diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal_interrupts.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal_interrupts.h
index b370c0d26458..ac1c830f37a1 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal_interrupts.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_eal_interrupts.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ struct rte_intr_handle {
 
 /**
  * It waits for events on the epoll instance.
+ * Retries if signal received.
  *
  * @param epfd
  *   Epoll instance fd on which the caller wait for events.
@@ -105,6 +106,28 @@ int
 rte_epoll_wait(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
 	       int maxevents, int timeout);
 
+/**
+ * It waits for events on the epoll instance.
+ * Does not retry if signal received.
+ *
+ * @param epfd
+ *   Epoll instance fd on which the caller wait for events.
+ * @param events
+ *   Memory area contains the events that will be available for the caller.
+ * @param maxevents
+ *   Up to maxevents are returned, must greater than zero.
+ * @param timeout
+ *   Specifying a timeout of -1 causes a block indefinitely.
+ *   Specifying a timeout equal to zero cause to return immediately.
+ * @return
+ *   - On success, returns the number of available event.
+ *   - On failure, a negative value.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int
+rte_epoll_wait_interruptible(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
+	       int maxevents, int timeout);
+
 /**
  * It performs control operations on epoll instance referred by the epfd.
  * It requests that the operation op be performed for the target fd.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal/eal_interrupts.c b/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal/eal_interrupts.c
index f6831b7902c5..d3f8fd78a1ee 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal/eal_interrupts.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/freebsd/eal/eal_interrupts.c
@@ -649,6 +649,18 @@ rte_epoll_wait(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
 	return -ENOTSUP;
 }
 
+int
+rte_epoll_wait_interruptible(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
+			     int maxevents, int timeout)
+{
+	RTE_SET_USED(epfd);
+	RTE_SET_USED(events);
+	RTE_SET_USED(maxevents);
+	RTE_SET_USED(timeout);
+
+	return -ENOTSUP;
+}
+
 int
 rte_epoll_ctl(int epfd, int op, int fd, struct rte_epoll_event *event)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/eal_interrupts.c b/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/eal_interrupts.c
index 1955324d3045..b6ae12a282e7 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/eal_interrupts.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/eal_interrupts.c
@@ -1239,9 +1239,9 @@ rte_intr_tls_epfd(void)
 	return RTE_PER_LCORE(_epfd);
 }
 
-int
-rte_epoll_wait(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
-	       int maxevents, int timeout)
+static int
+eal_epoll_wait(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
+	       int maxevents, int timeout, bool interruptible)
 {
 	struct epoll_event evs[maxevents];
 	int rc;
@@ -1255,29 +1255,40 @@ rte_epoll_wait(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
 	if (epfd == RTE_EPOLL_PER_THREAD)
 		epfd = rte_intr_tls_epfd();
 
-	while (1) {
-		rc = epoll_wait(epfd, evs, maxevents, timeout);
-		if (likely(rc > 0)) {
-			/* epoll_wait has at least one fd ready to read */
-			rc = eal_epoll_process_event(evs, rc, events);
-			break;
-		} else if (rc < 0) {
-			if (errno == EINTR)
-				continue;
+retry:
+	rc = epoll_wait(epfd, evs, maxevents, timeout);
+	if (likely(rc > 0)) {
+		/* epoll_wait has at least one fd ready to read */
+		rc = eal_epoll_process_event(evs, rc, events);
+	} else if (rc < 0) {
+		if (errno == EINTR) {
+			if (!interruptible)
+				goto retry;
+		} else {
 			/* epoll_wait fail */
-			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "epoll_wait returns with fail %s\n",
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL,
+				"epoll_wait returns with fail %s\n",
 				strerror(errno));
-			rc = -1;
-			break;
-		} else {
-			/* rc == 0, epoll_wait timed out */
-			break;
 		}
 	}
 
 	return rc;
 }
 
+int
+rte_epoll_wait(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
+	       int maxevents, int timeout)
+{
+	return eal_epoll_wait(epfd, events, maxevents, timeout, false);
+}
+
+int
+rte_epoll_wait_interruptible(int epfd, struct rte_epoll_event *events,
+			     int maxevents, int timeout)
+{
+	return eal_epoll_wait(epfd, events, maxevents, timeout, true);
+}
+
 static inline void
 eal_epoll_data_safe_free(struct rte_epoll_event *ev)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 234487787994..e1aeb99ba9c8 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_dev_hotplug_handle_enable;
 	rte_dev_iterator_init;
 	rte_dev_iterator_next;
+	rte_epoll_wait_interruptible;
 	rte_extmem_attach;
 	rte_extmem_detach;
 	rte_extmem_register;
