diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
index 62d28e7b28..fa537db7ac 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
@@ -388,3 +388,14 @@ rte_thread_unregister(void)
 		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Unregistered non-EAL thread (was lcore %u).\n",
 			lcore_id);
 }
+
+void rte_thread_priority_init(void)
+{
+	struct internal_config *internal_conf =
+		eal_get_internal_configuration();
+
+	/* If the user doesn't specify the priority through the command
+	 * line arguments, the default 'normal' value will be used.
+	 */
+	internal_conf->thread_priority = RTE_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL;
+}
diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_thread.h b/lib/eal/common/eal_thread.h
index 4a49117be8..7b3b884463 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_thread.h
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_thread.h
@@ -58,4 +58,10 @@ eal_thread_dump_affinity(rte_cpuset_t *cpuset, char *str, unsigned int size);
 int
 eal_thread_dump_current_affinity(char *str, unsigned int size);
 
+/**
+ * Set the initial thread priority in the internal configuration
+ * to the default value of RTE_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL.
+ */
+void rte_thread_priority_init(void);
+
 #endif /* EAL_THREAD_H */
diff --git a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
index b5cf050697..7303d62afb 100644
--- a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
@@ -676,6 +676,8 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct internal_config *internal_conf =
 		eal_get_internal_configuration();
 
+	rte_thread_priority_init();
+
 	/* checks if the machine is adequate */
 	if (!rte_cpu_is_supported()) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("unsupported cpu type.");
@@ -854,6 +856,14 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	eal_check_mem_on_local_socket();
 
+	ret = rte_thread_set_priority(rte_thread_self(),
+			internal_conf->thread_priority);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set thread priority");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (rte_thread_set_affinity_by_id(rte_thread_self(),
 			&lcore_config[config->main_lcore].cpuset) != 0) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set affinity");
@@ -869,6 +879,22 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		config->main_lcore, (void *)thread_id.opaque_id, cpuset,
 		ret == 0 ? "" : "...");
 
+	rte_thread_attr_t thread_attr;
+	ret = rte_thread_attr_init(&thread_attr);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot initialize thread attributes");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	ret = rte_thread_attr_set_priority(&thread_attr,
+			internal_conf->thread_priority);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set thread priority attribute");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH_WORKER(i) {
 
 		/*
@@ -882,9 +908,15 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		lcore_config[i].state = WAIT;
 
+		ret = rte_thread_attr_set_affinity(&thread_attr,
+					     &lcore_config[i].cpuset);
+
+		if (ret != 0)
+			rte_panic("Cannot set affinity\n");
+
 		/* create a thread for each lcore */
-		ret = rte_thread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id, NULL,
-				     eal_thread_loop, NULL);
+		ret = rte_thread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id,
+				&thread_attr, eal_thread_loop, NULL);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			rte_panic("Cannot create thread\n");
 
@@ -892,11 +924,6 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		snprintf(thread_name, sizeof(thread_name),
 				"lcore-worker-%d", i);
 		rte_thread_name_set(lcore_config[i].thread_id, thread_name);
-
-		ret = rte_thread_set_affinity_by_id(lcore_config[i].thread_id,
-				&lcore_config[i].cpuset);
-		if (ret != 0)
-			rte_panic("Cannot set affinity\n");
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/eal/linux/eal.c b/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
index 7060856d84..7f3d491560 100644
--- a/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
@@ -975,6 +975,8 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct internal_config *internal_conf =
 		eal_get_internal_configuration();
 
+	rte_thread_priority_init();
+
 	/* checks if the machine is adequate */
 	if (!rte_cpu_is_supported()) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("unsupported cpu type.");
@@ -1219,6 +1221,14 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	eal_check_mem_on_local_socket();
 
+	ret = rte_thread_set_priority(rte_thread_self(),
+			internal_conf->thread_priority);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set thread priority");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (rte_thread_set_affinity_by_id(rte_thread_self(),
 			&lcore_config[config->main_lcore].cpuset) != 0) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set affinity");
@@ -1233,6 +1243,23 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		config->main_lcore, (void *)thread_id.opaque_id, cpuset,
 		ret == 0 ? "" : "...");
 
+	rte_thread_attr_t thread_attr;
+	ret = rte_thread_attr_init(&thread_attr);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Cannot initialize thread attributes,"
+			"ret = %d\n", ret);
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+	ret = rte_thread_attr_set_priority(&thread_attr,
+					   internal_conf->thread_priority);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Cannot set thread priority attribute,"
+			"ret = %d\n", ret);
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH_WORKER(i) {
 
 		/*
@@ -1246,9 +1273,12 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		lcore_config[i].state = WAIT;
 
+		rte_thread_attr_set_affinity(&thread_attr,
+					     &lcore_config[i].cpuset);
+
 		/* create a thread for each lcore */
-		ret = rte_thread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id, NULL,
-				     eal_thread_loop, NULL);
+		ret = rte_thread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id,
+					&thread_attr, eal_thread_loop, NULL);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			rte_panic("Cannot create thread\n");
 
@@ -1260,11 +1290,6 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (ret != 0)
 			RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL,
 				"Cannot set name for lcore thread\n");
-
-		ret = rte_thread_set_affinity_by_id(lcore_config[i].thread_id,
-				&lcore_config[i].cpuset);
-		if (ret != 0)
-			rte_panic("Cannot set affinity\n");
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/eal/windows/eal.c b/lib/eal/windows/eal.c
index 65be582b99..bb9053df84 100644
--- a/lib/eal/windows/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/windows/eal.c
@@ -274,6 +274,8 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		eal_get_internal_configuration();
 	int ret;
 
+	rte_thread_priority_init();
+
 	eal_log_init(NULL, 0);
 
 	eal_log_level_parse(argc, argv);
@@ -375,6 +377,36 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (rte_thread_set_affinity_by_id(rte_thread_self(),
+			&lcore_config[config->main_lcore].cpuset) != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set affinity");
+		rte_errno = EINVAL;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	ret = rte_thread_set_priority(rte_thread_self(),
+				      internal_conf->thread_priority);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set thread priority");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	rte_thread_attr_t thread_attr;
+	ret = rte_thread_attr_init(&thread_attr);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot initialize thread attributes");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+	ret = rte_thread_attr_set_priority(&thread_attr,
+					   internal_conf->thread_priority);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set thread priority attribute");
+		rte_errno = ret;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH_WORKER(i) {
 
 		/*
@@ -390,9 +422,17 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		lcore_config[i].state = WAIT;
 
+		ret = rte_thread_attr_set_affinity(&thread_attr,
+				&lcore_config[i].cpuset);
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot set thread affinity attribute");
+			rte_errno = ret;
+			return -1;
+		}
+
 		/* create a thread for each lcore */
-		ret = rte_thread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id, NULL,
-				eal_thread_loop, NULL);
+		ret = rte_thread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id,
+				&thread_attr, eal_thread_loop, NULL);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			rte_panic("Cannot create thread\n");
 	}
