diff --git a/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table.py b/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table.py
index 1d03687fe..f931d57cb 100644
--- a/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table.py
+++ b/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table.py
@@ -128,9 +128,6 @@ def __parse_table_keys(self, p4rt_table: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         for p4rt_table_key in p4rt_table[MATCH_FIELDS_TAG]:
             table_key = DashP4TableKey.from_p4rt(p4rt_table_key)
             
-            # For table keys, we currently require the values to be explicitly set.
-            table_key.default = None
-
             if self.is_object != "false":
                 table_key.is_entry_key = False
 
diff --git a/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_attribute.py b/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_attribute.py
index bdde67de3..537c8b30a 100644
--- a/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_attribute.py
+++ b/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_attribute.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.isresourcetype: Optional[str] = None
         self.isreadonly: Optional[str] = None
         self.iscreateonly: Optional[str] = None
+        self.ismandatory: Optional[str] = None
         self.object_name: Optional[str] = None
         self.skipattr: Optional[str] = None
         self.match_type: str = ""
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@ def _parse_sai_table_attribute_annotation(
                         self.isreadonly = str(kv["value"]["stringValue"])
                     elif kv["key"] == "iscreateonly":
                         self.iscreateonly = str(kv["value"]["stringValue"])
+                    elif kv["key"] == "ismandatory":
+                        self.ismandatory = str(kv["value"]["stringValue"])
                     elif kv["key"] == "objects":
                         self.object_name = str(kv["value"]["stringValue"])
                     elif kv["key"] == "skipattr":
@@ -140,16 +143,23 @@ def to_sai_attribute(self, table_name: str, add_action_valid_only_check: bool =
             sai_flags = "READ_ONLY"
             default_value = None
         elif self.iscreateonly == "true":
-            if self.default == None:
+            if self.default == None or self.ismandatory == "true":
                 sai_flags = "MANDATORY_ON_CREATE | CREATE_ONLY"
+                default_value = None
+                allow_null = False
             else:
                 sai_flags = "CREATE_ONLY"
+                default_value = self.default
 
-            default_value = self.default
             allow_null = False
         else:
-            sai_flags = "CREATE_AND_SET"
-            default_value = self.default
+            if self.ismandatory == "true":
+                sai_flags = "MANDATORY_ON_CREATE | CREATE_AND_SET"
+                default_value = None
+                allow_null = False
+            else:
+                sai_flags = "CREATE_AND_SET"
+                default_value = self.default
 
         valid_only_checks = []
         if add_action_valid_only_check:
diff --git a/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_key.py b/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_key.py
index 758497dd3..1432c0a61 100644
--- a/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_key.py
+++ b/dash-pipeline/SAI/utils/dash_p4/dash_p4_table_key.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class DashP4TableKey(DashP4TableAttribute):
     def __init__(self):
         super().__init__()
         self.iscreateonly: str = "true"
+        self.ismandatory: str = "true"
         self.ip_is_v6_field_id: int = 0
 
     def parse_p4rt(self, p4rt_table_key: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ def parse_p4rt(self, p4rt_table_key: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
 
         self.set_sai_type(sai_type_info)
 
+        # For table keys, we currently require the values to be explicitly set.
+        self.default = None
+
         return
 
     #
diff --git a/dash-pipeline/bmv2/README.md b/dash-pipeline/bmv2/README.md
index 9b0baac57..1d2927a2e 100644
--- a/dash-pipeline/bmv2/README.md
+++ b/dash-pipeline/bmv2/README.md
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Available tags are:
 - `objects`: Space separated list of SAI object type this value accepts. When set, we force this value to be a SAI object id, and generate a corresponding SAI tag in SAI APIs: `@objects <list>`.
 - `isreadonly`: When set to "true", we generate force this value to be read-only in SAI API using: `@flags READ_ONLY`, otherwise, we generate `@flags CREATE_AND_SET`. It cannot be used with `iscreateonly`.
 - `iscreateonly`: When set to "true", we generate force this value to be create-only in SAI API using: `@flags CREATE_ONLY`, otherwise, we generate `@flags CREATE_AND_SET`. It cannot be used with `isreadonly`.
+- `ismandatory`: When set to "true", we generate force this value to be mandatory in SAI API using: `@flags MANDATORY_ON_CREATE`. It cannot be used with `isreadonly`.
 - `skipattr`: When set to "true", we skip this attribute in SAI API generation.
 
 #### `@SaiCounter`: Counters
diff --git a/dash-pipeline/bmv2/stages/tunnel_stage.p4 b/dash-pipeline/bmv2/stages/tunnel_stage.p4
index c9d824d1a..3f218cb2e 100644
--- a/dash-pipeline/bmv2/stages/tunnel_stage.p4
+++ b/dash-pipeline/bmv2/stages/tunnel_stage.p4
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ control tunnel_stage(
     }
 
     action set_tunnel_member_attrs(
-        @SaiVal[type="sai_object_id_t"] bit<16> dash_tunnel_id,
-        @SaiVal[type="sai_object_id_t"] bit<16> dash_tunnel_next_hop_id)
+        @SaiVal[type="sai_object_id_t", ismandatory="true", iscreateonly="true"] bit<16> dash_tunnel_id,
+        @SaiVal[type="sai_object_id_t", ismandatory="true"] bit<16> dash_tunnel_next_hop_id)
     {
         // dash_tunnel_id in tunnel member must match the metadata
         REQUIRES(meta.dash_tunnel_id == dash_tunnel_id);