diff --git a/app/test/test_threads.c b/app/test/test_threads.c
index 9fcae34179..00f604ab7e 100644
--- a/app/test/test_threads.c
+++ b/app/test/test_threads.c
@@ -195,6 +195,54 @@ test_thread_detach(void)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+struct thread_context {
+	rte_thread_barrier *barrier;
+	int barrier_result;
+};
+
+static void *
+thread_loop_barrier(void *arg)
+{
+	struct thread_context *ctx = arg;
+
+	ctx->barrier_result = rte_thread_barrier_wait(ctx->barrier);
+	if (ctx->barrier_result > 0)
+		rte_log(RTE_LOG_DEBUG, threads_logtype_test, "Failed to wait at barrier!");
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static int
+test_thread_barrier(void)
+{
+	rte_thread_t thread_id;
+	struct thread_context ctx;
+	rte_thread_barrier barrier;
+	int ret = 0;
+	int result = 0;
+
+	ret = rte_thread_barrier_init(&barrier, 2);
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT(ret == 0, "Failed to initialize barrier!");
+
+	ctx.barrier = &barrier;
+	ret = rte_thread_create(&thread_id, NULL, thread_loop_barrier, &ctx);
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT(ret == 0, "Failed to create thread!");
+
+	result = rte_thread_barrier_wait(&barrier);
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT(result <= 0, "Failed to wait at the barrier!");
+
+	ret = rte_thread_join(thread_id, NULL);
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT(ret == 0, "Failed to join threads!");
+
+	ret = rte_thread_barrier_destroy(&barrier);
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT(ret == 0, "Failed to destroy barrier!");
+
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT(ctx.barrier_result <= 0, "Child thread failed to wait at the barrier!");
+	RTE_TEST_ASSERT_NOT_EQUAL(ctx.barrier_result, result, "Threads were not blocked at the barrier!");
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static struct unit_test_suite threads_test_suite = {
 	.suite_name = "threads autotest",
 	.setup = NULL,
@@ -204,6 +252,7 @@ static struct unit_test_suite threads_test_suite = {
 			TEST_CASE(test_thread_attributes_affinity),
 			TEST_CASE(test_thread_attributes_priority),
 			TEST_CASE(test_thread_detach),
+			TEST_CASE(test_thread_barrier),
 			TEST_CASES_END()
 	}
 };
diff --git a/lib/eal/common/rte_thread.c b/lib/eal/common/rte_thread.c
index 910c39eb88..d30a8a7ca3 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/rte_thread.c
+++ b/lib/eal/common/rte_thread.c
@@ -309,6 +309,67 @@ rte_thread_detach(rte_thread_t thread_id)
 	return pthread_detach((pthread_t)thread_id.opaque_id);
 }
 
+int
+rte_thread_barrier_init(rte_thread_barrier *barrier, int count)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+	pthread_barrier_t *pthread_barrier = NULL;
+
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier != NULL);
+	RTE_VERIFY(count > 0);
+
+	pthread_barrier = calloc(1, sizeof(*pthread_barrier));
+	if (pthread_barrier == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Unable to initialize barrier. Insufficient memory!\n");
+		ret = ENOMEM;
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+	ret = pthread_barrier_init(pthread_barrier, NULL, count);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Failed to init barrier, ret = %d\n", ret);
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	barrier->barrier_id = pthread_barrier;
+	pthread_barrier = NULL;
+
+cleanup:
+	free(pthread_barrier);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_barrier_wait(rte_thread_barrier *barrier)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier != NULL);
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier->barrier_id != NULL);
+
+	ret = pthread_barrier_wait(barrier->barrier_id);
+	if (ret == PTHREAD_BARRIER_SERIAL_THREAD)
+		ret = RTE_THREAD_BARRIER_SERIAL_THREAD;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_barrier_destroy(rte_thread_barrier *barrier)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier != NULL);
+
+	ret = pthread_barrier_destroy(barrier->barrier_id);
+	if (ret != 0)
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Failed to destroy barrier: %d\n", ret);
+
+	free(barrier->barrier_id);
+	barrier->barrier_id = NULL;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int
 rte_thread_key_create(rte_thread_key *key, void (*destructor)(void *))
 {
diff --git a/lib/eal/include/rte_thread.h b/lib/eal/include/rte_thread.h
index e841321819..7c84e32988 100644
--- a/lib/eal/include/rte_thread.h
+++ b/lib/eal/include/rte_thread.h
@@ -54,6 +54,18 @@ typedef struct {
 
