diff --git a/include/haproxy/pool-t.h b/include/haproxy/pool-t.h
index 47fa34a5d..460173c6f 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/pool-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/pool-t.h
@@ -118,8 +118,9 @@ struct pool_head {
 	unsigned int failed;	/* failed allocations */
 	unsigned int alloc_sz;	/* allocated size (includes hidden fields) */
 	struct list list;	/* list of all known pools */
+	void *base_addr;        /* allocation address, for free() */
 	char name[12];		/* name of the pool */
-	struct pool_cache_head cache[MAX_THREADS]; /* pool caches */
+	struct pool_cache_head cache[MAX_THREADS] THREAD_ALIGNED(64); /* pool caches */
 } __attribute__((aligned(64)));
 
 #endif /* _HAPROXY_POOL_T_H */
diff --git a/src/pool.c b/src/pool.c
index 45c05fa45..441133e7c 100644
--- a/src/pool.c
+++ b/src/pool.c
@@ -275,11 +275,16 @@ struct pool_head *create_pool(char *name, unsigned int size, unsigned int flags)
 	}
 
 	if (!pool) {
-		if (!pool)
-			pool = calloc(1, sizeof(*pool));
+		void *pool_addr;
 
-		if (!pool)
+		pool_addr = calloc(1, sizeof(*pool) + __alignof__(*pool));
+		if (!pool_addr)
 			return NULL;
+
+		/* always provide an aligned pool */
+		pool = (struct pool_head*)((((size_t)pool_addr) + __alignof__(*pool)) & -(size_t)__alignof__(*pool));
+		pool->base_addr = pool_addr; // keep it, it's the address to free later
+
 		if (name)
 			strlcpy2(pool->name, name, sizeof(pool->name));
 		pool->alloc_sz = size + extra;
@@ -816,7 +821,7 @@ void *pool_destroy(struct pool_head *pool)
 		if (!pool->users) {
 			LIST_DELETE(&pool->list);
 			/* note that if used == 0, the cache is empty */
-			free(pool);
+			ha_free(&pool->base_addr);
 		}
 	}
 	return NULL;