diff --git a/drivers/net/softnic/rte_eth_softnic_cli.c b/drivers/net/softnic/rte_eth_softnic_cli.c
index f2c2721d55..08cca7a8e4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/softnic/rte_eth_softnic_cli.c
+++ b/drivers/net/softnic/rte_eth_softnic_cli.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <rte_common.h>
 #include <rte_cycles.h>
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@
 #define CMD_MAX_TOKENS     256
 #endif
 
+#ifndef MAX_LINE_SIZE
+#define MAX_LINE_SIZE 2048
+#endif
+
 #define MSG_OUT_OF_MEMORY   "Not enough memory.\n"
 #define MSG_CMD_UNKNOWN     "Unknown command \"%s\".\n"
 #define MSG_CMD_UNIMPLEM    "Command \"%s\" not implemented.\n"
@@ -227,6 +232,139 @@ cmd_softnic_pipeline_codegen(struct pmd_internals *softnic __rte_unused,
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * pipeline libbuild <code_file> <lib_file>
+ */
+static void
+cmd_softnic_pipeline_libbuild(struct pmd_internals *softnic __rte_unused,
+	char **tokens,
+	uint32_t n_tokens,
+	char *out,
+	size_t out_size)
+{
+	char *code_file, *lib_file, *obj_file = NULL, *log_file = NULL;
+	char *install_dir, *cwd = NULL, *buffer = NULL;
+	size_t length;
+	int status = 0;
+
+	if (n_tokens != 4) {
+		snprintf(out, out_size, MSG_ARG_MISMATCH, tokens[0]);
+		goto free;
+	}
+
+	install_dir = getenv("RTE_INSTALL_DIR");
+	if (!install_dir) {
+		cwd = malloc(MAX_LINE_SIZE);
+		if (!cwd) {
+			snprintf(out, out_size, MSG_OUT_OF_MEMORY);
+			goto free;
+		}
+
+		install_dir = getcwd(cwd, MAX_LINE_SIZE);
+		if (!install_dir) {
+			snprintf(out, out_size, "Error: Path too long.\n");
+			goto free;
+		}
+	}
+
+	snprintf(out, out_size, "Using DPDK source code from \"%s\".\n", install_dir);
+	out_size -= strlen(out);
+	out += strlen(out);
+
+	code_file = tokens[2];
+	length = strnlen(code_file, MAX_LINE_SIZE);
+	if (length < 3 ||
+	    code_file[length - 2] != '.' ||
+	    code_file[length - 1] != 'c') {
+		snprintf(out, out_size, MSG_ARG_INVALID, "code_file");
+		goto free;
+	}
+
+	lib_file = tokens[3];
+	length = strnlen(lib_file, MAX_LINE_SIZE);
+	if (length < 4 ||
+	    lib_file[length - 3] != '.' ||
+	    lib_file[length - 2] != 's' ||
+	    lib_file[length - 1] != 'o') {
+		snprintf(out, out_size, MSG_ARG_INVALID, "lib_file");
+		goto free;
+	}
+
+	obj_file = malloc(length);
+	log_file = malloc(length + 2);
+	if (!obj_file || !log_file) {
+		snprintf(out, out_size, MSG_OUT_OF_MEMORY);
+		goto free;
+	}
+
+	memcpy(obj_file, lib_file, length - 2);
+	obj_file[length - 2] = 'o';
+	obj_file[length - 1] = 0;
+
+	memcpy(log_file, lib_file, length - 2);
+	log_file[length - 2] = 'l';
+	log_file[length - 1] = 'o';
+	log_file[length] = 'g';
+	log_file[length + 1] = 0;
+
+	buffer = malloc(MAX_LINE_SIZE);
+	if (!buffer) {
+		snprintf(out, out_size, MSG_OUT_OF_MEMORY);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	snprintf(buffer,
+		 MAX_LINE_SIZE,
+		 "gcc -c -O3 -fpic -Wno-deprecated-declarations -o %s %s "
+		 "-I %s/lib/pipeline "
+		 "-I %s/lib/eal/include "
+		 "-I %s/lib/eal/x86/include "
+		 "-I %s/lib/eal/include/generic "
+		 "-I %s/lib/meter "
+		 "-I %s/lib/port "
+		 "-I %s/lib/table "
+		 "-I %s/lib/pipeline "
+		 "-I %s/config "
+		 "-I %s/build "
+		 "-I %s/lib/eal/linux/include "
+		 ">%s 2>&1 "
+		 "&& "
+		 "gcc -shared %s -o %s "
+		 ">>%s 2>&1",
+		 obj_file,
+		 code_file,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 install_dir,
+		 log_file,
+		 obj_file,
+		 lib_file,
+		 log_file);
+
+	status = system(buffer);
+	if (status) {
+		snprintf(out,
+			 out_size,
+			 "Library build failed, see file \"%s\" for details.\n",
+			 log_file);
+		goto free;
+	}
+
+free:
+	free(cwd);
+	free(obj_file);
+	free(log_file);
+	free(buffer);
+}
+
 /**
  * thread <thread_id> pipeline <pipeline_name> enable [ period <timer_period_ms> ]
  */
@@ -361,6 +499,11 @@ softnic_cli_process(char *in, char *out, size_t out_size, void *arg)
 			cmd_softnic_pipeline_codegen(softnic, tokens, n_tokens, out, out_size);
 			return;
 		}
+
+		if (n_tokens >= 3 && !strcmp(tokens[1], "libbuild")) {
+			cmd_softnic_pipeline_libbuild(softnic, tokens, n_tokens, out, out_size);
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (strcmp(tokens[0], "thread") == 0) {
