diff --git a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c
index f7b86c8..e32b746 100644
--- a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c
+++ b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ rte_hash_create(const struct rte_hash_parameters *params)
 	unsigned i;
 	unsigned int hw_trans_mem_support = 0, multi_writer_support = 0;
 	unsigned int readwrite_concur_support = 0;
+	unsigned int writer_takes_lock = 0;
 
 	rte_hash_function default_hash_func = (rte_hash_function)rte_jhash;
 
@@ -116,12 +117,14 @@ rte_hash_create(const struct rte_hash_parameters *params)
 	if (params->extra_flag & RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_TRANS_MEM_SUPPORT)
 		hw_trans_mem_support = 1;
 
-	if (params->extra_flag & RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_MULTI_WRITER_ADD)
+	if (params->extra_flag & RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_MULTI_WRITER_ADD) {
 		multi_writer_support = 1;
+		writer_takes_lock = 1;
+	}
 
 	if (params->extra_flag & RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_RW_CONCURRENCY) {
 		readwrite_concur_support = 1;
-		multi_writer_support = 1;
+		writer_takes_lock = 1;
 	}
 
 	/* Store all keys and leave the first entry as a dummy entry for lookup_bulk */
@@ -269,6 +272,7 @@ rte_hash_create(const struct rte_hash_parameters *params)
 	h->hw_trans_mem_support = hw_trans_mem_support;
 	h->multi_writer_support = multi_writer_support;
 	h->readwrite_concur_support = readwrite_concur_support;
+	h->writer_takes_lock = writer_takes_lock;
 
 #if defined(RTE_ARCH_X86)
 	if (rte_cpu_get_flag_enabled(RTE_CPUFLAG_AVX2))
@@ -279,10 +283,11 @@ rte_hash_create(const struct rte_hash_parameters *params)
 #endif
 		h->sig_cmp_fn = RTE_HASH_COMPARE_SCALAR;
 
-	/* Turn on multi-writer only with explicit flag from user and TM
-	 * support.
+	/* Writer threads need to take the lock when:
+	 * 1) RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_RW_CONCURRENCY is enabled OR
+	 * 2) RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_MULTI_WRITER_ADD is enabled
 	 */
-	if (h->multi_writer_support) {
+	if (h->writer_takes_lock) {
 		h->readwrite_lock = rte_malloc(NULL, sizeof(rte_rwlock_t),
 						RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
 		if (h->readwrite_lock == NULL)
@@ -339,10 +344,10 @@ rte_hash_free(struct rte_hash *h)
 
 	rte_rwlock_write_unlock(RTE_EAL_TAILQ_RWLOCK);
 
-	if (h->multi_writer_support) {
+	if (h->multi_writer_support)
 		rte_free(h->local_free_slots);
+	if (h->writer_takes_lock)
 		rte_free(h->readwrite_lock);
-	}
 	rte_ring_free(h->free_slots);
 	rte_free(h->key_store);
 	rte_free(h->buckets);
@@ -397,9 +402,9 @@ rte_hash_count(const struct rte_hash *h)
 static inline void
 __hash_rw_writer_lock(const struct rte_hash *h)
 {
-	if (h->multi_writer_support && h->hw_trans_mem_support)
+	if (h->writer_takes_lock && h->hw_trans_mem_support)
 		rte_rwlock_write_lock_tm(h->readwrite_lock);
-	else if (h->multi_writer_support)
+	else if (h->writer_takes_lock)
 		rte_rwlock_write_lock(h->readwrite_lock);
 }
 
@@ -416,9 +421,9 @@ __hash_rw_reader_lock(const struct rte_hash *h)
 static inline void
 __hash_rw_writer_unlock(const struct rte_hash *h)
 {
-	if (h->multi_writer_support && h->hw_trans_mem_support)
+	if (h->writer_takes_lock && h->hw_trans_mem_support)
 		rte_rwlock_write_unlock_tm(h->readwrite_lock);
-	else if (h->multi_writer_support)
+	else if (h->writer_takes_lock)
 		rte_rwlock_write_unlock(h->readwrite_lock);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h
index b43f467..6fa429e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h
+++ b/lib/librte_hash/rte_cuckoo_hash.h
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ struct rte_hash {
 	/**< If multi-writer support is enabled. */
 	uint8_t readwrite_concur_support;
 	/**< If read-write concurrency support is enabled */
+	uint8_t writer_takes_lock;
+	/**< Indicates if the writer threads need to take lock */
 	rte_hash_function hash_func;    /**< Function used to calculate hash. */
 	uint32_t hash_func_init_val;    /**< Init value used by hash_func. */
 	rte_hash_cmp_eq_t rte_hash_custom_cmp_eq;
diff --git a/test/test/test_hash_readwrite.c b/test/test/test_hash_readwrite.c
index 55ae33d..af57708 100644
--- a/test/test/test_hash_readwrite.c
+++ b/test/test/test_hash_readwrite.c
@@ -118,10 +118,12 @@ init_params(int use_htm, int use_jhash)
 	if (use_htm)
 		hash_params.extra_flag =
 			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_TRANS_MEM_SUPPORT |
-			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_RW_CONCURRENCY;
+			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_RW_CONCURRENCY |
+			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_MULTI_WRITER_ADD;
 	else
 		hash_params.extra_flag =
-			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_RW_CONCURRENCY;
+			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_RW_CONCURRENCY |
+			RTE_HASH_EXTRA_FLAGS_MULTI_WRITER_ADD;
 
 	hash_params.name = "tests";
 