 #endif /* RTE_HAS_CPUSET */
 
+/**
+ * Returned by rte_thread_barrier_wait() when call is successful.
+ */
+#define RTE_THREAD_BARRIER_SERIAL_THREAD -1
+
+/**
+ * Thread barrier representation.
+ */
+typedef struct rte_thread_barrier_tag {
+	void *barrier_id;  /**< barrrier identifier */
+} rte_thread_barrier;
+
 /**
  * TLS key type, an opaque pointer.
  */
@@ -302,6 +314,52 @@ __rte_experimental
 int rte_thread_set_priority(rte_thread_t thread_id,
 		enum rte_thread_priority priority);
 
+/**
+ * Initializes a synchronization barrier.
+ *
+ * @param barrier
+ *    A pointer that references the newly created 'barrier' object.
+ *
+ * @param count
+ *    The number of threads that must enter the barrier before
+ *    the threads can continue execution.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, return 0.
+ *   On failure, return a positive errno-style error number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_barrier_init(rte_thread_barrier *barrier, int count);
+
+/**
+ * Causes the calling thread to wait at the synchronization barrier 'barrier'.
+ *
+ * @param barrier
+ *    The barrier used for synchronizing the threads.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Return RTE_THREAD_BARRIER_SERIAL_THREAD for the thread synchronized
+ *      at the barrier.
+ *   Return 0 for all other threads.
+ *   Return a positive errno-style error number, in case of failure.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_barrier_wait(rte_thread_barrier *barrier);
+
+/**
+ * Releases all resources used by a synchronization barrier
+ * and uninitializes it.
+ *
+ * @param barrier
+ *    The barrier to be destroyed.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, return 0.
+ *   On failure, return a positive errno-style error number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_barrier_destroy(rte_thread_barrier *barrier);
+
 /**
  * Create a TLS data key visible to all threads in the process.
  * the created key is later used to get/set a value.
diff --git a/lib/eal/version.map b/lib/eal/version.map
index 0384a09fa2..06e5f82da2 100644
--- a/lib/eal/version.map
+++ b/lib/eal/version.map
@@ -427,6 +427,9 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_thread_attr_get_affinity;
 	rte_thread_attr_set_affinity;
 	rte_thread_attr_set_priority;
+	rte_thread_barrier_init;
+	rte_thread_barrier_wait;
+	rte_thread_barrier_destroy;
 	rte_thread_get_affinity_by_id;
 	rte_thread_set_affinity_by_id;
 	rte_thread_get_priority;
diff --git a/lib/eal/windows/rte_thread.c b/lib/eal/windows/rte_thread.c
index 669a68d6a8..3f72bbf716 100644
--- a/lib/eal/windows/rte_thread.c
+++ b/lib/eal/windows/rte_thread.c
@@ -504,6 +504,62 @@ rte_thread_detach(rte_thread_t thread_id)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+rte_thread_barrier_init(rte_thread_barrier *barrier, int count)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+	SYNCHRONIZATION_BARRIER *sync_barrier = NULL;
+
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier != NULL);
+	RTE_VERIFY(count > 0);
+
+	sync_barrier = calloc(1, sizeof(*sync_barrier));
+	if (sync_barrier == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Unable to initialize barrier. Insufficient memory!\n");
+		ret = ENOMEM;
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+	if (!InitializeSynchronizationBarrier(sync_barrier, count, -1)) {
+		ret = thread_log_last_error("InitializeSynchronizationBarrier()");
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	barrier->barrier_id = sync_barrier;
+	sync_barrier = NULL;
+
+cleanup:
+	free(sync_barrier);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_barrier_wait(rte_thread_barrier *barrier)
+{
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier != NULL);
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier->barrier_id != NULL);
+
+	if (EnterSynchronizationBarrier(barrier->barrier_id,
+				SYNCHRONIZATION_BARRIER_FLAGS_BLOCK_ONLY)) {
+
+		return RTE_THREAD_BARRIER_SERIAL_THREAD;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_barrier_destroy(rte_thread_barrier *barrier)
+{
+	RTE_VERIFY(barrier != NULL);
+
+	DeleteSynchronizationBarrier(barrier->barrier_id);
+
+	free(barrier->barrier_id);
+	barrier->barrier_id = NULL;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 rte_thread_key_create(rte_thread_key *key,
 		__rte_unused void (*destructor)(void *))
