diff --git a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
index f605564..24c9c01 100644
--- a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
@@ -156,6 +156,25 @@ See the DPDK Getting Started Guides for more information on these options.
 
     Use malloc instead of hugetlbfs.
 
+*   ``--vhost-owner``
+
+     When creating vhost_user sockets change owner and group to the specified value.
+     This can be given as ``user:group``, but also only ``user`` or ``:group`` are supported.
+
+    Examples::
+
+       --vhost-owner 'libvirt-qemu:kvm'
+       --vhost-owner 'libvirt-qemu'
+       --vhost-owner ':kvm'
+
+*   ``--vhost-perm``
+
+    When creating vhost_user sockets set them up with these permissions.
+
+    For example::
+
+       --vhost-perm '0664'
+
 
 Testpmd Command-line Options
 ----------------------------
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
index 2b418d5..073198b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ eal_long_options[] = {
 	{OPT_VFIO_INTR,         1, NULL, OPT_VFIO_INTR_NUM        },
 	{OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP,    0, NULL, OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP_NUM   },
 	{OPT_XEN_DOM0,          0, NULL, OPT_XEN_DOM0_NUM         },
+	{OPT_VHOST_OWNER,       1, NULL, OPT_VHOST_OWNER_NUM      },
+	{OPT_VHOST_PERM,        1, NULL, OPT_VHOST_PERM_NUM       },
 	{0,                     0, NULL, 0                        }
 };
 
@@ -153,6 +155,8 @@ eal_reset_internal_config(struct internal_config *internal_cfg)
 #endif
 	internal_cfg->vmware_tsc_map = 0;
 	internal_cfg->create_uio_dev = 0;
+	internal_cfg->vhost_sock_owner = NULL;
+	internal_cfg->vhost_sock_perm = NULL;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
index 5f1367e..bdf34e3 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ struct internal_config {
 	volatile enum rte_intr_mode vfio_intr_mode;
 	const char *hugefile_prefix;      /**< the base filename of hugetlbfs files */
 	const char *hugepage_dir;         /**< specific hugetlbfs directory to use */
+	const char *vhost_sock_owner;     /**< owner:group of vhost_user sockets */
+	const char *vhost_sock_perm;      /**< permissions of vhost_user sockets */
 
 	unsigned num_hugepage_sizes;      /**< how many sizes on this system */
 	struct hugepage_info hugepage_info[MAX_HUGEPAGE_SIZES];
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
index a881c62..1161083 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ enum {
 	OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP_NUM,
 #define OPT_XEN_DOM0          "xen-dom0"
 	OPT_XEN_DOM0_NUM,
+#define OPT_VHOST_OWNER       "vhost-owner"
+	OPT_VHOST_OWNER_NUM,
+#define OPT_VHOST_PERM        "vhost-perm"
+	OPT_VHOST_PERM_NUM,
 	OPT_LONG_MAX_NUM
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
index a71d6f5..506cf24 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
@@ -252,6 +252,11 @@ static inline int rte_gettid(void)
 	return RTE_PER_LCORE(_thread_id);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Set owner/permissions on sockets if requested on EAL commandline
+ */
+void rte_eal_set_socket_permissions(const char *);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 8aafd51..3d0b709 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@
 #if defined(RTE_ARCH_X86)
 #include <sys/io.h>
 #endif
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
+#include <grp.h>
 
 #include <rte_common.h>
 #include <rte_debug.h>
@@ -343,6 +346,8 @@ eal_usage(const char *prgname)
 	       "  --"OPT_CREATE_UIO_DEV"    Create /dev/uioX (usually done by hotplug)\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_VFIO_INTR"         Interrupt mode for VFIO (legacy|msi|msix)\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_XEN_DOM0"          Support running on Xen dom0 without hugetlbfs\n"
+	       "  --"OPT_VHOST_OWNER"       Create vhost-user sockets with this owner:group\n"
+	       "  --"OPT_VHOST_PERM"        Create vhost-user sockets with these permissions\n"
 	       "\n");
 	/* Allow the application to print its usage message too if hook is set */
 	if ( rte_application_usage_hook ) {
@@ -618,6 +623,14 @@ eal_parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 			internal_config.create_uio_dev = 1;
 			break;
 
