diff --git a/src/commonlib/include/commonlib/mem_pool.h b/src/commonlib/include/commonlib/mem_pool.h
index 6c85397..42b5d1e 100644
--- a/src/commonlib/include/commonlib/mem_pool.h
+++ b/src/commonlib/include/commonlib/mem_pool.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #ifndef _MEM_POOL_H_
 #define _MEM_POOL_H_
 
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
@@ -16,23 +17,23 @@
  * were chosen to optimize for the CBFS cache case which may need two buffers
  * to map a single compressed file, and will free them in reverse order.)
  *
- * The memory returned by allocations are at least 8 byte aligned. Note
- * that this requires the backing buffer to start on at least an 8 byte
- * alignment.
+ * You must ensure the backing buffer is 'alignment' aligned.
  */
 
 struct mem_pool {
 	uint8_t *buf;
 	size_t size;
+	size_t alignment;
 	uint8_t *last_alloc;
 	uint8_t *second_to_last_alloc;
 	size_t free_offset;
 };
 
-#define MEM_POOL_INIT(buf_, size_)		\
+#define MEM_POOL_INIT(buf_, size_, alignment_)	\
 	{					\
 		.buf = (buf_),			\
 		.size = (size_),		\
+		.alignment = (alignment_),	\
 		.last_alloc = NULL,		\
 		.second_to_last_alloc = NULL,	\
 		.free_offset = 0,		\
@@ -46,10 +47,15 @@
 }
 
 /* Initialize a memory pool. */
-static inline void mem_pool_init(struct mem_pool *mp, void *buf, size_t sz)
+static inline void mem_pool_init(struct mem_pool *mp, void *buf, size_t sz,
+					 size_t alignment)
 {
+	assert(alignment);
+	assert((uintptr_t)buf % alignment == 0);
+
 	mp->buf = buf;
 	mp->size = sz;
+	mp->alignment = alignment;
 	mem_pool_reset(mp);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/commonlib/mem_pool.c b/src/commonlib/mem_pool.c
index c300c65..d82ab18 100644
--- a/src/commonlib/mem_pool.c
+++ b/src/commonlib/mem_pool.c
@@ -7,8 +7,11 @@
 {
 	void *p;
 
-	/* Make all allocations be at least 8 byte aligned. */
-	sz = ALIGN_UP(sz, 8);
+	if (mp->alignment == 0)
+		return NULL;
+
+	/* We assume that mp->buf started mp->alignment aligned */
+	sz = ALIGN_UP(sz, mp->alignment);
 
 	/* Determine if any space available. */
 	if ((mp->size - mp->free_offset) < sz)
diff --git a/src/lib/cbfs.c b/src/lib/cbfs.c
index 322f161..7633fdf 100644
--- a/src/lib/cbfs.c
+++ b/src/lib/cbfs.c
@@ -19,16 +19,17 @@
 #include <timestamp.h>
 
 #if ENV_STAGE_HAS_DATA_SECTION
-struct mem_pool cbfs_cache = MEM_POOL_INIT(_cbfs_cache, REGION_SIZE(cbfs_cache));
+struct mem_pool cbfs_cache =
+	MEM_POOL_INIT(_cbfs_cache, REGION_SIZE(cbfs_cache), sizeof(uint64_t));
 #else
-struct mem_pool cbfs_cache = MEM_POOL_INIT(NULL, 0);
+struct mem_pool cbfs_cache = MEM_POOL_INIT(NULL, 0, 0);
 #endif
 
 static void switch_to_postram_cache(int unused)
 {
 	if (_preram_cbfs_cache != _postram_cbfs_cache)
-		mem_pool_init(&cbfs_cache, _postram_cbfs_cache,
-			      REGION_SIZE(postram_cbfs_cache));
+		mem_pool_init(&cbfs_cache, _postram_cbfs_cache, REGION_SIZE(postram_cbfs_cache),
+			      sizeof(uint64_t));
 }
 ROMSTAGE_CBMEM_INIT_HOOK(switch_to_postram_cache);