diff --git a/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c b/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c
index c65ec6f06a5c..ce5a3e5e6987 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/noisy_vnf.c
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ pkt_burst_noisy_vnf(struct fwd_stream *fs)
 	struct noisy_config *ncf = noisy_cfg[fs->rx_port];
 	struct rte_mbuf *pkts_burst[MAX_PKT_BURST];
 	struct rte_mbuf *tmp_pkts[MAX_PKT_BURST];
+	uint64_t start_tsc = 0;
 	uint16_t nb_deqd = 0;
 	uint16_t nb_rx = 0;
 	uint16_t nb_tx = 0;
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@ pkt_burst_noisy_vnf(struct fwd_stream *fs)
 	bool needs_flush = false;
 	uint64_t now;
 
+	get_start_cycles(&start_tsc);
+
 	nb_rx = rte_eth_rx_burst(fs->rx_port, fs->rx_queue,
 			pkts_burst, nb_pkt_per_burst);
 	inc_rx_burst_stats(fs, nb_rx);
@@ -169,7 +172,7 @@ pkt_burst_noisy_vnf(struct fwd_stream *fs)
 		inc_tx_burst_stats(fs, nb_tx);
 		fs->tx_packets += nb_tx;
 		fs->fwd_dropped += drop_pkts(pkts_burst, nb_rx, nb_tx);
-		return;
+		goto end;
 	}
 
 	fifo_free = rte_ring_free_count(ncf->f);
@@ -219,6 +222,9 @@ pkt_burst_noisy_vnf(struct fwd_stream *fs)
 		fs->fwd_dropped += drop_pkts(tmp_pkts, nb_deqd, sent);
 		ncf->prev_time = rte_get_timer_cycles();
 	}
+end:
+	if (nb_rx > 0 || nb_tx > 0)
+		get_end_cycles(fs, start_tsc);
 }
 
 #define NOISY_STRSIZE 256
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index e366f81a0f46..eeb96aefa80b 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -2053,7 +2053,7 @@ fwd_stats_display(void)
 				fs->rx_bad_outer_ip_csum;
 
 		if (record_core_cycles)
-			fwd_cycles += fs->core_cycles;
+			fwd_cycles += fs->busy_cycles;
 	}
 	for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_ports; i++) {
 		pt_id = fwd_ports_ids[i];
@@ -2145,7 +2145,7 @@ fwd_stats_display(void)
 			else
 				total_pkts = total_recv;
 
-			printf("\n  CPU cycles/packet=%.2F (total cycles="
+			printf("\n  CPU cycles/packet=%.2F (busy cycles="
 			       "%"PRIu64" / total %s packets=%"PRIu64") at %"PRIu64
 			       " MHz Clock\n",
 			       (double) fwd_cycles / total_pkts,
@@ -2184,8 +2184,10 @@ fwd_stats_reset(void)
 
 		memset(&fs->rx_burst_stats, 0, sizeof(fs->rx_burst_stats));
 		memset(&fs->tx_burst_stats, 0, sizeof(fs->tx_burst_stats));
-		fs->core_cycles = 0;
+		fs->busy_cycles = 0;
 	}
+	for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_lcores; i++)
+		fwd_lcores[i]->total_cycles = 0;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2248,6 +2250,7 @@ static void
 run_pkt_fwd_on_lcore(struct fwd_lcore *fc, packet_fwd_t pkt_fwd)
 {
 	struct fwd_stream **fsm;
+	uint64_t start_tsc;
 	streamid_t nb_fs;
 	streamid_t sm_id;
 #ifdef RTE_LIB_BITRATESTATS
@@ -2262,6 +2265,7 @@ run_pkt_fwd_on_lcore(struct fwd_lcore *fc, packet_fwd_t pkt_fwd)
 #endif
 	fsm = &fwd_streams[fc->stream_idx];
 	nb_fs = fc->stream_nb;
+	start_tsc = rte_rdtsc();
 	do {
 		for (sm_id = 0; sm_id < nb_fs; sm_id++)
 			if (!fsm[sm_id]->disabled)
@@ -2284,10 +2288,36 @@ run_pkt_fwd_on_lcore(struct fwd_lcore *fc, packet_fwd_t pkt_fwd)
 				latencystats_lcore_id == rte_lcore_id())
 			rte_latencystats_update();
 #endif
-
+		if (record_core_cycles)
+			fc->total_cycles = rte_rdtsc() - start_tsc;
 	} while (! fc->stopped);
 }
 
