diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 7735194a3..e7d676657 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -756,6 +756,9 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		snprintf(thread_name, sizeof(thread_name),
 				"lcore-slave-%d", i);
 		rte_thread_setname(lcore_config[i].thread_id, thread_name);
+
+		pthread_mutex_init(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[i], NULL);
+		pthread_cond_init(&rte_eal_thread_cond[i], NULL);
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c
index 309b58726..60db32d57 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal_thread.c
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _lcore_id) = LCORE_ID_ANY;
 RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _socket_id) = (unsigned)SOCKET_ID_ANY;
 RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(rte_cpuset_t, _cpuset);
 
+pthread_cond_t rte_eal_thread_cond[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
+pthread_mutex_t rte_eal_thread_mutex[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
+
 /*
  * Send a message to a slave lcore identified by slave_id to call a
  * function f with argument arg. Once the execution is done, the
@@ -154,6 +157,10 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 		lcore_config[lcore_id].ret = ret;
 		rte_wmb();
 		lcore_config[lcore_id].state = FINISHED;
+
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[lcore_id]);
+		pthread_cond_signal(&rte_eal_thread_cond[lcore_id]);
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[lcore_id]);
 	}
 
 	/* never reached */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_launch.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_launch.c
index fe0ba3f0d..ebfa65847 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_launch.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_launch.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/queue.h>
 
 #include <rte_launch.h>
@@ -35,6 +36,27 @@ rte_eal_wait_lcore(unsigned slave_id)
 	return lcore_config[slave_id].ret;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Wait until a lcore finished its job by pthread condition.
+ */
+int
+rte_eal_wait_lcore_sleep(unsigned slave_id)
+{
+	if (lcore_config[slave_id].state == WAIT)
+		return 0;
+
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[slave_id]);
+	while (lcore_config[slave_id].state != WAIT &&
+	       lcore_config[slave_id].state != FINISHED)
+		pthread_cond_wait(&rte_eal_thread_cond[slave_id],
+				&rte_eal_thread_mutex[slave_id]);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[slave_id]);
+
+	/* we are in finished state, go to wait state */
+	lcore_config[slave_id].state = WAIT;
+	return lcore_config[slave_id].ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * Check that every SLAVE lcores are in WAIT state, then call
  * rte_eal_remote_launch() for all of them. If call_master is true
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_launch.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_launch.h
index 06a671752..0306f7c3a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_launch.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_launch.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
  * Launch tasks on other lcores
  */
 
+#include <rte_compat.h>
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -129,6 +131,30 @@ enum rte_lcore_state_t rte_eal_get_lcore_state(unsigned slave_id);
  */
 int rte_eal_wait_lcore(unsigned slave_id);
 
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice
+ *
+ * Wait until an lcore finishes its job.
+ *
+ * To be executed on the MASTER lcore only.
+ *
+ * Same as rte_eal_wait_lcore() but waits using pthread conditions
+ * instead of polling in busy loop.
+ *
+ * @param slave_id
+ *   The identifier of the lcore.
+ * @return
+ *   - 0: If the lcore identified by the slave_id is in a WAIT state.
+ *   - The value that was returned by the previous remote launch
+ *     function call if the lcore identified by the slave_id was in a
+ *     FINISHED or RUNNING state. In this case, it changes the state
+ *     of the lcore to WAIT.
+ */
+__rte_experimental int
+rte_eal_wait_lcore_sleep(unsigned slave_id);
+
 /**
  * Wait until all lcores finish their jobs.
  *
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_lcore.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_lcore.h
index 6e09d9181..9ce8bf643 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_lcore.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_lcore.h
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ struct lcore_config {
  */
 extern struct lcore_config lcore_config[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
 
+extern pthread_cond_t rte_eal_thread_cond[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
+extern pthread_mutex_t rte_eal_thread_mutex[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
+
 RTE_DECLARE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _lcore_id);  /**< Per thread "lcore id". */
 RTE_DECLARE_PER_LCORE(rte_cpuset_t, _cpuset); /**< Per thread "cpuset". */
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 950f33f2c..9d69a0642 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -1019,6 +1019,9 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		lcore_config[i].state = WAIT;
 
+		pthread_mutex_init(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[i], NULL);
+		pthread_cond_init(&rte_eal_thread_cond[i], NULL);
+
 		/* create a thread for each lcore */
 		ret = pthread_create(&lcore_config[i].thread_id, NULL,
 				     eal_thread_loop, NULL);
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c
index b496fc711..5381c7aa2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal_thread.c
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _lcore_id) = LCORE_ID_ANY;
 RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _socket_id) = (unsigned)SOCKET_ID_ANY;
 RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(rte_cpuset_t, _cpuset);
 
+pthread_cond_t rte_eal_thread_cond[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
+pthread_mutex_t rte_eal_thread_mutex[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
+
 /*
  * Send a message to a slave lcore identified by slave_id to call a
  * function f with argument arg. Once the execution is done, the
@@ -161,6 +164,10 @@ eal_thread_loop(__attribute__((unused)) void *arg)
 			lcore_config[lcore_id].state = WAIT;
 		else
 			lcore_config[lcore_id].state = FINISHED;
+
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[lcore_id]);
+		pthread_cond_signal(&rte_eal_thread_cond[lcore_id]);
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&rte_eal_thread_mutex[lcore_id]);
 	}
 
 	/* never reached */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
index e968edc2e..6c636a65d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_devargs_remove;
 	rte_devargs_type_count;
 	rte_eal_cleanup;
+	rte_eal_wait_lcore_sleep;
 	rte_fbarray_attach;
 	rte_fbarray_destroy;
 	rte_fbarray_detach;