+		case OPT_VHOST_OWNER_NUM:
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_owner = optarg;
+			break;
+
+		case OPT_VHOST_PERM_NUM:
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_perm = optarg;
+			break;
+
 		default:
 			if (opt < OPT_LONG_MIN_NUM && isprint(opt)) {
 				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Option %c is not supported "
@@ -934,3 +947,172 @@ rte_eal_check_module(const char *module_name)
 	/* Module has been found */
 	return 1;
 }
+
+/* Try to double the size of '*buf', return true
+ * if successful, and '*sizep' will be updated with
+ * the new size. Otherwise, return false.  */
+static int
+enlarge_buffer(char **buf, size_t *sizep)
+{
+    size_t newsize = *sizep * 2;
+
+    if (newsize > *sizep) {
+        *buf = realloc(*buf, newsize);
+        *sizep = newsize;
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+get_owners_from_str(const char *user_spec, uid_t *uid, gid_t *gid)
+{
+	size_t bufsize = 4096;
+
+	char *pos = strchr(user_spec, ':');
+	user_spec += strspn(user_spec, " \t\r\n");
+	size_t len = pos ? (size_t)(pos - user_spec) : strlen(user_spec);
+
+	char *buf = NULL;
+	struct passwd pwd, *res;
+	int e;
+
+	buf = malloc(bufsize);
+	char *user_search = NULL;
+	if (len) {
+		user_search = malloc(len + 1);
+		memcpy(user_search, user_spec, len);
+		user_search[len] = '\0';
+		while ((e = getpwnam_r(user_search, &pwd, buf, bufsize, &res)) == ERANGE) {
+			if (!enlarge_buffer(&buf, &bufsize)) {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (e != 0) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"Failed to retrive user %s's uid (%s), aborting.",
+				user_search, strerror(e));
+			goto release;
+		}
+		if (res == NULL) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"user %s not found,  aborting.",
+				user_search);
+			e = -1;
+			goto release;
+		}
+	} else {
+		/* User name is not specified, use current user.  */
+		while ((e = getpwuid_r(getuid(), &pwd, buf, bufsize, &res)) == ERANGE) {
+			if (!enlarge_buffer(&buf, &bufsize)) {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (e != 0) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"Failed to retrive current user's uid "
+				"(%s), aborting.", strerror(e));
+			goto release;
+		}
+		user_search = strdup(pwd.pw_name);
+	}
+
+	if (uid)
+		*uid = pwd.pw_uid;
+
+	free(buf);
+	buf = NULL;
+
+	if (pos) {
+		char *grpstr = pos + 1;
+		grpstr += strspn(grpstr, " \t\r\n");
+
+		if (*grpstr) {
+			struct group grp, *res;
+
+			bufsize = 4096;
+			buf = malloc(bufsize);
+			while ((e = getgrnam_r(grpstr, &grp, buf, bufsize, &res))
+					 == ERANGE) {
+				if (!enlarge_buffer(&buf, &bufsize)) {
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+
+			if (e) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"Failed to get group entry for %s, "
+					"(%s), aborting.", grpstr,
+					strerror(e));
+				goto release;
+			}
+			if (res == NULL) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"Group %s not found, aborting.",
+					grpstr);
+				e = -1;
+				goto release;
+			}
+
+			if (gid)
+				*gid = grp.gr_gid;
+		}
+	}
+
+ release:
+	free(buf);
+	free(user_search);
+	return e;
+}
+
+static void
+vhost_set_permissions(const char *vhost_sock_location)
+{
+	unsigned long int mode = strtoul(internal_config.vhost_sock_perm, NULL, 0);
+	int err = chmod(vhost_sock_location, (mode_t)mode);
+	if (err) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"vhost-user socket cannot set"
+			" permissions to %s (%s).\n",
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_perm, strerror(err));
+		return;
+	}
+	RTE_LOG(INFO, EAL,"Socket %s changed permissions"
+			" to %s\n", vhost_sock_location,
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_perm);
+}
+
+static void
+vhost_set_ownership(const char *vhost_sock_location)
+{
+	uid_t vhuid=0;
+	gid_t vhgid=0;
+
+	if (get_owners_from_str(internal_config.vhost_sock_owner, &vhuid, &vhgid)) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"vhost-user socket unable to get"
+			" specified user/group: %s\n",
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_owner);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	int err = chown(vhost_sock_location, vhuid, vhgid);
+	if (err) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,"vhost-user socket unable to set"
+			" ownership to %s (%s).\n",
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_owner, strerror(err));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	RTE_LOG(INFO, EAL,"Socket %s changed ownership"
+			" to %s.\n", vhost_sock_location,
+			internal_config.vhost_sock_owner);
+}
+
+void
+rte_eal_set_socket_permissions(const char *path)
+{
+	if (internal_config.vhost_sock_perm) {
+		vhost_set_permissions(path);
+	}
+
+	if (internal_config.vhost_sock_owner) {
+		vhost_set_ownership(path);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user/vhost-net-user.c b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user/vhost-net-user.c
index df2bd64..ea8dee9 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user/vhost-net-user.c
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user/vhost-net-user.c
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 #include "vhost-net.h"
 #include "virtio-net-user.h"
 
+#include <rte_eal.h>
+
 #define MAX_VIRTIO_BACKLOG 128
 
 static void vserver_new_vq_conn(int fd, void *data, int *remove);
@@ -476,6 +478,8 @@ rte_vhost_driver_register(const char *path)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	rte_eal_set_socket_permissions(path);
+
 	vserver->path = strdup(path);
 
 	fdset_add(&g_vhost_server.fdset, vserver->listenfd,
