diff --git a/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c b/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c
index f041a01aa..148bd6366 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/cmdline.c
@@ -280,6 +280,9 @@ static void cmd_help_long_parsed(void *parsed_result,
 			"set portlist (x[,y]*)\n"
 			"    Set the list of forwarding ports.\n\n"
 
+			"set port setup on (iterator|event)\n"
+			"    Select how attached port is retrieved for setup.\n\n"
+
 			"set tx loopback (port_id) (on|off)\n"
 			"    Enable or disable tx loopback.\n\n"
 
@@ -1249,6 +1252,59 @@ cmdline_parse_inst_t cmd_operate_specific_port = {
 	},
 };
 
+/* *** enable port setup (after attach) via iterator or event *** */
+struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result {
+	cmdline_fixed_string_t set;
+	cmdline_fixed_string_t port;
+	cmdline_fixed_string_t setup;
+	cmdline_fixed_string_t on;
+	cmdline_fixed_string_t mode;
+};
+
+static void cmd_set_port_setup_on_parsed(void *parsed_result,
+				__attribute__((unused)) struct cmdline *cl,
+				__attribute__((unused)) void *data)
+{
+	struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result *res = parsed_result;
+
+	if (strcmp(res->mode, "event") == 0)
+		setup_on_probe_event = true;
+	else if (strcmp(res->mode, "iterator") == 0)
+		setup_on_probe_event = false;
+	else
+		printf("Unknown mode\n");
+}
+
+cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_set_port_setup_on_set =
+	TOKEN_STRING_INITIALIZER(struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result,
+			set, "set");
+cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_set_port_setup_on_port =
+	TOKEN_STRING_INITIALIZER(struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result,
+			port, "port");
+cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_set_port_setup_on_setup =
+	TOKEN_STRING_INITIALIZER(struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result,
+			setup, "setup");
+cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_set_port_setup_on_on =
+	TOKEN_STRING_INITIALIZER(struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result,
+			on, "on");
+cmdline_parse_token_string_t cmd_set_port_setup_on_mode =
+	TOKEN_STRING_INITIALIZER(struct cmd_set_port_setup_on_result,
+			mode, "iterator#event");
+
+cmdline_parse_inst_t cmd_set_port_setup_on = {
+	.f = cmd_set_port_setup_on_parsed,
+	.data = NULL,
+	.help_str = "set port setup on iterator|event",
+	.tokens = {
+		(void *)&cmd_set_port_setup_on_set,
+		(void *)&cmd_set_port_setup_on_port,
+		(void *)&cmd_set_port_setup_on_setup,
+		(void *)&cmd_set_port_setup_on_on,
+		(void *)&cmd_set_port_setup_on_mode,
+		NULL,
+	},
+};
+
 /* *** attach a specified port *** */
 struct cmd_operate_attach_port_result {
 	cmdline_fixed_string_t port;
@@ -17796,6 +17852,7 @@ cmdline_parse_ctx_t main_ctx[] = {
 	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_operate_specific_port,
 	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_operate_attach_port,
 	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_operate_detach_port,
+	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_set_port_setup_on,
 	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_config_speed_all,
 	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_config_speed_specific,
 	(cmdline_parse_inst_t *)&cmd_config_loopback_all,
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index 6eb416e7a..abecb58bf 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -345,6 +345,9 @@ uint8_t rmv_interrupt = 1; /* enabled by default */
 
 uint8_t hot_plug = 0; /**< hotplug disabled by default. */
 
+/* After attach, port setup is called on event or by iterator */
+bool setup_on_probe_event = true;
+
 /* Pretty printing of ethdev events */
 static const char * const eth_event_desc[] = {
 	[RTE_ETH_EVENT_UNKNOWN] = "unknown",
@@ -2280,7 +2283,7 @@ reset_port(portid_t pid)
 void
 attach_port(char *identifier)
 {
-	portid_t pi = 0;
+	portid_t pi;
 	struct rte_dev_iterator iterator;
 
