diff --git a/include/aws/common/allocator.h b/include/aws/common/allocator.h
index 2ac20d364..3aa27b474 100644
--- a/include/aws/common/allocator.h
+++ b/include/aws/common/allocator.h
@@ -229,19 +229,16 @@ AWS_COMMON_API
 size_t aws_small_block_allocator_page_size_available(struct aws_allocator *sba_allocator);
 
 /*
- * Create an aligned allocator with customized alignment.
+ * Create an aligned allocator with an explicit alignment. Always align the allocated buffer with the passed-in
+ * alignment value.
  */
 AWS_COMMON_API
-struct aws_allocator *aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(
-    struct aws_allocator *allocator,
-    size_t customized_alignment);
+struct aws_allocator *aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(size_t alignment);
 
 /*
- * Destroys a customized aligned allocator instance and frees its memory to the parent allocator. The parent
- * allocator will otherwise be unaffected.
+ * Destroys a customized aligned allocator instance and frees its memory.
  */
-AWS_COMMON_API
-void aws_customized_aligned_allocator_destroy(struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc);
+void aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_destroy(struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc);
 
 AWS_EXTERN_C_END
 AWS_POP_SANE_WARNING_LEVEL
diff --git a/source/allocator.c b/source/allocator.c
index 6c2bf70fe..8d9bacaa8 100644
--- a/source/allocator.c
+++ b/source/allocator.c
@@ -34,31 +34,28 @@ bool aws_allocator_is_valid(const struct aws_allocator *alloc) {
     return alloc && AWS_OBJECT_PTR_IS_READABLE(alloc) && alloc->mem_acquire && alloc->mem_release;
 }
 
-struct aws_aligned_allocator_impl {
-    struct aws_allocator *allocator;
-    size_t alignment_size;
-};
-
 static void *s_aligned_malloc(struct aws_allocator *allocator, size_t size) {
-    (void)allocator;
-    /* larger allocations should be aligned so that AVX and friends can avoid
-     * the extra preamble during unaligned versions of memcpy/memset on big buffers
-     * This will also accelerate hardware CRC and SHA on ARM chips
-     *
-     * 64 byte alignment for > page allocations on 64 bit systems
-     * 32 byte alignment for > page allocations on 32 bit systems
-     * 16 byte alignment for <= page allocations on 64 bit systems
-     * 8 byte alignment for <= page allocations on 32 bit systems
-     *
-     * We use PAGE_SIZE as the boundary because we are not aware of any allocations of
-     * this size or greater that are not data buffers.
-     *
-     * Unless there is a customized alignment size.
-     */
-    size_t alignment = sizeof(void *) * (size > (size_t)PAGE_SIZE ? 8 : 2);
-    if (allocator->impl) {
-        struct aws_aligned_allocator_impl *impl = allocator->impl;
-        alignment = impl->alignment_size;
+    size_t alignment = 0;
+    if (allocator->impl != NULL) {
+        alignment = (size_t)allocator->impl;
+    } else {
+        /**
+         * For implicit alignment.
+         * larger allocations should be aligned so that AVX and friends can avoid
+         * the extra preamble during unaligned versions of memcpy/memset on big buffers
+         * This will also accelerate hardware CRC and SHA on ARM chips
+         *
+         * 64 byte alignment for > page allocations on 64 bit systems
+         * 32 byte alignment for > page allocations on 32 bit systems
+         * 16 byte alignment for <= page allocations on 64 bit systems
+         * 8 byte alignment for <= page allocations on 32 bit systems
+         *
+         * We use PAGE_SIZE as the boundary because we are not aware of any allocations of
+         * this size or greater that are not data buffers.
+         *
+         * Unless there is a customized alignment size.
+         */
+        alignment = sizeof(void *) * (size > (size_t)PAGE_SIZE ? 8 : 2);
     }
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
     void *result = NULL;
@@ -157,7 +154,7 @@ static void *s_non_aligned_calloc(struct aws_allocator *allocator, size_t num, s
     return mem;
 }
 
-static struct aws_allocator default_allocator = {
+static struct aws_allocator s_default_allocator = {
     .mem_acquire = s_non_aligned_malloc,
     .mem_release = s_non_aligned_free,
     .mem_realloc = s_non_aligned_realloc,
@@ -165,10 +162,10 @@ static struct aws_allocator default_allocator = {
 };
 
 struct aws_allocator *aws_default_allocator(void) {
-    return &default_allocator;
+    return &s_default_allocator;
 }
 
-static struct aws_allocator aligned_allocator = {
+static struct aws_allocator s_implicit_aligned_allocator = {
     .mem_acquire = s_aligned_malloc,
     .mem_release = s_aligned_free,
     .mem_realloc = s_aligned_realloc,
@@ -176,12 +173,10 @@ static struct aws_allocator aligned_allocator = {
 };
 
 struct aws_allocator *aws_aligned_allocator(void) {
-    return &aligned_allocator;
+    return &s_implicit_aligned_allocator;
 }
 
