diff --git a/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventdev_version.map b/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventdev_version.map
index 95fd089..1199064 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventdev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventdev_version.map
@@ -128,4 +128,6 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 
 	rte_event_eth_rx_adapter_cb_register;
 	rte_event_eth_rx_adapter_stats_get;
+	rte_eventmode_helper_print_options_list;
+	rte_eventmode_helper_print_options_description;
 };
diff --git a/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.c b/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.c
index f47970e..8119306 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.c
@@ -1,7 +1,135 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  * Copyright (C) 2019 Marvell International Ltd.
  */
+#include <getopt.h>
 
 #include <rte_eventmode_helper.h>
+#include <rte_malloc.h>
 
 #include "rte_eventmode_helper_internal.h"
+
+#define CMD_LINE_OPT_TRANSFER_MODE	"transfer-mode"
+
+static const char short_options[] =
+	""
+	;
+
+enum {
+	/* long options mapped to a short option */
+
+	/* first long only option value must be >= 256, so that we won't
+	 * conflict with short options
+	 */
+	CMD_LINE_OPT_MIN_NUM = 256,
+	CMD_LINE_OPT_TRANSFER_MODE_NUM,
+};
+
+static const struct option lgopts[] = {
+	{CMD_LINE_OPT_TRANSFER_MODE, 1, 0, CMD_LINE_OPT_TRANSFER_MODE_NUM},
+	{NULL, 0, 0, 0}
+};
+
+/* Internal functions */
+
+static int32_t
+internal_parse_decimal(const char *str)
+{
+	char *end = NULL;
+	unsigned long num;
+
+	num = strtoul(str, &end, 10);
+	if ((str[0] == '\0') || (end == NULL) || (*end != '\0'))
+		return -1;
+
+	return num;
+}
+
+/* Global functions */
+
+void __rte_experimental
+rte_eventmode_helper_print_options_list(void)
+{
+	fprintf(stderr, " --"
+		" [--transfer-mode MODE]"
+		);
+}
+
+void __rte_experimental
+rte_eventmode_helper_print_options_description(void)
+{
+	fprintf(stderr,
+		"  --transfer-mode MODE\n"
+		"               0: Packet transfer via polling (default)\n"
+		"               1: Packet transfer via eventdev\n"
+		"\n");
+}
+
+static int
+em_parse_transfer_mode(struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf *conf,
+		const char *optarg)
+{
+	int32_t parsed_dec;
+
+	parsed_dec = internal_parse_decimal(optarg);
+	if (parsed_dec != RTE_EVENTMODE_HELPER_PKT_TRANSFER_MODE_POLL &&
+	    parsed_dec != RTE_EVENTMODE_HELPER_PKT_TRANSFER_MODE_EVENT) {
+		RTE_EM_HLPR_LOG_ERR("Unsupported packet transfer mode");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	conf->mode = parsed_dec;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+em_initialize_helper_conf(struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf *conf)
+{
+	/* Set default conf */
+
+	/* Packet transfer mode: poll */
+	conf->mode = RTE_EVENTMODE_HELPER_PKT_TRANSFER_MODE_POLL;
+}
+
+struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf *
+rte_eventmode_helper_parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	int32_t opt, ret;
+	struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf *conf = NULL;
+
+	/* Allocate memory for conf */
+	conf = rte_zmalloc("eventmode-helper-conf",
+			sizeof(struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf),
+			RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
+	if (conf == NULL) {
+		RTE_EM_HLPR_LOG_ERR(
+			"Failed allocating memory for eventmode helper conf");
+			goto err;
+	}
+
+	/* Initialize conf with default values */
+	em_initialize_helper_conf(conf);
+
+	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, short_options,
+				lgopts, NULL)) != EOF) {
+		switch (opt) {
+
+		/* Packet transfer mode */
+		case CMD_LINE_OPT_TRANSFER_MODE_NUM:
+			ret = em_parse_transfer_mode(conf, optarg);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				RTE_EM_HLPR_LOG_ERR(
+					"Invalid packet transfer mode");
+				goto err;
+			}
+			break;
+		default:
+			goto err;
+		}
+	}
+	return conf;
+
+err:
+	if (conf != NULL)
+		rte_free(conf);
+
+	return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.h b/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.h
index d32cd00..2a0cb30 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eventdev/rte_eventmode_helper.h
@@ -8,6 +8,57 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#include <rte_compat.h>
+
+/* Packet transfer mode of the application */
+enum rte_eventmode_helper_pkt_transfer_mode {
+	RTE_EVENTMODE_HELPER_PKT_TRANSFER_MODE_POLL = 0,
+	RTE_EVENTMODE_HELPER_PKT_TRANSFER_MODE_EVENT,
+};
+
+struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf {
+	enum rte_eventmode_helper_pkt_transfer_mode mode;
+		/**< Packet transfer mode of the application */
+	void *mode_params;
+		/**< Mode specific parameters */
+};
+
+/* Common helper functions for command line parsing */
+
+/**
+ * Print event mode options list
+ *
+ */
+void __rte_experimental
+rte_eventmode_helper_print_options_list(void);
+
+/**
+ * Print event mode options description
+ *
+ */
+void __rte_experimental
+rte_eventmode_helper_print_options_description(void);
+
+/**
+ * Parse event mode arguments
+ *
+ * The application can call this function in it's argument parsing routine to
+ * parse the event mode specific args and create the conf accordingly. This
+ * function is to be executed on the MASTER lcore only.
+ *
+ * @param argc
+ *   A non-negative value. If it is greater than 0, the array members
+ *   for argv[0] through argv[argc] (non-inclusive) shall contain pointers
+ *   to strings.
+ * @param argv
+ *   An array of strings. The contents of the array, as well as the strings
+ *   which are pointed to by the array, may be modified by this function.
+ * @return
+ *   Configuration generated by parsing the event mode args.
+ */
+struct rte_eventmode_helper_conf *
+rte_eventmode_helper_parse_args(int argc, char **argv);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
