diff --git a/lib/vhost/fd_man.c b/lib/vhost/fd_man.c
index 0ae481b785..8b47c97d45 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/fd_man.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/fd_man.c
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@
  */
 
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <rte_common.h>
 #include <rte_log.h>
+#include <rte_malloc.h>
+#include <rte_string_fns.h>
+#include <rte_thread.h>
 
 #include "fd_man.h"
 
@@ -19,6 +23,79 @@ RTE_LOG_REGISTER_SUFFIX(vhost_fdset_logtype, fdset, INFO);
 
 #define FDPOLLERR (POLLERR | POLLHUP | POLLNVAL)
 
+struct fdentry {
+	int fd;		/* -1 indicates this entry is empty */
+	fd_cb rcb;	/* callback when this fd is readable. */
+	fd_cb wcb;	/* callback when this fd is writeable.*/
+	void *dat;	/* fd context */
+	int busy;	/* whether this entry is being used in cb. */
+};
+
+struct fdset {
+	char name[RTE_THREAD_NAME_SIZE];
+	struct pollfd rwfds[MAX_FDS];
+	struct fdentry fd[MAX_FDS];
+	rte_thread_t tid;
+	pthread_mutex_t fd_mutex;
+	pthread_mutex_t fd_polling_mutex;
+	int num;	/* current fd number of this fdset */
+
+	union pipefds {
+		struct {
+			int pipefd[2];
+		};
+		struct {
+			int readfd;
+			int writefd;
+		};
+	} u;
+
+	pthread_mutex_t sync_mutex;
+	pthread_cond_t sync_cond;
+	bool sync;
+	bool destroy;
+};
+
+static int fdset_add_no_sync(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd, fd_cb rcb, fd_cb wcb, void *dat);
+static uint32_t fdset_event_dispatch(void *arg);
+
+#define MAX_FDSETS 8
+
+static struct fdset *fdsets[MAX_FDSETS];
+pthread_mutex_t fdsets_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+
+static struct fdset *
+fdset_lookup(const char *name)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < MAX_FDSETS; i++) {
+		struct fdset *fdset = fdsets[i];
+		if (fdset == NULL)
+			continue;
+
+		if (!strncmp(fdset->name, name, RTE_THREAD_NAME_SIZE))
+			return fdset;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static int
+fdset_insert(struct fdset *fdset)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < MAX_FDSETS; i++) {
+		if (fdsets[i] == NULL) {
+			fdsets[i] = fdset;
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
 static void
 fdset_pipe_read_cb(int readfd, void *dat,
 		   int *remove __rte_unused)
@@ -63,7 +140,7 @@ fdset_pipe_init(struct fdset *fdset)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	ret = fdset_add(fdset, fdset->u.readfd,
+	ret = fdset_add_no_sync(fdset, fdset->u.readfd,
 			fdset_pipe_read_cb, NULL, fdset);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		VHOST_FDMAN_LOG(ERR,
@@ -179,37 +256,82 @@ fdset_add_fd(struct fdset *pfdset, int idx, int fd,
 	pfd->revents = 0;
 }
 
-void
-fdset_uninit(struct fdset *pfdset)
-{
-	fdset_pipe_uninit(pfdset);
-}
-
-int
-fdset_init(struct fdset *pfdset)
+struct fdset *
+fdset_init(const char *name)
 {
+	struct fdset *fdset;
+	uint32_t val;
 	int i;
 
-	if (pfdset == NULL)
-		return -1;
+	if (name == NULL) {
+		VHOST_FDMAN_LOG(ERR, "Invalid name");
+		goto err;
+	}
 
