diff --git a/src/plugins/dpdk/buffer.c b/src/plugins/dpdk/buffer.c
index 8b4b4a9..2379a9a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/dpdk/buffer.c
+++ b/src/plugins/dpdk/buffer.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
     {
       vlib_buffer_t *b;
       b = vlib_buffer_ptr_from_index (buffer_mem_start, bp->buffers[i], 0);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b, &bp->buffer_template);
+      b->template = bp->buffer_template;
     }
 
   /* map DMA pages if at least one physical device exists */
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@
 #endif
 
 static_always_inline void
-dpdk_ops_vpp_enqueue_one (vlib_buffer_t * bt, void *obj)
+dpdk_ops_vpp_enqueue_one (vlib_buffer_template_t *bt, void *obj)
 {
   /* Only non-replicated packets (b->ref_count == 1) expected */
 
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@
   vlib_buffer_t *b = vlib_buffer_from_rte_mbuf (mb);
   ASSERT (b->ref_count == 1);
   ASSERT (b->buffer_pool_index == bt->buffer_pool_index);
-  vlib_buffer_copy_template (b, bt);
+  b->template = *bt;
 }
 
 int
@@ -214,14 +214,14 @@
 {
   const int batch_size = 32;
   vlib_main_t *vm = vlib_get_main ();
-  vlib_buffer_t bt;
+  vlib_buffer_template_t bt;
   u8 buffer_pool_index = mp->pool_id;
   vlib_buffer_pool_t *bp = vlib_get_buffer_pool (vm, buffer_pool_index);
   u32 bufs[batch_size];
   u32 n_left = n;
   void *const *obj = obj_table;
 
-  vlib_buffer_copy_template (&bt, &bp->buffer_template);
+  bt = bp->buffer_template;
 
   while (n_left >= 4)
     {
@@ -263,9 +263,9 @@
 CLIB_MARCH_FN_REGISTRATION (dpdk_ops_vpp_enqueue);
 
 static_always_inline void
-dpdk_ops_vpp_enqueue_no_cache_one (vlib_main_t * vm, struct rte_mempool *old,
+dpdk_ops_vpp_enqueue_no_cache_one (vlib_main_t *vm, struct rte_mempool *old,
 				   struct rte_mempool *new, void *obj,
-				   vlib_buffer_t * bt)
+				   vlib_buffer_template_t *bt)
 {
   struct rte_mbuf *mb = obj;
   vlib_buffer_t *b = vlib_buffer_from_rte_mbuf (mb);
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@
   if (clib_atomic_sub_fetch (&b->ref_count, 1) == 0)
     {
       u32 bi = vlib_get_buffer_index (vm, b);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b, bt);
+      b->template = *bt;
       vlib_buffer_pool_put (vm, bt->buffer_pool_index, &bi, 1);
       return;
     }
@@ -285,12 +285,12 @@
 						   unsigned n)
 {
   vlib_main_t *vm = vlib_get_main ();
-  vlib_buffer_t bt;
+  vlib_buffer_template_t bt;
   struct rte_mempool *mp;
   mp = dpdk_mempool_by_buffer_pool_index[cmp->pool_id];
   u8 buffer_pool_index = cmp->pool_id;
   vlib_buffer_pool_t *bp = vlib_get_buffer_pool (vm, buffer_pool_index);
-  vlib_buffer_copy_template (&bt, &bp->buffer_template);
+  bt = bp->buffer_template;
 
   while (n >= 4)
     {
diff --git a/src/vlib/buffer.c b/src/vlib/buffer.c
index 0068659..e798743 100644
--- a/src/vlib/buffer.c
+++ b/src/vlib/buffer.c
@@ -58,9 +58,6 @@
 STATIC_ASSERT_FITS_IN (vlib_buffer_t, buffer_pool_index, 16);
 #endif
 
-/* Make sure that buffer template size is not accidentally changed */
-STATIC_ASSERT_OFFSET_OF (vlib_buffer_t, template_end, 64);
-
 u16 __vlib_buffer_external_hdr_size = 0;
 
 uword
@@ -577,7 +574,7 @@
 	continue;
 
       b = (vlib_buffer_t *) (p + bm->ext_hdr_size);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b, &bp->buffer_template);
+      b->template = bp->buffer_template;
       bi = vlib_get_buffer_index (vm, b);
       bp->buffers[bp->n_avail++] = bi;
       vlib_get_buffer (vm, bi);
diff --git a/src/vlib/buffer.h b/src/vlib/buffer.h
index 2a5af21..4de2dea 100644
--- a/src/vlib/buffer.h
+++ b/src/vlib/buffer.h
@@ -107,62 +107,78 @@
 #define VLIB_BUFFER_TRACE_TRAJECTORY 0
 #endif /* VLIB_BUFFER_TRACE_TRAJECTORY */
 
