diff --git a/orchagent/aclorch.cpp b/orchagent/aclorch.cpp
index 21e808e4127e..0f39e61054ae 100644
--- a/orchagent/aclorch.cpp
+++ b/orchagent/aclorch.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ acl_rule_attr_lookup_t aclMatchLookup =
     { MATCH_L4_DST_PORT,       SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_L4_DST_PORT },
     { MATCH_ETHER_TYPE,        SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_ETHER_TYPE },
     { MATCH_IP_PROTOCOL,       SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_IP_PROTOCOL },
+    { MATCH_NEXT_HEADER,       SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_IPV6_NEXT_HEADER },
     { MATCH_TCP_FLAGS,         SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_TCP_FLAGS },
     { MATCH_IP_TYPE,           SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_ACL_IP_TYPE },
     { MATCH_DSCP,              SAI_ACL_ENTRY_ATTR_FIELD_DSCP },
@@ -302,7 +303,7 @@ bool AclRule::validateAddMatch(string attr_name, string attr_value)
                 value.aclfield.mask.u8 = 0x3F;
             }
         }
-        else if (attr_name == MATCH_IP_PROTOCOL)
+        else if (attr_name == MATCH_IP_PROTOCOL || attr_name == MATCH_NEXT_HEADER)
         {
             value.aclfield.data.u8 = to_uint<uint8_t>(attr_value);
             value.aclfield.mask.u8 = 0xFF;
@@ -386,6 +387,17 @@ bool AclRule::validateAddMatch(string attr_name, string attr_value)
         return false;
     }
 
+    // NOTE: Temporary workaround to support matching protocol numbers on MLNX platform.
+    // In a later SAI version we will transition to using NEXT_HEADER for IPv6 on all platforms.
+    auto platform_env_var = getenv("platform");
+    string platform = platform_env_var ? platform_env_var: "";
+    if ((m_tableType == ACL_TABLE_MIRRORV6 || m_tableType == ACL_TABLE_L3V6)
+            && platform == MLNX_PLATFORM_SUBSTRING
+            && attr_name == MATCH_IP_PROTOCOL)
+    {
+        attr_name = MATCH_NEXT_HEADER;
+    }
+
     m_matches[aclMatchLookup[attr_name]] = value;
 
     return true;
@@ -1354,9 +1366,23 @@ bool AclTable::create()
     attr.value.booldata = true;
     table_attrs.push_back(attr);
 
-    attr.id = SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_IP_PROTOCOL;
-    attr.value.booldata = true;
-    table_attrs.push_back(attr);
+    // NOTE: Temporary workaround to support matching protocol numbers on MLNX platform.
+    // In a later SAI version we will transition to using NEXT_HEADER for IPv6 on all platforms.
+    auto platform_env_var = getenv("platform");
+    string platform = platform_env_var ? platform_env_var: "";
+    if ((type == ACL_TABLE_MIRRORV6 || type == ACL_TABLE_L3V6)
+            && platform == MLNX_PLATFORM_SUBSTRING)
+    {
+        attr.id = SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_IPV6_NEXT_HEADER;
+        attr.value.booldata = true;
+        table_attrs.push_back(attr);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        attr.id = SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_IP_PROTOCOL;
+        attr.value.booldata = true;
+        table_attrs.push_back(attr);
+    }
 
     /*
      * Type of Tables and Supported Match Types (ASIC database)
diff --git a/orchagent/aclorch.h b/orchagent/aclorch.h
index 20285575de33..d7c8a759cf2f 100644
--- a/orchagent/aclorch.h
+++ b/orchagent/aclorch.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #define MATCH_L4_DST_PORT       "L4_DST_PORT"
 #define MATCH_ETHER_TYPE        "ETHER_TYPE"
 #define MATCH_IP_PROTOCOL       "IP_PROTOCOL"
+#define MATCH_NEXT_HEADER       "NEXT_HEADER"
 #define MATCH_TCP_FLAGS         "TCP_FLAGS"
 #define MATCH_IP_TYPE           "IP_TYPE"
 #define MATCH_DSCP              "DSCP"
diff --git a/tests/test_mirror_ipv6_separate.py b/tests/test_mirror_ipv6_separate.py
index 966d1217c906..8b885afd750d 100644
--- a/tests/test_mirror_ipv6_separate.py
+++ b/tests/test_mirror_ipv6_separate.py
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ def test_MirrorV6TableCreation(self, dvs, testlog):
         # dscp mirror tables.
         expected_sai_attributes = [
             "SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_ACL_IP_TYPE",
-            "SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_IP_PROTOCOL",
+            "SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_IPV6_NEXT_HEADER",  # NOTE: We use the MLNX2700 VS implementation for this test suite.
             "SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_SRC_IPV6",
             "SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_DST_IPV6",
             "SAI_ACL_TABLE_ATTR_FIELD_ICMPV6_TYPE",