diff --git a/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.c b/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.c
index 832fea829..63e34bbb0 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <rte_common.h>
 #include <rte_string_fns.h>
 
 #include "rte_cfgfile.h"
@@ -58,6 +59,25 @@ struct rte_cfgfile {
  * for new entries do we add in */
 #define CFG_ALLOC_ENTRY_BATCH 16
 
+/**
+ * Default cfgfile load parameters.
+ */
+static const struct rte_cfgfile_parameters default_cfgfile_params = {
+	.comment_character = CFG_DEFAULT_COMMENT_CHARACTER,
+};
+
+/**
+ * Defines the list of acceptable comment characters supported by this
+ * library.
+ */
+static const char valid_comment_chars[] = {
+	'!',
+	'#',
+	'%',
+	';',
+	'@'
+};
+
 static unsigned
 _strip(char *str, unsigned len)
 {
@@ -85,9 +105,45 @@ _strip(char *str, unsigned len)
 	return newlen;
 }
 
+static int
+rte_cfgfile_check_params(const struct rte_cfgfile_parameters *params)
+{
+	unsigned int valid_comment;
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (!params) {
+		printf("Error - missing cfgfile parameters\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	valid_comment = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i < RTE_DIM(valid_comment_chars); i++) {
+		if (params->comment_character == valid_comment_chars[i]) {
+			valid_comment = 1;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (valid_comment == 0)	{
+		printf("Error - invalid comment characters %c\n",
+		       params->comment_character);
+		return -ENOTSUP;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct rte_cfgfile *
 rte_cfgfile_load(const char *filename, int flags)
 {
+	return rte_cfgfile_load_with_params(filename, flags,
+					    &default_cfgfile_params);
+}
+
+struct rte_cfgfile *
+rte_cfgfile_load_with_params(const char *filename, int flags,
+			     const struct rte_cfgfile_parameters *params)
+{
 	int allocated_sections = CFG_ALLOC_SECTION_BATCH;
 	int allocated_entries = 0;
 	int curr_section = -1;
@@ -96,6 +152,9 @@ rte_cfgfile_load(const char *filename, int flags)
 	int lineno = 0;
 	struct rte_cfgfile *cfg = NULL;
 
+	if (rte_cfgfile_check_params(params))
+		return NULL;
+
 	FILE *f = fopen(filename, "r");
 	if (f == NULL)
 		return NULL;
@@ -132,7 +191,7 @@ rte_cfgfile_load(const char *filename, int flags)
 					"Check if line too long\n", lineno);
 			goto error1;
 		}
-		pos = memchr(buffer, ';', sizeof(buffer));
+		pos = memchr(buffer, params->comment_character, sizeof(buffer));
 		if (pos != NULL) {
 			*pos = '\0';
 			len = pos -  buffer;
diff --git a/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.h b/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.h
index 0e805c268..a7cd3944e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.h
+++ b/lib/librte_cfgfile/rte_cfgfile.h
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ struct rte_cfgfile_entry {
 	char value[CFG_VALUE_LEN]; /**< Value */
 };
 
+/** Configuration file operation optional arguments */
+struct rte_cfgfile_parameters {
+	char comment_character;
+	/**< Config file comment character; one of '!', '#', '%', ';', '@' */
+};
+
 /**@{ cfgfile load operation flags */
 /**
  * Indicates that the file supports key value entries before the first defined
@@ -74,6 +80,9 @@ struct rte_cfgfile_entry {
 #define CFG_FLAG_GLOBAL_SECTION (1 << 0)
 /**@} */
 
+/** Defines the default comment character used for parsing config files. */
+#define CFG_DEFAULT_COMMENT_CHARACTER ';'
+
 /**
 * Open config file
 *
@@ -87,6 +96,26 @@ struct rte_cfgfile_entry {
 struct rte_cfgfile *rte_cfgfile_load(const char *filename, int flags);
 
 /**
+ * Open config file with specified optional parameters.  Use @see
+ * rte_cfgfile_init_parameters to setup the default parameters.
+ *
+ * @param filename
+ *   Config file name
+ * @param flags
+ *   Config file flags
+ * @param params
+ *   Additional configuration attributes.  Must be configured with default
+ *   values prior to invoking this API.
+ * @return
+ *   Handle to configuration file on success, NULL otherwise
+ * @param
+ *
+ */
+struct rte_cfgfile *rte_cfgfile_load_with_params(const char *filename,
+	int flags, const struct rte_cfgfile_parameters *params);
+
+
+/**
 * Get number of sections in config file
 *
 * @param cfg
diff --git a/test/test/test_cfgfile.c b/test/test/test_cfgfile.c
index ad293cc89..0478de59e 100644
--- a/test/test/test_cfgfile.c
+++ b/test/test/test_cfgfile.c
@@ -130,6 +130,30 @@ test_cfgfile_sample1(void)
 }
 
 static int
+test_cfgfile_sample2(void)
+{
+	struct rte_cfgfile_parameters params;
+	struct rte_cfgfile *cfgfile;
+	int ret;
+
+	/* override comment character */
+	memset(&params, 0, sizeof(params));
+	params.comment_character = '#';
+
+	cfgfile = rte_cfgfile_load_with_params(CFG_FILES_ETC "/sample2.ini", 0,
+					       &params);
+	TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(cfgfile, "Failed to parse sample2.ini");
+
+	ret = _test_cfgfile_sample(cfgfile);
+	TEST_ASSERT_SUCCESS(ret, "Failed to validate sample file: %d", ret);
+
+	ret = rte_cfgfile_close(cfgfile);
+	TEST_ASSERT_SUCCESS(ret, "Failed to close cfgfile");
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
 test_cfgfile_invalid_section_header(void)
 {
 	struct rte_cfgfile *cfgfile;
@@ -141,6 +165,23 @@ test_cfgfile_invalid_section_header(void)
 }
 
 static int
+test_cfgfile_invalid_comment(void)
+{
+	struct rte_cfgfile_parameters params;
+	struct rte_cfgfile *cfgfile;
+
+	/* override comment character with an invalid one */
+	memset(&params, 0, sizeof(params));
+	params.comment_character = '$';
+
+	cfgfile = rte_cfgfile_load_with_params(CFG_FILES_ETC "/sample2.ini", 0,
+					       &params);
+	TEST_ASSERT_NULL(cfgfile, "Expected failured did not occur");
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
 test_cfgfile_invalid_key_value_pair(void)
 {
 	struct rte_cfgfile *cfgfile;
@@ -219,9 +260,15 @@ test_cfgfile(void)
 	if (test_cfgfile_sample1())
 		return -1;
 
+	if (test_cfgfile_sample2())
+		return -1;
+
 	if (test_cfgfile_invalid_section_header())
 		return -1;
 
+	if (test_cfgfile_invalid_comment())
+		return -1;
+
 	if (test_cfgfile_invalid_key_value_pair())
 		return -1;
 
diff --git a/test/test/test_cfgfiles/etc/sample2.ini b/test/test/test_cfgfiles/etc/sample2.ini
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21075e976
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test/test_cfgfiles/etc/sample2.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# this is a global comment
+
+[section1]
+# this is section 1
+key1=value1
+
+[section2]
+# this is section 2
+#key1=value1
+key2=value2
+key3=value3 # this is key3
+ignore-missing-separator