+#define vlib_buffer_template_fields                                           \
+  /** signed offset in data[], pre_data[] that we are currently               \
+   * processing. If negative current header points into predata area.  */     \
+  i16 current_data;                                                           \
+                                                                              \
+  /** Nbytes between current data and the end of this buffer.  */             \
+  u16 current_length;                                                         \
+  /** buffer flags:                                                           \
+      <br> VLIB_BUFFER_FREE_LIST_INDEX_MASK: bits used to store free list     \
+     index, <br> VLIB_BUFFER_IS_TRACED: trace this buffer. <br>               \
+     VLIB_BUFFER_NEXT_PRESENT: this is a multi-chunk buffer. <br>             \
+     VLIB_BUFFER_TOTAL_LENGTH_VALID: as it says <br>                          \
+     VLIB_BUFFER_EXT_HDR_VALID: buffer contains valid external buffer manager \
+     header, set to avoid adding it to a flow report <br>                     \
+     VLIB_BUFFER_FLAG_USER(n): user-defined bit N                             \
+   */                                                                         \
+  u32 flags;                                                                  \
+                                                                              \
+  /** Generic flow identifier */                                              \
+  u32 flow_id;                                                                \
+                                                                              \
+  /** Reference count for this buffer. */                                     \
+  volatile u8 ref_count;                                                      \
+                                                                              \
+  /** index of buffer pool this buffer belongs. */                            \
+  u8 buffer_pool_index;                                                       \
+                                                                              \
+  /** Error code for buffers to be enqueued to error handler.  */             \
+  vlib_error_t error;                                                         \
+                                                                              \
+  /** Next buffer for this linked-list of buffers. Only valid if              \
+   * VLIB_BUFFER_NEXT_PRESENT flag is set. */                                 \
+  u32 next_buffer;                                                            \
+                                                                              \
+  /** The following fields can be in a union because once a packet enters     \
+   * the punt path, it is no longer on a feature arc */                       \
+  union                                                                       \
+  {                                                                           \
+    /** Used by feature subgraph arcs to visit enabled feature nodes */       \
+    u32 current_config_index;                                                 \
+    /* the reason the packet once punted */                                   \
+    u32 punt_reason;                                                          \
+  };                                                                          \
+                                                                              \
+  /** Opaque data used by sub-graphs for their own purposes. */               \
+  u32 opaque[10];
+
+typedef struct
+{
+  CLIB_ALIGN_MARK (align_mark, 64);
+  vlib_buffer_template_fields
+} vlib_buffer_template_t;
+
+STATIC_ASSERT_SIZEOF (vlib_buffer_template_t, 64);
+
 /** VLIB buffer representation. */
 typedef union
 {
+  CLIB_CACHE_LINE_ALIGN_MARK (cacheline0);
   struct
   {
-    CLIB_CACHE_LINE_ALIGN_MARK (cacheline0);
-
-    /** signed offset in data[], pre_data[] that we are currently
-      * processing. If negative current header points into predata area.  */
-    i16 current_data;
-
-    /** Nbytes between current data and the end of this buffer.  */
-    u16 current_length;
-
-    /** buffer flags:
-	<br> VLIB_BUFFER_FREE_LIST_INDEX_MASK: bits used to store free list index,
-	<br> VLIB_BUFFER_IS_TRACED: trace this buffer.
-	<br> VLIB_BUFFER_NEXT_PRESENT: this is a multi-chunk buffer.
-	<br> VLIB_BUFFER_TOTAL_LENGTH_VALID: as it says
-	<br> VLIB_BUFFER_EXT_HDR_VALID: buffer contains valid external buffer manager header,
-	set to avoid adding it to a flow report
-	<br> VLIB_BUFFER_FLAG_USER(n): user-defined bit N
-     */
-    u32 flags;
-
-    /** Generic flow identifier */
-    u32 flow_id;
-
-    /** Reference count for this buffer. */
-    volatile u8 ref_count;
-
-    /** index of buffer pool this buffer belongs. */
-    u8 buffer_pool_index;
-
-    /** Error code for buffers to be enqueued to error handler.  */
-    vlib_error_t error;
-
-    /** Next buffer for this linked-list of buffers. Only valid if
-      * VLIB_BUFFER_NEXT_PRESENT flag is set. */
-    u32 next_buffer;
-
-    /** The following fields can be in a union because once a packet enters
-     * the punt path, it is no longer on a feature arc */
     union
     {
-      /** Used by feature subgraph arcs to visit enabled feature nodes */
-      u32 current_config_index;
-      /* the reason the packet once punted */
-      u32 punt_reason;
+      struct
+      {
+	vlib_buffer_template_fields
+      };
+      vlib_buffer_template_t template;
     };
 
