diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 69f3c03..98c5a83 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -432,6 +432,7 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	int i, fctret, ret;
 	pthread_t thread_id;
 	static rte_atomic32_t run_once = RTE_ATOMIC32_INIT(0);
+	char cpuset[CPU_STR_LEN];
 
 	if (!rte_atomic32_test_and_set(&run_once))
 		return -1;
@@ -502,13 +503,17 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (rte_eal_pci_init() < 0)
 		rte_panic("Cannot init PCI\n");
 
-	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Master core %u is ready (tid=%p)\n",
-		rte_config.master_lcore, thread_id);
-
 	eal_check_mem_on_local_socket();
 
 	rte_eal_mcfg_complete();
 
+	eal_thread_init_master(rte_config.master_lcore);
+
+	eal_thread_dump_affinity(cpuset, CPU_STR_LEN);
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Master lcore %u is ready (tid=%p;cpuset=[%s])\n",
+		rte_config.master_lcore, thread_id, cpuset);
+
 	if (rte_eal_dev_init() < 0)
 		rte_panic("Cannot init pmd devices\n");
 
@@ -532,8 +537,6 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 			rte_panic("Cannot create thread\n");
 	}
 
-	eal_thread_init_master(rte_config.master_lcore);
-
 	/*
 	 * Launch a dummy function on all slave lcores, so that master lcore
 	 * knows they are all ready when this function returns.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c
index d0c077b..5b16302 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c
@@ -103,55 +103,27 @@ eal_thread_set_affinity(void)
 {
 	int s;
 	pthread_t thread;
-
-/*
- * According to the section VERSIONS of the CPU_ALLOC man page:
- *
- * The CPU_ZERO(), CPU_SET(), CPU_CLR(), and CPU_ISSET() macros were added
- * in glibc 2.3.3.
- *
- * CPU_COUNT() first appeared in glibc 2.6.
- *
- * CPU_AND(),     CPU_OR(),     CPU_XOR(),    CPU_EQUAL(),    CPU_ALLOC(),
- * CPU_ALLOC_SIZE(), CPU_FREE(), CPU_ZERO_S(),  CPU_SET_S(),  CPU_CLR_S(),
- * CPU_ISSET_S(),  CPU_AND_S(), CPU_OR_S(), CPU_XOR_S(), and CPU_EQUAL_S()
- * first appeared in glibc 2.7.
- */
-#if defined(CPU_ALLOC)
-	size_t size;
-	cpu_set_t *cpusetp;
-
-	cpusetp = CPU_ALLOC(RTE_MAX_LCORE);
-	if (cpusetp == NULL) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "CPU_ALLOC failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	size = CPU_ALLOC_SIZE(RTE_MAX_LCORE);
-	CPU_ZERO_S(size, cpusetp);
-	CPU_SET_S(rte_lcore_id(), size, cpusetp);
+	unsigned lcore_id = rte_lcore_id();
 
 	thread = pthread_self();
-	s = pthread_setaffinity_np(thread, size, cpusetp);
+	s = pthread_setaffinity_np(thread, sizeof(cpuset_t),
+				   &lcore_config[lcore_id].cpuset);
 	if (s != 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "pthread_setaffinity_np failed\n");
-		CPU_FREE(cpusetp);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	CPU_FREE(cpusetp);
-#else /* CPU_ALLOC */
-	cpuset_t cpuset;
-	CPU_ZERO( &cpuset );
-	CPU_SET( rte_lcore_id(), &cpuset );
+	/* acquire system unique id  */
+	rte_gettid();
+
+	/* store socket_id in TLS for quick access */
+	RTE_PER_LCORE(_socket_id) =
+		eal_cpuset_socket_id(&lcore_config[lcore_id].cpuset);
+
+	CPU_COPY(&lcore_config[lcore_id].cpuset, &RTE_PER_LCORE(_cpuset));
+
+	lcore_config[lcore_id].socket_id = RTE_PER_LCORE(_socket_id);
 
-	thread = pthread_self();
-	s = pthread_setaffinity_np(thread, sizeof( cpuset ), &cpuset);
-	if (s != 0) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "pthread_setaffinity_np failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-#endif
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -174,6 +146,7 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 	unsigned lcore_id;
 	pthread_t thread_id;
 	int m2s, s2m;
+	char cpuset[CPU_STR_LEN];
 
 	thread_id = pthread_self();
 
@@ -185,9 +158,6 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 	if (lcore_id == RTE_MAX_LCORE)
 		rte_panic("cannot retrieve lcore id\n");
 
-	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Core %u is ready (tid=%p)\n",
-		lcore_id, thread_id);
-
 	m2s = lcore_config[lcore_id].pipe_master2slave[0];
 	s2m = lcore_config[lcore_id].pipe_slave2master[1];
 
@@ -198,6 +168,11 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 	if (eal_thread_set_affinity() < 0)
 		rte_panic("cannot set affinity\n");
 
