diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/rte_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/rte_thread.c
index 9b5cee890..b21eac0e2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/rte_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/rte_thread.c
@@ -29,6 +29,59 @@ rte_thread_equal(rte_thread_t t1, rte_thread_t t2)
 	return pthread_equal(t1, t2);
 }
 
+int
+rte_thread_attr_init(rte_thread_attr_t *attr)
+{
+	if (attr == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid thread attributes parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	CPU_ZERO(&attr->cpuset);
+	attr->priority = RTE_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_attr_set_affinity(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+			     rte_cpuset_t *cpuset)
+{
+	if (thread_attr == NULL || cpuset == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid thread attributes parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+	thread_attr->cpuset = *cpuset;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_attr_get_affinity(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+			     rte_cpuset_t *cpuset)
+{
+	if ((thread_attr == NULL) || (cpuset == NULL)) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Invalid thread attributes parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	*cpuset = thread_attr->cpuset;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_attr_set_priority(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+			     enum rte_thread_priority priority)
+{
+	if (thread_attr == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL,
+			"Unable to set priority attribute, invalid parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	thread_attr->priority = priority;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 rte_thread_tls_key_create(rte_tls_key *key, void (*destructor)(void *))
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h
index f7d398a22..463357a1d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread.h
@@ -28,6 +28,19 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <rte_thread_types.h>
 #endif
 
+enum rte_thread_priority {
+	RTE_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL            = EAL_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL,
+	RTE_THREAD_PRIORITY_REALTIME_CRITICAL = EAL_THREAD_PRIORITY_REALTIME_CIRTICAL,
+	/*
+	 * This enum can be extended to allow more priority levels.
+	 */
+};
+
+typedef struct {
+	enum rte_thread_priority priority;
+	rte_cpuset_t cpuset;
+} rte_thread_attr_t;
+
 /**
  * TLS key type, an opaque pointer.
  */
@@ -60,6 +73,75 @@ rte_thread_t rte_thread_self(void);
 __rte_experimental
 int rte_thread_equal(rte_thread_t t1, rte_thread_t t2);
 
+/**
+ * Initialize the attributes of a thread.
+ * These attributes can be passed to the rte_thread_create() function
+ * that will create a new thread and set its attributes according to attr;
+ *
+ * @param attr
+ *   Thread attributes to initialize.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, return 0.
+ *   On failure, return a positive errno-style error number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_attr_init(rte_thread_attr_t *attr);
+
+/**
+ * Set the CPU affinity value in the thread attributes pointed to
+ * by 'thread_attr'.
+ *
+ * @param thread_attr
+ *   Points to the thread attributes in which affinity will be updated.
+ *
+ * @param cpuset
+ *   Points to the value of the affinity to be set.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, return 0.
+ *   On failure, return a positive errno-style error number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_attr_set_affinity(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+				 rte_cpuset_t *cpuset);
+
+/**
+ * Get the value of CPU affinity that is set in the thread attributes pointed
+ * to by 'thread_attr'.
+ *
+ * @param thread_attr
+ *   Points to the thread attributes from which affinity will be retrieved.
+ *
+ * @param cpuset
+ *   Pointer to the memory that will store the affinity.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, return 0.
+ *   On failure, return a positive errno-style error number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_attr_get_affinity(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+				 rte_cpuset_t *cpuset);
+
+/**
+ * Set the thread priority value in the thread attributes pointed to
+ * by 'thread_attr'.
+ *
+ * @param thread_attr
+ *   Points to the thread attributes in which priority will be updated.
+ *
+ * @param priority
+ *   Points to the value of the priority to be set.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   On success, return 0.
+ *   On failure, return a positive errno-style error number.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_thread_attr_set_priority(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+				 enum rte_thread_priority priority);
+
 /**
  * Set core affinity of the current thread.
  * Support both EAL and non-EAL thread and update TLS.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread_types.h b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread_types.h
index 19fb85e38..a884daf17 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread_types.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_thread_types.h
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 
+#define EAL_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL               0
+#define EAL_THREAD_PRIORITY_REALTIME_CIRTICAL    99
+
 typedef pthread_t                       rte_thread_t;
 
 #endif /* _RTE_THREAD_TYPES_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/windows/include/rte_windows_thread_types.h b/lib/librte_eal/windows/include/rte_windows_thread_types.h
index ebd3d9e8f..8cb4b3856 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/windows/include/rte_windows_thread_types.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/windows/include/rte_windows_thread_types.h
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 
 #include <rte_windows.h>
 
+#define EAL_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL             THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL
+#define EAL_THREAD_PRIORITY_REALTIME_CIRTICAL  THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL
+
 typedef DWORD                       rte_thread_t;
 
 #endif /* _RTE_THREAD_TYPES_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c
index 43c09b2f3..d0294d179 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/windows/rte_thread.c
@@ -24,6 +24,62 @@ rte_thread_equal(rte_thread_t t1, rte_thread_t t2)
 	return t1 == t2 ? 1 : 0;
 }
 
+int
+rte_thread_attr_init(rte_thread_attr_t *attr)
+{
+	if (attr == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL,
+		"Unable to init thread attributes, invalid parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	attr->priority = RTE_THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL;
+	CPU_ZERO(&attr->cpuset);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_attr_set_affinity(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+			     rte_cpuset_t *cpuset)
+{
+	if (thread_attr == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL,
+		"Unable to set affinity attribute, invalid parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	thread_attr->cpuset = *cpuset;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_attr_get_affinity(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+			     rte_cpuset_t *cpuset)
+{
+	if (thread_attr == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL,
+		"Unable to set affinity attribute, invalid parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	*cpuset = thread_attr->cpuset;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_thread_attr_set_priority(rte_thread_attr_t *thread_attr,
+			     enum rte_thread_priority priority)
+{
+	if (thread_attr == NULL) {
+		RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL,
+		"Unable to set priority attribute, invalid parameter\n");
+		return EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	thread_attr->priority = priority;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 rte_thread_tls_key_create(rte_tls_key *key,
 		__rte_unused void (*destructor)(void *))