-    /** Opaque data used by sub-graphs for their own purposes. */
-    u32 opaque[10];
-
-    /** part of buffer metadata which is initialized on alloc ends here. */
-      STRUCT_MARK (template_end);
+    /* Data above is initialized or zeroed on alloc, data bellow is not
+     * and it is app responsibility to ensure data is valid */
 
     /** start of 2nd half (2nd cacheline on systems where cacheline size is 64) */
       CLIB_ALIGN_MARK (second_half, 64);
@@ -468,7 +484,7 @@
   vlib_buffer_pool_thread_t *threads;
 
   /* buffer metadata template */
-  vlib_buffer_t buffer_template;
+  vlib_buffer_template_t buffer_template;
 } vlib_buffer_pool_t;
 
 #define VLIB_BUFFER_MAX_NUMA_NODES 32
diff --git a/src/vlib/buffer_funcs.h b/src/vlib/buffer_funcs.h
index 017a70f..e65a80b 100644
--- a/src/vlib/buffer_funcs.h
+++ b/src/vlib/buffer_funcs.h
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@
     }
 }
 
-STATIC_ASSERT_OFFSET_OF (vlib_buffer_t, template_end, 64);
 static_always_inline void
 vlib_buffer_copy_template (vlib_buffer_t * b, vlib_buffer_t * bt)
 {
@@ -762,7 +761,7 @@
   vlib_buffer_pool_t *bp = 0;
   u8 buffer_pool_index = ~0;
   u32 n_queue = 0, queue[queue_size + 4];
-  vlib_buffer_t bt = { };
+  vlib_buffer_template_t bt = {};
 #if defined(CLIB_HAVE_VEC128)
   vlib_buffer_t bpi_mask = {.buffer_pool_index = ~0 };
   vlib_buffer_t bpi_vec = {};
@@ -778,7 +777,7 @@
   vlib_buffer_t *b = vlib_get_buffer (vm, buffers[0]);
   buffer_pool_index = b->buffer_pool_index;
   bp = vlib_get_buffer_pool (vm, buffer_pool_index);
-  vlib_buffer_copy_template (&bt, &bp->buffer_template);
+  bt = bp->buffer_template;
 #if defined(CLIB_HAVE_VEC128)
   bpi_vec.buffer_pool_index = buffer_pool_index;
 #endif
@@ -870,14 +869,14 @@
 
 #if defined(CLIB_HAVE_VEC512)
       vlib_buffer_copy_indices (queue + n_queue, buffers, 8);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[0], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[1], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[2], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[3], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[4], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[5], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[6], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[7], &bt);
+      b[0]->template = bt;
+      b[1]->template = bt;
+      b[2]->template = bt;
+      b[3]->template = bt;
+      b[4]->template = bt;
+      b[5]->template = bt;
+      b[6]->template = bt;
+      b[7]->template = bt;
       n_queue += 8;
 
       vlib_buffer_validate (vm, b[0]);
@@ -899,10 +898,10 @@
       VLIB_BUFFER_TRACE_TRAJECTORY_INIT (b[7]);
 #else
       vlib_buffer_copy_indices (queue + n_queue, buffers, 4);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[0], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[1], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[2], &bt);
-      vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[3], &bt);
+      b[0]->template = bt;
+      b[1]->template = bt;
+      b[2]->template = bt;
+      b[3]->template = bt;
       n_queue += 4;
 
       vlib_buffer_validate (vm, b[0]);
@@ -952,7 +951,7 @@
 	  bpi_vec.buffer_pool_index = buffer_pool_index;
 #endif
 	  bp = vlib_get_buffer_pool (vm, buffer_pool_index);
-	  vlib_buffer_copy_template (&bt, &bp->buffer_template);
+	  bt = bp->buffer_template;
 	}
 
       vlib_buffer_validate (vm, b[0]);
@@ -961,7 +960,7 @@
 
       if (clib_atomic_sub_fetch (&b[0]->ref_count, 1) == 0)
 	{
-	  vlib_buffer_copy_template (b[0], &bt);
+	  b[0]->template = bt;
 	  queue[n_queue++] = bi;
 	}