+static int
+lcore_usage_callback(unsigned int lcore_id, struct rte_lcore_usage *usage)
+{
+	struct fwd_stream **fsm;
+	struct fwd_lcore *fc;
+	streamid_t nb_fs;
+	streamid_t sm_id;
+
+	fc = lcore_to_fwd_lcore(lcore_id);
+	if (fc == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	fsm = &fwd_streams[fc->stream_idx];
+	nb_fs = fc->stream_nb;
+	usage->busy_cycles = 0;
+	usage->total_cycles = fc->total_cycles;
+
+	for (sm_id = 0; sm_id < nb_fs; sm_id++) {
+		if (!fsm[sm_id]->disabled)
+			usage->busy_cycles += fsm[sm_id]->busy_cycles;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 start_pkt_forward_on_core(void *fwd_arg)
 {
@@ -4527,6 +4557,10 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
 		rte_stats_bitrate_reg(bitrate_data);
 	}
 #endif
+
+	if (record_core_cycles)
+		rte_lcore_register_usage_cb(lcore_usage_callback);
+
 #ifdef RTE_LIB_CMDLINE
 	if (init_cmdline() != 0)
 		rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index 7d24d25970d2..6ec2f6879b47 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ struct fwd_stream {
 #ifdef RTE_LIB_GRO
 	unsigned int gro_times;	/**< GRO operation times */
 #endif
-	uint64_t     core_cycles; /**< used for RX and TX processing */
+	uint64_t busy_cycles; /**< used with --record-core-cycles */
 	struct pkt_burst_stats rx_burst_stats;
 	struct pkt_burst_stats tx_burst_stats;
 	struct fwd_lcore *lcore; /**< Lcore being scheduled. */
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ struct fwd_lcore {
 	streamid_t stream_nb;    /**< number of streams in "fwd_streams" */
 	lcoreid_t  cpuid_idx;    /**< index of logical core in CPU id table */
 	volatile char stopped;   /**< stop forwarding when set */
+	uint64_t total_cycles;   /**< used with --record-core-cycles */
 };
 
 /*
@@ -785,16 +786,17 @@ is_proc_primary(void)
 	return rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY;
 }
 
-static inline unsigned int
-lcore_num(void)
+static inline struct fwd_lcore *
+lcore_to_fwd_lcore(uint16_t lcore_id)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < RTE_MAX_LCORE; ++i)
-		if (fwd_lcores_cpuids[i] == rte_lcore_id())
-			return i;
+	for (i = 0; i < cur_fwd_config.nb_fwd_lcores; ++i) {
+		if (fwd_lcores_cpuids[i] == lcore_id)
+			return fwd_lcores[i];
+	}
 
-	rte_panic("lcore_id of current thread not found in fwd_lcores_cpuids\n");
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 void
@@ -803,7 +805,12 @@ parse_fwd_portlist(const char *port);
 static inline struct fwd_lcore *
 current_fwd_lcore(void)
 {
-	return fwd_lcores[lcore_num()];
+	struct fwd_lcore *fc = lcore_to_fwd_lcore(rte_lcore_id());
+
+	if (fc == NULL)
+		rte_panic("lcore_id of current thread not found in fwd_lcores_cpuids\n");
+
+	return fc;
 }
 
 /* Mbuf Pools */
@@ -839,7 +846,7 @@ static inline void
 get_end_cycles(struct fwd_stream *fs, uint64_t start_tsc)
 {
 	if (record_core_cycles)
-		fs->core_cycles += rte_rdtsc() - start_tsc;
+		fs->busy_cycles += rte_rdtsc() - start_tsc;
 }
 
 static inline void
