diff --git a/buildtools/update_version_map_abi.py b/buildtools/update_version_map_abi.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6dfc856ed3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildtools/update_version_map_abi.py
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright(c) 2019 Intel Corporation
+
+"""
+A Python program to update the ABI version and function names in a DPDK
+lib_*_version.map file. Called from the buildtools/update_abi.sh utility.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import print_function
+import argparse
+import sys
+import re
+
+
+def __parse_map_file(f_in):
+    # match function name, followed by semicolon, followed by EOL, optionally
+    # with whitespace inbetween each item
+    func_line_regex = re.compile(r"\s*"
+                                 r"(?P<func>[a-zA-Z_0-9]+)"
+                                 r"\s*"
+                                 r";"
+                                 r"\s*"
+                                 r"$")
+    # match section name, followed by opening bracked, followed by EOL,
+    # optionally with whitespace inbetween each item
+    section_begin_regex = re.compile(r"\s*"
+                                     r"(?P<version>[a-zA-Z0-9_\.]+)"
+                                     r"\s*"
+                                     r"{"
+                                     r"\s*"
+                                     r"$")
+    # match closing bracket, optionally followed by section name (for when we
+    # inherit from another ABI version), followed by semicolon, followed by
+    # EOL, optionally with whitespace inbetween each item
+    section_end_regex = re.compile(r"\s*"
+                                   r"}"
+                                   r"\s*"
+                                   r"(?P<parent>[a-zA-Z0-9_\.]+)?"
+                                   r"\s*"
+                                   r";"
+                                   r"\s*"
+                                   r"$")
+
+    # for stable ABI, we don't care about which version introduced which
+    # function, we just flatten the list. there are dupes in certain files, so
+    # use a set instead of a list
+    stable_lines = set()
+    # copy experimental section as is
+    experimental_lines = []
+    is_experimental = False
+
+    # gather all functions
+    for line in f_in:
+        # clean up the line
+        line = line.strip('\n').strip()
+
+        # is this an end of section?
+        match = section_end_regex.match(line)
+        if match:
+            # whatever section this was, it's not active any more
+            is_experimental = False
+            continue
+
+        # if we're in the middle of experimental section, we need to copy
+        # the section verbatim, so just add the line
+        if is_experimental:
+            experimental_lines += [line]
+            continue
+
+        # skip empty lines
+        if not line:
+            continue
+
+        # is this a beginning of a new section?
+        match = section_begin_regex.match(line)
+        if match:
+            cur_section = match.group("version")
+            # is it experimental?
+            is_experimental = cur_section == "EXPERIMENTAL"
+            continue
+
+        # is this a function?
+        match = func_line_regex.match(line)
+        if match:
+            stable_lines.add(match.group("func"))
+
+    return stable_lines, experimental_lines
+
+
+def __generate_stable_abi(f_out, abi_version, lines):
+    # print ABI version header
+    print("DPDK_{} {{".format(abi_version), file=f_out)
+
+    # print global section if it exists
+    if lines:
+        print("\tglobal:", file=f_out)
+        # blank line
+        print(file=f_out)
+
+        # print all stable lines, alphabetically sorted
+        for line in sorted(lines):
+            print("\t{};".format(line), file=f_out)
+
+        # another blank line
+        print(file=f_out)
+
+    # print local section
+    print("\tlocal: *;", file=f_out)
+
+    # end stable version
+    print("};", file=f_out)
+
+
+def __generate_experimental_abi(f_out, lines, need_newline):
+    if need_newline:
+        # another blank line
+        print(file=f_out)
+
+    # start experimental section
+    print("EXPERIMENTAL {", file=f_out)
+
+    # print all experimental lines as they were
+    for line in lines:
+        # don't print empty whitespace
+        if not line:
+            print("", file=f_out)
+        else:
+            print("\t{}".format(line), file=f_out)
+
+    # end section
+    print("};", file=f_out)
+
+
+def __main():
+    arg_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description='Merge versions in linker version script.')
+
+    arg_parser.add_argument("map_file", type=str,
+                            help='path to linker version script file '
+                                 '(pattern: *version.map)')
+    arg_parser.add_argument("abi_version", type=str,
+                            help='target ABI version (pattern: MAJOR.MINOR)')
+
+    parsed = arg_parser.parse_args()
+
+    if not parsed.map_file.endswith('version.map'):
+        print("Invalid input file: {}".format(parsed.map_file),
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        arg_parser.print_help()
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    if not re.match(r"\d{1,2}\.\d{1,2}", parsed.abi_version):
+        print("Invalid ABI version: {}".format(parsed.abi_version),
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        arg_parser.print_help()
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    with open(parsed.map_file) as f_in:
+        stable_lines, experimental_lines = __parse_map_file(f_in)
+
+    with open(parsed.map_file, 'w') as f_out:
+        if stable_lines or not experimental_lines:
+            __generate_stable_abi(f_out, parsed.abi_version, stable_lines)
+        if experimental_lines:
+            __generate_experimental_abi(f_out, experimental_lines,
+                                        bool(stable_lines))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    __main()