-struct aws_allocator *aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(
-    struct aws_allocator *allocator,
-    size_t customized_alignment) {
+struct aws_allocator *aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(size_t customized_alignment) {
     if ((customized_alignment & (customized_alignment - 1)) != 0 || customized_alignment % sizeof(void *) != 0) {
         /**
          * the alignment must be a power of two and a multiple of sizeof(void *)
@@ -189,37 +184,18 @@ struct aws_allocator *aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(
         aws_raise_error(AWS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
         return NULL;
     }
-
-    struct aws_aligned_allocator_impl *aligned_alloc_impl = NULL;
     struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = NULL;
-    aws_mem_acquire_many(
-        allocator,
-        2,
-        &aligned_alloc_impl,
-        sizeof(struct aws_aligned_allocator_impl),
-        &aligned_alloc,
-        sizeof(struct aws_allocator));
-
-    AWS_ZERO_STRUCT(*aligned_alloc_impl);
-    AWS_ZERO_STRUCT(*aligned_alloc);
-    /* copy the template vtable */
-    *aligned_alloc = aligned_allocator;
-    aligned_alloc->impl = aligned_alloc_impl;
-    aligned_alloc_impl->alignment_size = customized_alignment;
-    aligned_alloc_impl->allocator = allocator;
+    aws_mem_calloc(aws_default_allocator(), 1, sizeof(struct aws_allocator));
+    *aligned_alloc = s_implicit_aligned_allocator;
+    aligned_alloc->impl = (void *)customized_alignment;
     return aligned_alloc;
 }
 
-void aws_customized_aligned_allocator_destroy(struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc) {
+void aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_destroy(struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc) {
     if (!aligned_alloc) {
         return;
     }
-    struct aws_aligned_allocator_impl *impl = aligned_alloc->impl;
-    if (!impl) {
-        return;
-    }
-    struct aws_allocator *allocator = impl->allocator;
-    aws_mem_release(allocator, impl);
+    aws_mem_release(aws_default_allocator(), aligned_alloc);
 }
 
 void *aws_mem_acquire(struct aws_allocator *allocator, size_t size) {
diff --git a/tests/alloc_test.c b/tests/alloc_test.c
index 433226928..5a7be0635 100644
--- a/tests/alloc_test.c
+++ b/tests/alloc_test.c
@@ -383,56 +383,59 @@ static int s_aligned_threaded_allocs_and_frees(struct aws_allocator *allocator,
 AWS_TEST_CASE(aligned_threaded_allocs_and_frees, s_aligned_threaded_allocs_and_frees)
 
 static int s_customized_aligned_sanitize(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ctx) {
+    (void)allocator;
     (void)ctx;
 
-    struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(allocator, 1);
+    struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(1);
     ASSERT_NULL(aligned_alloc);
     ASSERT_UINT_EQUALS(aws_last_error(), AWS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
 
-    aligned_alloc = aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(allocator, 3 * sizeof(void *));
+    aligned_alloc = aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(3 * sizeof(void *));
     ASSERT_NULL(aligned_alloc);
     ASSERT_UINT_EQUALS(aws_last_error(), AWS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
 
     size_t aligned_size = 1024;
-    aligned_alloc = aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(allocator, aligned_size);
+    aligned_alloc = aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(aligned_size);
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(aligned_alloc);
     void *test = aws_mem_acquire(aligned_alloc, sizeof(void *));
     ASSERT_TRUE((uintptr_t)test % aligned_size == 0);
     aws_mem_release(aligned_alloc, test);
 
-    aws_customized_aligned_allocator_destroy(aligned_alloc);
+    aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_destroy(aligned_alloc);
 
     return 0;
 }
 AWS_TEST_CASE(customized_aligned_sanitize, s_customized_aligned_sanitize)
 
 static int s_customized_aligned_threaded_reallocs(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ctx) {
+    (void)allocator;
     (void)ctx;
     srand(15);
-    struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(allocator, 512);
+    struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(512);
 
     struct aws_allocator *alloc = aws_mem_tracer_new(aligned_alloc, NULL, AWS_MEMTRACE_STACKS, 8);
 
     s_thread_test(alloc, s_threaded_realloc_worker, alloc);
 
     aws_mem_tracer_destroy(alloc);
-    aws_customized_aligned_allocator_destroy(aligned_alloc);
+    aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_destroy(aligned_alloc);
 
     return 0;
 }
 AWS_TEST_CASE(customized_aligned_threaded_reallocs, s_customized_aligned_threaded_reallocs)
 
 static int s_customized_aligned_threaded_allocs_and_frees(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ctx) {
+    (void)allocator;
     (void)ctx;
     srand(99);
-    struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = aws_customized_aligned_allocator_new(allocator, 512);
+    struct aws_allocator *aligned_alloc = aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_new(512);
 
     struct aws_allocator *alloc = aws_mem_tracer_new(aligned_alloc, NULL, AWS_MEMTRACE_STACKS, 8);
 
     s_thread_test(alloc, s_threaded_alloc_worker, alloc);
 
     aws_mem_tracer_destroy(alloc);
-    aws_customized_aligned_allocator_destroy(aligned_alloc);
+    aws_explicit_aligned_allocator_destroy(aligned_alloc);
 
     return 0;
 }