diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h
index 43bf568d59..eca62b29ee 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * TLS key type, an opaque pointer.
+ */
+typedef struct eal_tls_key *rte_tls_key;
+
 /**
  * Set core affinity of the current thread.
  * Support both EAL and non-EAL thread and update TLS.
@@ -40,6 +45,66 @@ int rte_thread_set_affinity(rte_cpuset_t *cpusetp);
  */
 void rte_thread_get_affinity(rte_cpuset_t *cpusetp);
 
+/**
+ * Create a TLS data key visible to all threads in the process.
+ * the created key is later used to get/set a value.
+ * and optional destructor can be set to be called when a thread exits.
+ *
+ * @param key
+ *   Pointer to store the allocated rte_tls_key
+ * @param destructor
+ *   The function to be called when the thread exits.
+ *   Ignored on Windows OS.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, zero.
+ *   On failure, a negative number.
+ */
+
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_tls_key_create(rte_tls_key *key, void (*destructor)(void *));
+
+/**
+ * Delete a TLS data key visible to all threads in the process.
+ *
+ * @param key
+ *   The rte_tls_key allocated by rte_thread_tls_key_create().
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, zero.
+ *   On failure, a negative number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_tls_key_delete(rte_tls_key key);
+
+/**
+ * Set value bound to the TLS key on behalf of the calling thread.
+ *
+ * @param key
+ *   The rte_tls_key key allocated by rte_thread_tls_key_create.
+ * @param value
+ *   The value bound to the rte_tls_key key for the calling thread.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, zero.
+ *   On failure, a negative number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_tls_value_set(rte_tls_key key, const void *value);
+
+/**
+ * Get value bound to the TLS key on behalf of the calling thread.
+ *
+ * @param key
+ *   The rte_tls_key key allocated by rte_thread_tls_key_create.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, value data pointer (can also be NULL).
+ *   On failure, NULL and an error number is set in rte_errno.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+void *rte_thread_tls_value_get(rte_tls_key key);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_exports.def b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_exports.def
index 6a6be1cfa6..a11b078ac6 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_exports.def
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_exports.def
@@ -306,6 +306,11 @@ EXPORTS
 	rte_vect_get_max_simd_bitwidth
 	rte_vect_set_max_simd_bitwidth
 
+	rte_thread_tls_key_create
+	rte_thread_tls_key_delete
+	rte_thread_tls_value_set
+	rte_thread_tls_value_get
+
 	rte_mem_lock
 	rte_mem_map
 	rte_mem_page_size
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/unix/meson.build b/lib/librte_eal/unix/meson.build
index d3af6b6fe2..71221b84a4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/unix/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/unix/meson.build
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ sources += files(
 	'eal_file.c',
 	'eal_unix_memory.c',
 	'eal_unix_timer.c',
+	'rte_thread.c',
 )
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/unix/rte_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/unix/rte_thread.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae58e1bf31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/unix/rte_thread.c
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright 2021 Mellanox Technologies, Ltd
+ */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <rte_common.h>
+#include <rte_errno.h>
+#include <rte_log.h>
+#include <rte_thread.h>
+
+struct eal_tls_key {
+	pthread_key_t thread_index;
+};
+
+int
+rte_thread_tls_key_create(rte_tls_key *key, void (*destructor)(void *))
+{
+	int err;
+
+	*key = malloc(sizeof(**key));
+	if ((*key) == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Cannot allocate TLS key.");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	err = pthread_key_create(&((*key)->thread_index), destructor);
+	if (err) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "pthread_key_create failed: %s\n",
+			 strerror(err));
+		free(*key);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_tls_key_delete(rte_tls_key key)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	if (!key) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid TLS key.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	err = pthread_key_delete(key->thread_index);
+	if (err) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "pthread_key_delete failed: %s\n",
+			 strerror(err));
+		free(key);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	free(key);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_tls_value_set(rte_tls_key key, const void *value)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	if (!key) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid TLS key.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	err = pthread_setspecific(key->thread_index, value);
+	if (err) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "pthread_setspecific failed: %s\n",
+			strerror(err));
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void *
+rte_thread_tls_value_get(rte_tls_key key)
+{
+	if (!key) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid TLS key.\n");
+		rte_errno = EINVAL;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return pthread_getspecific(key->thread_index);
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/version.map b/lib/librte_eal/version.map
index 354c068f31..272db0504a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/version.map
@@ -403,6 +403,12 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_service_lcore_may_be_active;
 	rte_vect_get_max_simd_bitwidth;
 	rte_vect_set_max_simd_bitwidth;
+
+	# added in 21.02
+	rte_thread_tls_key_create;
+	rte_thread_tls_key_delete;
+	rte_thread_tls_value_set;
+	rte_thread_tls_value_get;
 };
 
 INTERNAL {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/windows/meson.build b/lib/librte_eal/windows/meson.build
index 3b2faf29eb..42ff5c2d59 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/windows/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/windows/meson.build
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ sources += files(
 	'eal_timer.c',
 	'fnmatch.c',
 	'getopt.c',
+	'rte_thread.c',
 )
 
 dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_EAL_NUMA_AWARE_HUGEPAGES', true)
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5cb3a91483
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright 2021 Mellanox Technologies, Ltd
+ */
+
+#include <rte_common.h>
+#include <rte_errno.h>
+#include <rte_thread.h>
+#include <rte_windows.h>
+
+struct eal_tls_key {
+	DWORD thread_index;
+};
+
+int
+rte_thread_tls_key_create(rte_tls_key *key,
+		__rte_unused void (*destructor)(void *))
+{
+	*key = malloc(sizeof(**key));
+	if ((*key) == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Cannot allocate TLS key.");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	(*key)->thread_index = TlsAlloc();
+	if ((*key)->thread_index == TLS_OUT_OF_INDEXES) {
+		RTE_LOG_WIN32_ERR("TlsAlloc()");
+		free(*key);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_tls_key_delete(rte_tls_key key)
+{
+	if (!key) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid TLS key.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if (!TlsFree(key->thread_index)) {
+		RTE_LOG_WIN32_ERR("TlsFree()");
+		free(key);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	free(key);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_tls_value_set(rte_tls_key key, const void *value)
+{
+	char *p;
+
+	if (!key) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid TLS key.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	/* discard const qualifier */
+	p = (char *) (uintptr_t) value;
+	if (!TlsSetValue(key->thread_index, p)) {
+		RTE_LOG_WIN32_ERR("TlsSetValue()");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void *
+rte_thread_tls_value_get(rte_tls_key key)
+{
+	void *output;
+
+	if (!key) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid TLS key.\n");
+		rte_errno = EINVAL;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	output = TlsGetValue(key->thread_index);
+	if (GetLastError() != ERROR_SUCCESS) {
+		RTE_LOG_WIN32_ERR("TlsGetValue()");
+		rte_errno = ENOEXEC;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return output;
+}
