diff --git a/doc/guides/linux_gsg/linux_eal_parameters.rst b/doc/guides/linux_gsg/linux_eal_parameters.rst
index 74df2611b5..64cd73b497 100644
--- a/doc/guides/linux_gsg/linux_eal_parameters.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/linux_gsg/linux_eal_parameters.rst
@@ -84,10 +84,23 @@ Memory-related options
     Use specified hugetlbfs directory instead of autodetected ones. This can be
     a sub-directory within a hugetlbfs mountpoint.
 
-*   ``--huge-unlink``
-
-    Unlink hugepage files after creating them (implies no secondary process
-    support).
+*   ``--huge-unlink[=existing|always|never]``
+
+    No ``--huge-unlink`` option or ``--huge-unlink=existing`` is the default:
+    existing hugepage files are removed and re-created
+    to ensure the kernel clears the memory and prevents any data leaks.
+
+    With ``--huge-unlink`` (no value) or ``--huge-unlink=always``,
+    hugepage files are also removed after creating them,
+    so that the application leaves no files in hugetlbfs.
+    This mode implies no multi-process support.
+
+    When ``--huge-unlink=never`` is specified, existing hugepage files
+    are not removed neither before nor after mapping them.
+    This makes restart faster by saving time to clear memory at initialization,
+    but it may slow down zeroed allocations later.
+    Reused hugepages can contain data from previous processes that used them,
+    which may be a security concern.
 
 *   ``--match-allocations``
 
diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/env_abstraction_layer.rst b/doc/guides/prog_guide/env_abstraction_layer.rst
index 6cddb86467..d8940f5e2e 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/env_abstraction_layer.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/env_abstraction_layer.rst
@@ -277,6 +277,15 @@ to prevent data leaks from previous users of the same hugepage.
 EAL ensures this behavior by removing existing backing files at startup
 and by recreating them before opening for mapping (as a precaution).
 
+One expection is ``--huge-unlink=never`` mode.
+It is used to speed up EAL initialization, usually on application restart.
+Clearing memory constitutes more than 95% of hugepage mapping time.
+EAL can save it by remapping existing backing files
+with all the data left in the mapped hugepages ("dirty" memory).
+Such segments are marked with ``RTE_MEMSEG_FLAG_DIRTY``.
+Memory allocator detects dirty segments handles them accordingly,
+in particular, it clears memory requested with ``rte_zmalloc*()``.
+
 Anonymous mapping does not allow multi-process architecture,
 but it is free of filename conflicts and leftover files on hugetlbfs.
 If memfd_create(2) is supported both at build and run time,
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_22_03.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_22_03.rst
index 6d99d1eaa9..0b882362cf 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_22_03.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_22_03.rst
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ New Features
      Also, make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
      =======================================================
 
+* **Added ability to reuse hugepages in Linux.**
+
+  It is possible to reuse files in hugetlbfs to speed up hugepage mapping,
+  which may be useful for fast restart and large allocations.
+  The new mode is activated with ``--huge-unlink=never``
+  and has security implications, refer to the user and programmer guides.
+
 
 Removed Items
 -------------
diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_options.c b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_options.c
index 7520ebda8e..905a7769bd 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_options.c
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_options.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ eal_long_options[] = {
 	{OPT_FILE_PREFIX,       1, NULL, OPT_FILE_PREFIX_NUM      },
 	{OPT_HELP,              0, NULL, OPT_HELP_NUM             },
 	{OPT_HUGE_DIR,          1, NULL, OPT_HUGE_DIR_NUM         },
-	{OPT_HUGE_UNLINK,       0, NULL, OPT_HUGE_UNLINK_NUM      },
+	{OPT_HUGE_UNLINK,       2, NULL, OPT_HUGE_UNLINK_NUM      },
 	{OPT_IOVA_MODE,	        1, NULL, OPT_IOVA_MODE_NUM        },
 	{OPT_LCORES,            1, NULL, OPT_LCORES_NUM           },
 	{OPT_LOG_LEVEL,         1, NULL, OPT_LOG_LEVEL_NUM        },
@@ -1596,6 +1596,28 @@ available_cores(void)
 	return str;
 }
 
+#define HUGE_UNLINK_NEVER "never"
+
+static int
+eal_parse_huge_unlink(const char *arg, struct hugepage_file_discipline *out)
+{
+	if (arg == NULL || strcmp(arg, "always") == 0) {
+		out->unlink_before_mapping = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	if (strcmp(arg, "existing") == 0) {
+		/* same as not specifying the option */
+		return 0;
+	}
+	if (strcmp(arg, HUGE_UNLINK_NEVER) == 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(WARNING, EAL, "Using --"OPT_HUGE_UNLINK"="
+			HUGE_UNLINK_NEVER" may create data leaks.\n");
+		out->keep_existing = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
 int
 eal_parse_common_option(int opt, const char *optarg,
 			struct internal_config *conf)
@@ -1737,7 +1759,10 @@ eal_parse_common_option(int opt, const char *optarg,
 
 	/* long options */
 	case OPT_HUGE_UNLINK_NUM:
-		conf->hugepage_file.unlink_before_mapping = true;
+		if (eal_parse_huge_unlink(optarg, &conf->hugepage_file) < 0) {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "invalid --"OPT_HUGE_UNLINK" option\n");
+			return -1;
+		}
 		break;
 
 	case OPT_NO_HUGE_NUM:
@@ -2068,6 +2093,12 @@ eal_check_common_options(struct internal_config *internal_cfg)
 			"not compatible with --"OPT_HUGE_UNLINK"\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
+	if (internal_cfg->hugepage_file.keep_existing &&
+			internal_cfg->in_memory) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Option --"OPT_IN_MEMORY" is not compatible "
+			"with --"OPT_HUGE_UNLINK"="HUGE_UNLINK_NEVER"\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
 	if (internal_cfg->legacy_mem &&
 			internal_cfg->in_memory) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Option --"OPT_LEGACY_MEM" is not compatible "
@@ -2200,7 +2231,9 @@ eal_common_usage(void)
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_TELEMETRY"   Disable telemetry support\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_FORCE_MAX_SIMD_BITWIDTH" Force the max SIMD bitwidth\n"
 	       "\nEAL options for DEBUG use only:\n"
-	       "  --"OPT_HUGE_UNLINK"       Unlink hugepage files after init\n"
+	       "  --"OPT_HUGE_UNLINK"[=existing|always|never]\n"
+	       "                      When to unlink files in hugetlbfs\n"
+	       "                      ('existing' by default, no value means 'always')\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_HUGE"           Use malloc instead of hugetlbfs\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_PCI"            Disable PCI\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_HPET"           Disable HPET\n"