-	pthread_mutex_init(&pfdset->fd_mutex, NULL);
-	pthread_mutex_init(&pfdset->fd_polling_mutex, NULL);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&fdsets_mutex);
+	fdset = fdset_lookup(name);
+	if (fdset) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&fdsets_mutex);
+		return fdset;
+	}
+
+	fdset = rte_zmalloc(NULL, sizeof(*fdset), 0);
+	if (!fdset) {
+		VHOST_FDMAN_LOG(ERR, "Failed to alloc fdset %s", name);
+		goto err_unlock;
+	}
+
+	rte_strscpy(fdset->name, name, RTE_THREAD_NAME_SIZE);
+
+	pthread_mutex_init(&fdset->fd_mutex, NULL);
+	pthread_mutex_init(&fdset->fd_polling_mutex, NULL);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < MAX_FDS; i++) {
-		pfdset->fd[i].fd = -1;
-		pfdset->fd[i].dat = NULL;
+		fdset->fd[i].fd = -1;
+		fdset->fd[i].dat = NULL;
 	}
-	pfdset->num = 0;
+	fdset->num = 0;
 
-	return fdset_pipe_init(pfdset);
+	if (fdset_pipe_init(fdset)) {
+		VHOST_FDMAN_LOG(ERR, "Failed to init pipe for %s", name);
+		goto err_free;
+	}
+
+	if (rte_thread_create_internal_control(&fdset->tid, fdset->name,
+					fdset_event_dispatch, fdset)) {
+		VHOST_FDMAN_LOG(ERR, "Failed to create %s event dispatch thread",
+				fdset->name);
+		goto err_pipe;
+	}
+
+	if (fdset_insert(fdset)) {
+		VHOST_FDMAN_LOG(ERR, "Failed to insert fdset %s", name);
+		goto err_thread;
+	}
+
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&fdsets_mutex);
+
+	return fdset;
+
+err_thread:
+	fdset->destroy = true;
+	fdset_sync(fdset);
+	rte_thread_join(fdset->tid, &val);
+err_pipe:
+	fdset_pipe_uninit(fdset);
+err_free:
+	rte_free(fdset);
+err_unlock:
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&fdsets_mutex);
+err:
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /**
  * Register the fd in the fdset with read/write handler and context.
  */
-int
-fdset_add(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd, fd_cb rcb, fd_cb wcb, void *dat)
+static int
+fdset_add_no_sync(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd, fd_cb rcb, fd_cb wcb, void *dat)
 {
 	int i;
 
@@ -232,6 +354,18 @@ fdset_add(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd, fd_cb rcb, fd_cb wcb, void *dat)
 	fdset_add_fd(pfdset, i, fd, rcb, wcb, dat);
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&pfdset->fd_mutex);
 
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+fdset_add(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd, fd_cb rcb, fd_cb wcb, void *dat)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = fdset_add_no_sync(pfdset, fd, rcb, wcb, dat);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
 	fdset_sync(pfdset);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -315,7 +449,7 @@ fdset_try_del(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd)
  * will wait until the flag is reset to zero(which indicates the callback is
  * finished), then it could free the context after fdset_del.
  */
-uint32_t
+static uint32_t
 fdset_event_dispatch(void *arg)
 {
 	int i;
@@ -404,6 +538,9 @@ fdset_event_dispatch(void *arg)
 
 		if (need_shrink)
 			fdset_shrink(pfdset);
+
+		if (pfdset->destroy)
+			break;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/lib/vhost/fd_man.h b/lib/vhost/fd_man.h
index c18e3a435c..079fa0155f 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/fd_man.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/fd_man.h
@@ -8,50 +8,19 @@
 #include <poll.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
+struct fdset;
+
 #define MAX_FDS 1024
 
 typedef void (*fd_cb)(int fd, void *dat, int *remove);
 
-struct fdentry {
-	int fd;		/* -1 indicates this entry is empty */
-	fd_cb rcb;	/* callback when this fd is readable. */
-	fd_cb wcb;	/* callback when this fd is writeable.*/
-	void *dat;	/* fd context */
-	int busy;	/* whether this entry is being used in cb. */
-};
-
-struct fdset {
-	struct pollfd rwfds[MAX_FDS];
-	struct fdentry fd[MAX_FDS];
-	pthread_mutex_t fd_mutex;
-	pthread_mutex_t fd_polling_mutex;
-	int num;	/* current fd number of this fdset */
-
-	union pipefds {
-		struct {
-			int pipefd[2];
-		};
-		struct {
-			int readfd;
-			int writefd;
-		};
-	} u;
-
-	pthread_mutex_t sync_mutex;
-	pthread_cond_t sync_cond;
-	bool sync;
-};
-
-void fdset_uninit(struct fdset *pfdset);
-
-int fdset_init(struct fdset *pfdset);
+struct fdset *fdset_init(const char *name);
 
 int fdset_add(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd,
 	fd_cb rcb, fd_cb wcb, void *dat);
 
 void *fdset_del(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd);
-int fdset_try_del(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd);
 
