diff --git a/dp-core/vr_flow.c b/dp-core/vr_flow.c
index c8102f6f3..99e9348b9 100644
--- a/dp-core/vr_flow.c
+++ b/dp-core/vr_flow.c
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ vr_flow_action(struct vrouter *router, struct vr_flow_entry *fe,
             pkt_clone = vr_pclone(pkt);
             if (pkt_clone) {
                 vr_preset(pkt_clone);
-                if (vr_pcow(pkt_clone, sizeof(struct vr_eth) +
+                if (vr_pcow(&pkt_clone, sizeof(struct vr_eth) +
                             sizeof(struct agent_hdr))) {
                     vr_pfree(pkt_clone, VP_DROP_PCOW_FAIL);
                 } else {
diff --git a/dp-core/vr_mirror.c b/dp-core/vr_mirror.c
index 10d4de8be..7f539a050 100644
--- a/dp-core/vr_mirror.c
+++ b/dp-core/vr_mirror.c
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ vr_mirror(struct vrouter *router, uint8_t mirror_id,
                 if (pkt_nh->nh_family == AF_INET)
                     clone_len += pkt_nh->nh_encap_len;
 
-                if (vr_pcow(pkt, clone_len))
+                if (vr_pcow(&pkt, clone_len))
                     goto fail;
                 clone_len = 0;
 
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ vr_mirror(struct vrouter *router, uint8_t mirror_id,
         vr_preset(pkt);
 
     if (clone_len) {
-        if (vr_pcow(pkt, clone_len))
+        if (vr_pcow(&pkt, clone_len))
             goto fail;
     }
 
diff --git a/dp-core/vr_nexthop.c b/dp-core/vr_nexthop.c
index 59d92adf8..f39d329a5 100644
--- a/dp-core/vr_nexthop.c
+++ b/dp-core/vr_nexthop.c
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ nh_mcast_clone(struct vr_packet *pkt, unsigned short head_room)
     }
 
     /* Increase the head space by the head_room */
-    if (vr_pcow(clone_pkt, head_room)) {
+    if (vr_pcow(&clone_pkt, head_room)) {
         vr_pfree(clone_pkt, VP_DROP_PCOW_FAIL);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/dpdk/vr_dpdk_host.c b/dpdk/vr_dpdk_host.c
index b42ef0d21..32d15803c 100644
--- a/dpdk/vr_dpdk_host.c
+++ b/dpdk/vr_dpdk_host.c
@@ -682,9 +682,31 @@ dpdk_pheader_pointer(struct vr_packet *pkt, unsigned short hdr_len, void *buf)
 
 /* VRouter callback */
 static int
-dpdk_pcow(struct vr_packet *pkt, unsigned short head_room)
+dpdk_pcow(struct vr_packet **pktp, unsigned short head_room)
 {
+    struct vr_packet *pkt = *pktp;
     struct rte_mbuf *mbuf = vr_dpdk_pkt_to_mbuf(pkt);
+    struct rte_mbuf *m_copy;
+    struct vr_packet *p_copy;
+
+    /*
+     * If this is an indirect mbuf, allocate a new mbuf and copy
+     * its data. Then free the original mbuf.
+     */
+    if (RTE_MBUF_INDIRECT(mbuf)) {
+        m_copy = vr_dpdk_pktmbuf_copy(mbuf, mbuf->pool);
+        if (!m_copy) {
+            return -ENOMEM;
+        }
+
+        p_copy = vr_dpdk_mbuf_to_pkt(m_copy);
+        *p_copy = *pkt;
+        p_copy->vp_head = m_copy->buf_addr;
+
+        rte_pktmbuf_free(mbuf);
+        mbuf = m_copy;
+        *pktp = p_copy;
+    }
 
     if (head_room > rte_pktmbuf_headroom(mbuf)) {
         return -ENOMEM;
diff --git a/freebsd/vrouter_mod.c b/freebsd/vrouter_mod.c
index 0d0ad2b31..41b7a8b37 100644
--- a/freebsd/vrouter_mod.c
+++ b/freebsd/vrouter_mod.c
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ fh_pheader_pointer(struct vr_packet *pkt, unsigned short hdr_len, void *buf)
 }
 
 static int
-fh_pcow(struct vr_packet *pkt, unsigned short head_room)
+fh_pcow(struct vr_packet **pkt, unsigned short head_room)
 {
 
 	vr_log(VR_ERR, "%s: not implemented\n", __func__);
diff --git a/include/vrouter.h b/include/vrouter.h
index 4df1d553c..75e8c8797 100644
--- a/include/vrouter.h
+++ b/include/vrouter.h
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ struct host_os {
                                    unsigned short, unsigned short *,
                                    int (*is_label_l2)(unsigned int,
                                        unsigned int, unsigned short *));
-    int  (*hos_pcow)(struct vr_packet *, unsigned short);
+    int  (*hos_pcow)(struct vr_packet **, unsigned short);
     uint16_t (*hos_get_udp_src_port)(struct vr_packet *,
                                      struct vr_forwarding_md *,
                                      unsigned short);
diff --git a/linux/vrouter_mod.c b/linux/vrouter_mod.c
index 8ed1372f8..627eec3db 100644
--- a/linux/vrouter_mod.c
+++ b/linux/vrouter_mod.c
@@ -537,10 +537,11 @@ lh_put_defer_data(void *data)
 }
 
 static int
-lh_pcow(struct vr_packet *pkt, unsigned short head_room)
+lh_pcow(struct vr_packet **pktp, unsigned short head_room)
 {
     unsigned int old_off, new_off;
     int data_off = 0;
+    struct vr_packet *pkt = *pktp;
 
     struct sk_buff *skb = vp_os_packet(pkt);