 	printf("Attaching a new port...\n");
@@ -2295,7 +2298,19 @@ attach_port(char *identifier)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/* first attach mode: event */
+	if (setup_on_probe_event) {
+		/* new ports are detected on RTE_ETH_EVENT_NEW event */
+		for (pi = 0; pi < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; pi++)
+			if (ports[pi].port_status == RTE_PORT_HANDLING &&
+					ports[pi].need_setup != 0)
+				setup_attached_port(pi);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* second attach mode: iterator */
 	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_MATCHING_DEV(pi, identifier, &iterator) {
+		/* setup ports matching the devargs used for probing */
 		if (port_is_forwarding(pi))
 			continue; /* port was already attached before */
 		setup_attached_port(pi);
@@ -2317,6 +2332,7 @@ setup_attached_port(portid_t pi)
 	ports_ids[nb_ports++] = pi;
 	fwd_ports_ids[nb_fwd_ports++] = pi;
 	nb_cfg_ports = nb_fwd_ports;
+	ports[pi].need_setup = 0;
 	ports[pi].port_status = RTE_PORT_STOPPED;
 
 	printf("Port %d is attached. Now total ports is %d\n", pi, nb_ports);
@@ -2535,11 +2551,14 @@ eth_event_callback(portid_t port_id, enum rte_eth_event_type type, void *param,
 		fflush(stdout);
 	}
 
-	if (port_id_is_invalid(port_id, DISABLED_WARN))
-		return 0;
-
 	switch (type) {
+	case RTE_ETH_EVENT_NEW:
+		ports[port_id].need_setup = 1;
+		ports[port_id].port_status = RTE_PORT_HANDLING;
+		break;
 	case RTE_ETH_EVENT_INTR_RMV:
+		if (port_id_is_invalid(port_id, DISABLED_WARN))
+			break;
 		if (rte_eal_alarm_set(100000,
 				rmv_event_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)port_id))
 			fprintf(stderr, "Could not set up deferred device removal\n");
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index 646e44940..28f13f630 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #ifndef _TESTPMD_H_
 #define _TESTPMD_H_
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
 #include <rte_pci.h>
 #include <rte_bus_pci.h>
 #include <rte_gro.h>
@@ -179,6 +181,7 @@ struct rte_port {
 	uint8_t                 tx_queue_stats_mapping_enabled;
 	uint8_t                 rx_queue_stats_mapping_enabled;
 	volatile uint16_t        port_status;    /**< port started or not */
+	uint8_t                 need_setup;     /**< port just attached */
 	uint8_t                 need_reconfig;  /**< need reconfiguring port or not */
 	uint8_t                 need_reconfig_queues; /**< need reconfiguring queues or not */
 	uint8_t                 rss_flag;   /**< enable rss or not */
@@ -326,6 +329,7 @@ extern uint8_t lsc_interrupt; /**< disabled by "--no-lsc-interrupt" parameter */
 extern uint8_t rmv_interrupt; /**< disabled by "--no-rmv-interrupt" parameter */
 extern uint32_t event_print_mask;
 /**< set by "--print-event xxxx" and "--mask-event xxxx parameters */
+extern bool setup_on_probe_event; /**< disabled by port setup-on iterator */
 extern uint8_t hot_plug; /**< enable by "--hot-plug" parameter */
 extern int do_mlockall; /**< set by "--mlockall" or "--no-mlockall" parameter */
 
diff --git a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/testpmd_funcs.rst b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/testpmd_funcs.rst
index d712bb657..8447f6c89 100644
--- a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/testpmd_funcs.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/testpmd_funcs.rst
@@ -603,6 +603,15 @@ For example, to change the port forwarding:
    RX P=1/Q=0 (socket 0) -> TX P=3/Q=0 (socket 0) peer=02:00:00:00:00:03
    RX P=3/Q=0 (socket 0) -> TX P=1/Q=0 (socket 0) peer=02:00:00:00:00:02
 
+set port setup on
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Select how to retrieve new ports created after "port attach" command.
+
+For each new port, a setup is done.
+It will find the probed ports via RTE_ETH_FOREACH_MATCHING_DEV loop
+in iterator mode, or via RTE_ETH_EVENT_NEW in event mode.
+
 set tx loopback
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