-uint32_t fdset_event_dispatch(void *arg);
+int fdset_try_del(struct fdset *pfdset, int fd);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/vhost/socket.c b/lib/vhost/socket.c
index 5afb952a21..c68e9bd5a8 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/socket.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/socket.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ struct vhost_user_connection {
 #define MAX_VHOST_SOCKET 1024
 struct vhost_user {
 	struct vhost_user_socket *vsockets[MAX_VHOST_SOCKET];
-	struct fdset fdset;
+	struct fdset *fdset;
 	int vsocket_cnt;
 	pthread_mutex_t mutex;
 };
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ vhost_user_add_connection(int fd, struct vhost_user_socket *vsocket)
 	conn->connfd = fd;
 	conn->vsocket = vsocket;
 	conn->vid = vid;
-	ret = fdset_add(&vhost_user.fdset, fd, vhost_user_read_cb,
+	ret = fdset_add(vhost_user.fdset, fd, vhost_user_read_cb,
 			NULL, conn);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(vsocket->path, ERR,
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ vhost_user_start_server(struct vhost_user_socket *vsocket)
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto err;
 
-	ret = fdset_add(&vhost_user.fdset, fd, vhost_user_server_new_connection,
+	ret = fdset_add(vhost_user.fdset, fd, vhost_user_server_new_connection,
 		  NULL, vsocket);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(path, ERR, "failed to add listen fd %d to vhost server fdset",
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ rte_vhost_driver_unregister(const char *path)
 			 * mutex lock, and try again since the r/wcb
 			 * may use the mutex lock.
 			 */
-			if (fdset_try_del(&vhost_user.fdset, vsocket->socket_fd) == -1) {
+			if (fdset_try_del(vhost_user.fdset, vsocket->socket_fd) == -1) {
 				pthread_mutex_unlock(&vhost_user.mutex);
 				goto again;
 			}
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ rte_vhost_driver_unregister(const char *path)
 			 * try again since the r/wcb may use the
 			 * conn_mutex and mutex locks.
 			 */
-			if (fdset_try_del(&vhost_user.fdset,
+			if (fdset_try_del(vhost_user.fdset,
 					  conn->connfd) == -1) {
 				pthread_mutex_unlock(&vsocket->conn_mutex);
 				pthread_mutex_unlock(&vhost_user.mutex);
@@ -1167,7 +1167,6 @@ int
 rte_vhost_driver_start(const char *path)
 {
 	struct vhost_user_socket *vsocket;
-	static rte_thread_t fdset_tid;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&vhost_user.mutex);
 	vsocket = find_vhost_user_socket(path);
@@ -1179,19 +1178,12 @@ rte_vhost_driver_start(const char *path)
 	if (vsocket->is_vduse)
 		return vduse_device_create(path, vsocket->net_compliant_ol_flags);
 
-	if (fdset_tid.opaque_id == 0) {
-		if (fdset_init(&vhost_user.fdset) < 0) {
+	if (vhost_user.fdset == NULL) {
+		vhost_user.fdset = fdset_init("vhost-evt");
+		if (vhost_user.fdset == NULL) {
 			VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(path, ERR, "failed to init Vhost-user fdset");
 			return -1;
 		}
-
-		int ret = rte_thread_create_internal_control(&fdset_tid,
-				"vhost-evt", fdset_event_dispatch, &vhost_user.fdset);
-		if (ret != 0) {
-			VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(path, ERR, "failed to create fdset handling thread");
-			fdset_uninit(&vhost_user.fdset);
-			return -1;
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (vsocket->is_server)
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vduse.c b/lib/vhost/vduse.c
index d87fc500d4..c66602905c 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vduse.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vduse.c
@@ -28,13 +28,11 @@
 #define VDUSE_CTRL_PATH "/dev/vduse/control"
 
 struct vduse {
-	struct fdset fdset;
+	struct fdset *fdset;
 };
 
 static struct vduse vduse;
 