+	eal_thread_dump_affinity(cpuset, CPU_STR_LEN);
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "lcore %u is ready (tid=%p;cpuset=[%s])\n",
+		lcore_id, thread_id, cpuset);
+
 	/* read on our pipe to get commands */
 	while (1) {
 		void *fct_arg;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index f99e158..c95adec 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -702,6 +702,7 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	static rte_atomic32_t run_once = RTE_ATOMIC32_INIT(0);
 	struct shared_driver *solib = NULL;
 	const char *logid;
+	char cpuset[CPU_STR_LEN];
 
 	if (!rte_atomic32_test_and_set(&run_once))
 		return -1;
@@ -802,8 +803,10 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	eal_thread_init_master(rte_config.master_lcore);
 
-	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Master core %u is ready (tid=%x)\n",
-		rte_config.master_lcore, (int)thread_id);
+	eal_thread_dump_affinity(cpuset, CPU_STR_LEN);
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Master lcore %u is ready (tid=%x;cpuset=[%s])\n",
+		rte_config.master_lcore, (int)thread_id, cpuset);
 
 	if (rte_eal_dev_init() < 0)
 		rte_panic("Cannot init pmd devices\n");
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c
index ed20c93..6eb1525 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <rte_eal.h>
 #include <rte_per_lcore.h>
 #include <rte_lcore.h>
+#include <rte_memcpy.h>
 
 #include "eal_private.h"
 #include "eal_thread.h"
@@ -97,61 +98,34 @@ rte_eal_remote_launch(int (*f)(void *), void *arg, unsigned slave_id)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* set affinity for current thread */
+/* set affinity for current EAL thread */
 static int
 eal_thread_set_affinity(void)
 {
 	int s;
 	pthread_t thread;
-
-/*
- * According to the section VERSIONS of the CPU_ALLOC man page:
- *
- * The CPU_ZERO(), CPU_SET(), CPU_CLR(), and CPU_ISSET() macros were added
- * in glibc 2.3.3.
- *
- * CPU_COUNT() first appeared in glibc 2.6.
- *
- * CPU_AND(),     CPU_OR(),     CPU_XOR(),    CPU_EQUAL(),    CPU_ALLOC(),
- * CPU_ALLOC_SIZE(), CPU_FREE(), CPU_ZERO_S(),  CPU_SET_S(),  CPU_CLR_S(),
- * CPU_ISSET_S(),  CPU_AND_S(), CPU_OR_S(), CPU_XOR_S(), and CPU_EQUAL_S()
- * first appeared in glibc 2.7.
- */
-#if defined(CPU_ALLOC)
-	size_t size;
-	cpu_set_t *cpusetp;
-
-	cpusetp = CPU_ALLOC(RTE_MAX_LCORE);
-	if (cpusetp == NULL) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "CPU_ALLOC failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	size = CPU_ALLOC_SIZE(RTE_MAX_LCORE);
-	CPU_ZERO_S(size, cpusetp);
-	CPU_SET_S(rte_lcore_id(), size, cpusetp);
+	unsigned lcore_id = rte_lcore_id();
 
 	thread = pthread_self();
-	s = pthread_setaffinity_np(thread, size, cpusetp);
+	s = pthread_setaffinity_np(thread, sizeof(cpu_set_t),
+				   &lcore_config[lcore_id].cpuset);
 	if (s != 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "pthread_setaffinity_np failed\n");
-		CPU_FREE(cpusetp);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	CPU_FREE(cpusetp);
-#else /* CPU_ALLOC */
-	cpu_set_t cpuset;
-	CPU_ZERO( &cpuset );
-	CPU_SET( rte_lcore_id(), &cpuset );
+	/* acquire system unique id  */
+	rte_gettid();
+
+	/* store socket_id in TLS for quick access */
+	RTE_PER_LCORE(_socket_id) =
+		eal_cpuset_socket_id(&lcore_config[lcore_id].cpuset);
+
+	rte_memcpy(&RTE_PER_LCORE(_cpuset),
+		   &lcore_config[lcore_id].cpuset, sizeof(rte_cpuset_t));
+
+	lcore_config[lcore_id].socket_id = RTE_PER_LCORE(_socket_id);
 
-	thread = pthread_self();
-	s = pthread_setaffinity_np(thread, sizeof( cpuset ), &cpuset);
-	if (s != 0) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "pthread_setaffinity_np failed\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-#endif
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -174,6 +148,7 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 	unsigned lcore_id;
 	pthread_t thread_id;
 	int m2s, s2m;
+	char cpuset[CPU_STR_LEN];
 
 	thread_id = pthread_self();
 
@@ -185,9 +160,6 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 	if (lcore_id == RTE_MAX_LCORE)
 		rte_panic("cannot retrieve lcore id\n");
 
-	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Core %u is ready (tid=%x)\n",
-		lcore_id, (int)thread_id);
-
 	m2s = lcore_config[lcore_id].pipe_master2slave[0];
 	s2m = lcore_config[lcore_id].pipe_slave2master[1];
 
@@ -198,6 +170,11 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 	if (eal_thread_set_affinity() < 0)
 		rte_panic("cannot set affinity\n");
 
+	eal_thread_dump_affinity(cpuset, CPU_STR_LEN);
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "lcore %u is ready (tid=%x;cpuset=[%s])\n",
+		lcore_id, (int)thread_id, cpuset);
+
 	/* read on our pipe to get commands */
 	while (1) {
 		void *fct_arg;
