -1363,6 +1363,10 @@ static void *ParseDpdkConfigAndConfigureDevice(const char *iface)
     // This counter is increased by worker threads that individually pick queue IDs.
     SC_ATOMIC_RESET(iconf->queue_id);
     SC_ATOMIC_RESET(iconf->inconsitent_numa_cnt);
+
+    // initialize LiveDev DPDK values
+    LiveDevice *ldev_instance = LiveGetDevice(iface);
+    ldev_instance->dpdk_vars.pkt_mp = iconf->pkt_mempool;
     return iconf;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/source-dpdk.c b/src/source-dpdk.c
index f207ef7c6d6..51f82c56552 100644
--- a/src/source-dpdk.c
+++ b/src/source-dpdk.c
@@ -646,10 +646,7 @@ static TmEcode ReceiveDPDKThreadDeinit(ThreadVars *tv, void *data)
         rte_eth_dev_stop(ptv->out_port_id);
     }
 
-    if (ptv->queue_id == 0 && ptv->pkt_mempool != NULL) {
-        rte_mempool_free(ptv->pkt_mempool);
-        ptv->pkt_mempool = NULL;
-    }
+    ptv->pkt_mempool = NULL; // MP is released when device is closed
 
     SCFree(ptv);
     SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_OK);
diff --git a/src/util-device.h b/src/util-device.h
index 1837915145d..ae9ec97c08b 100644
--- a/src/util-device.h
+++ b/src/util-device.h
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
 #ifndef __UTIL_DEVICE_H__
 #define __UTIL_DEVICE_H__
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+#include <rte_mempool.h>
+#endif /* HAVE_DPDK */
+
 #include "queue.h"
 
 #define OFFLOAD_FLAG_SG     (1<<0)
@@ -35,6 +39,12 @@ int LiveGetOffload(void);
 
 #define MAX_DEVNAME 10
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+typedef struct {
+    struct rte_mempool *pkt_mp;
+} DPDKDeviceResources;
+#endif /* HAVE_DPDK */
+
 /** storage for live device names */
 typedef struct LiveDevice_ {
     char *dev;  /**< the device (e.g. "eth0") */
@@ -51,6 +61,10 @@ typedef struct LiveDevice_ {
 
     uint32_t tenant_id;     /**< tenant id in multi-tenancy */
     uint32_t offload_orig;  /**< original offload settings to restore @exit */
+#ifdef HAVE_DPDK
+    // DPDK resources that needs to be cleaned after workers are stopped and devices closed
+    DPDKDeviceResources dpdk_vars;
+#endif
 } LiveDevice;
 
 typedef struct LiveDeviceName_ {
diff --git a/src/util-dpdk.c b/src/util-dpdk.c
index e6f56e5ccd4..83284411fe2 100644
--- a/src/util-dpdk.c
+++ b/src/util-dpdk.c
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ void DPDKCloseDevice(LiveDevice *ldev)
 
         SCLogInfo("%s: closing device", ldev->dev);
         rte_eth_dev_close(port_id);
+
+        SCLogInfo("%s: releasing packet mempool", ldev->dev);
+        rte_mempool_free(ldev->dpdk_vars.pkt_mp);
     }
 #endif
 }