-static bool vduse_events_thread;
-
 static const char * const vduse_reqs_str[] = {
 	"VDUSE_GET_VQ_STATE",
 	"VDUSE_SET_STATUS",
@@ -215,7 +213,7 @@ vduse_vring_setup(struct virtio_net *dev, unsigned int index)
 	}
 
 	if (vq == dev->cvq) {
-		ret = fdset_add(&vduse.fdset, vq->kickfd, vduse_control_queue_event, NULL, dev);
+		ret = fdset_add(vduse.fdset, vq->kickfd, vduse_control_queue_event, NULL, dev);
 		if (ret) {
 			VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(dev->ifname, ERR,
 					"Failed to setup kickfd handler for VQ %u: %s",
@@ -238,7 +236,7 @@ vduse_vring_cleanup(struct virtio_net *dev, unsigned int index)
 	int ret;
 
 	if (vq == dev->cvq && vq->kickfd >= 0)
-		fdset_del(&vduse.fdset, vq->kickfd);
+		fdset_del(vduse.fdset, vq->kickfd);
 
 	vq_efd.index = index;
 	vq_efd.fd = VDUSE_EVENTFD_DEASSIGN;
@@ -413,7 +411,6 @@ int
 vduse_device_create(const char *path, bool compliant_ol_flags)
 {
 	int control_fd, dev_fd, vid, ret;
-	rte_thread_t fdset_tid;
 	uint32_t i, max_queue_pairs, total_queues;
 	struct virtio_net *dev;
 	struct virtio_net_config vnet_config = {{ 0 }};
@@ -422,22 +419,12 @@ vduse_device_create(const char *path, bool compliant_ol_flags)
 	struct vduse_dev_config *dev_config = NULL;
 	const char *name = path + strlen("/dev/vduse/");
 
-	/* If first device, create events dispatcher thread */
-	if (vduse_events_thread == false) {
-		if (fdset_init(&vduse.fdset) < 0) {
+	if (vduse.fdset == NULL) {
+		vduse.fdset = fdset_init("vduse-evt");
+		if (vduse.fdset == NULL) {
 			VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(path, ERR, "failed to init VDUSE fdset");
 			return -1;
 		}
-
-		ret = rte_thread_create_internal_control(&fdset_tid, "vduse-evt",
-				fdset_event_dispatch, &vduse.fdset);
-		if (ret != 0) {
-			VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(path, ERR, "failed to create vduse fdset handling thread");
-			fdset_uninit(&vduse.fdset);
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		vduse_events_thread = true;
 	}
 
 	control_fd = open(VDUSE_CTRL_PATH, O_RDWR);
@@ -555,7 +542,7 @@ vduse_device_create(const char *path, bool compliant_ol_flags)
 
 	dev->cvq = dev->virtqueue[max_queue_pairs * 2];
 
-	ret = fdset_add(&vduse.fdset, dev->vduse_dev_fd, vduse_events_handler, NULL, dev);
+	ret = fdset_add(vduse.fdset, dev->vduse_dev_fd, vduse_events_handler, NULL, dev);
 	if (ret) {
 		VHOST_CONFIG_LOG(name, ERR, "Failed to add fd %d to vduse fdset",
 				dev->vduse_dev_fd);
@@ -602,7 +589,7 @@ vduse_device_destroy(const char *path)
 
 	vduse_device_stop(dev);
 
-	fdset_del(&vduse.fdset, dev->vduse_dev_fd);
+	fdset_del(vduse.fdset, dev->vduse_dev_fd);
 
 	if (dev->vduse_dev_fd >= 0) {
 		close(dev->vduse_dev_fd);
