diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 05f0c1f90..7d8824707 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ struct internal_config internal_config;
 /* used by rte_rdtsc() */
 int rte_cycles_vmware_tsc_map;
 
+char *__rte_unused
+rte_eal_get_mp_name(void)
+{
+	if (internal_config.mp_name[0] == 0x0)
+		return NULL;
+	else
+		return internal_config.mp_name;
+}
+
 /* Return a pointer to the configuration structure */
 struct rte_config *
 rte_eal_get_configuration(void)
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 2e48a7366..a1e9ad95f 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -193,3 +193,10 @@ DPDK_17.05 {
 	vfio_get_group_no;
 
 } DPDK_17.02;
+
+DPDK_17.08 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_eal_get_mp_name;
+
+} DPDK_17.05;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
index f470195f3..1c147a696 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ eal_long_options[] = {
 	{OPT_VFIO_INTR,         1, NULL, OPT_VFIO_INTR_NUM        },
 	{OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP,    0, NULL, OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP_NUM   },
 	{OPT_XEN_DOM0,          0, NULL, OPT_XEN_DOM0_NUM         },
+	{OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL,       1, NULL, OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL_NUM      },
 	{0,                     0, NULL, 0                        }
 };
 
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ eal_reset_internal_config(struct internal_config *internal_cfg)
 #endif
 	internal_cfg->vmware_tsc_map = 0;
 	internal_cfg->create_uio_dev = 0;
+	memset(&internal_cfg->mp_name[0], 0x0, MAX_POOL_NAME_LEN);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1083,5 +1085,6 @@ eal_common_usage(void)
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_PCI"            Disable PCI\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_HPET"           Disable HPET\n"
 	       "  --"OPT_NO_SHCONF"         No shared config (mmap'd files)\n"
+	       "  --"OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL"       Use pool name as mempool for port\n"
 	       "\n", RTE_MAX_LCORE);
 }
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
index 7b7e8c887..b8fedd2e6 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_internal_cfg.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include <rte_pci_dev_feature_defs.h>
 
 #define MAX_HUGEPAGE_SIZES 3  /**< support up to 3 page sizes */
+#define MAX_POOL_NAME_LEN 256 /**< Max len of a pool name */
 
 /*
  * internal configuration structure for the number, size and
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ struct internal_config {
 	const char *hugepage_dir;         /**< specific hugetlbfs directory to use */
 
 	unsigned num_hugepage_sizes;      /**< how many sizes on this system */
+	char mp_name[MAX_POOL_NAME_LEN];  /**< mempool handle name */
 	struct hugepage_info hugepage_info[MAX_HUGEPAGE_SIZES];
 };
 extern struct internal_config internal_config; /**< Global EAL configuration. */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
index a881c62e2..4e52ee255 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_options.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ enum {
 	OPT_VMWARE_TSC_MAP_NUM,
 #define OPT_XEN_DOM0          "xen-dom0"
 	OPT_XEN_DOM0_NUM,
+#define OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL       "pkt-mempool"
+	OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL_NUM,
 	OPT_LONG_MAX_NUM
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
index abf020bf9..c2f696a3d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal.h
@@ -283,6 +283,15 @@ static inline int rte_gettid(void)
 	return RTE_PER_LCORE(_thread_id);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get mempool name from cmdline.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, returns the pool name.
+ *   On Failure, returs NULL.
+ */
+char *rte_eal_get_mp_name(void);
+
 #define RTE_INIT(func) \
 static void __attribute__((constructor, used)) func(void)
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 7c78f2dc2..b2a6c8068 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -122,6 +122,15 @@ struct internal_config internal_config;
 /* used by rte_rdtsc() */
 int rte_cycles_vmware_tsc_map;
 
+char *
+rte_eal_get_mp_name(void)
+{
+	if (internal_config.mp_name[0] == 0x0)
+		return NULL;
+	else
+		return internal_config.mp_name;
+}
+
 /* Return a pointer to the configuration structure */
 struct rte_config *
 rte_eal_get_configuration(void)
@@ -478,6 +487,23 @@ eal_parse_vfio_intr(const char *mode)
 	return -1;
 }
 
+static int
+eal_parse_mp_name(const char *name)
+{
+	int len;
+
+	if (name == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	len = strlen(name);
+	if (len >= MAX_POOL_NAME_LEN)
+		return -1;
+
+	strcpy(internal_config.mp_name, name);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /* Parse the arguments for --log-level only */
 static void
 eal_log_level_parse(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -611,6 +637,16 @@ eal_parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 			internal_config.create_uio_dev = 1;
 			break;
 
+		case OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL_NUM:
+			if (eal_parse_mp_name(optarg) < 0) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "invalid parameters for --"
+						OPT_PKT_MEMPOOL "\n");
+				eal_usage(prgname);
+				ret = -1;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			break;
+
 		default:
 			if (opt < OPT_LONG_MIN_NUM && isprint(opt)) {
 				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Option %c is not supported "
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 670bab3a5..e57330bec 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -198,3 +198,10 @@ DPDK_17.05 {
 	vfio_get_group_no;
 
 } DPDK_17.02;
+
+DPDK_17.08 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_eal_get_mp_name;
+
+} DPDK_17.05
diff --git a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
index 0e3e36a58..38f4b3de0 100644
--- a/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
+++ b/lib/librte_mbuf/rte_mbuf.c
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ rte_pktmbuf_pool_create(const char *name, unsigned n,
 {
 	struct rte_mempool *mp;
 	struct rte_pktmbuf_pool_private mbp_priv;
+	const char *mp_name = NULL;
 	unsigned elt_size;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -177,8 +178,11 @@ rte_pktmbuf_pool_create(const char *name, unsigned n,
 	if (mp == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	ret = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(mp,
-		RTE_MBUF_DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_OPS, NULL);
+	mp_name = rte_eal_get_mp_name();
+	if (mp_name == NULL)
+		mp_name = RTE_MBUF_DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_OPS;
+
+	ret = rte_mempool_set_ops_byname(mp, mp_name, NULL);
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, MBUF, "error setting mempool handler\n");
 		rte_mempool_free(mp);
