diff --git a/doc/guides/nics/features.rst b/doc/guides/nics/features.rst
index 7a31cf7c8..f33e8e6d4 100644
--- a/doc/guides/nics/features.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/nics/features.rst
@@ -583,9 +583,12 @@ Packet type parsing
 -------------------
 
 Supports packet type parsing and returns a list of supported types.
+Allows application to set ptypes it is interested in.
 
-* **[implements] eth_dev_ops**: ``dev_supported_ptypes_get``.
-* **[related]    API**: ``rte_eth_dev_get_supported_ptypes()``.
+* **[implements] eth_dev_ops**: ``dev_supported_ptypes_get``,
+* **[related]    API**: ``rte_eth_dev_get_supported_ptypes()``,
+  ``rte_eth_dev_set_ptypes()``, ``dev_ptypes_set``.
+* **[provides]   mbuf**: ``mbuf.packet_type``.
 
 
 .. _nic_features_timesync:
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
index 669e69966..f10acc288 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_19_11.rst
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ New Features
   * Rx metadata is delivered to host via a dynamic field of ``rte_mbuf`` with
     PKT_RX_DYNF_METADATA.
 
+* **Added ethdev API to set supported packet types**
+
+  * Added new API ``rte_eth_dev_set_ptypes`` that allows an application to
+    inform PMD about about reduced range of packet types to handle.
+  * This scheme will allow PMDs to avoid lookup to internal ptype table on Rx
+    and thereby improve Rx performance if application wishes do so.
+
 * **Updated the enic driver.**
 
   * Added support for Geneve with options offload.
@@ -280,6 +287,7 @@ New Features
   See :doc:`../prog_guide/lto` for more information:
 
 
+
 Removed Items
 -------------
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 652c369e5..d5c4865ba 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -2879,6 +2879,92 @@ rte_eth_dev_get_supported_ptypes(uint16_t port_id, uint32_t ptype_mask,
 	return j;
 }
 
+int
+rte_eth_dev_set_ptypes(uint16_t port_id, uint32_t ptype_mask,
+				 uint32_t *set_ptypes, unsigned int num)
+{
+	const uint32_t valid_ptype_masks[] = {
+		RTE_PTYPE_L2_MASK,
+		RTE_PTYPE_L3_MASK,
+		RTE_PTYPE_L4_MASK,
+		RTE_PTYPE_TUNNEL_MASK,
+		RTE_PTYPE_INNER_L2_MASK,
+		RTE_PTYPE_INNER_L3_MASK,
+		RTE_PTYPE_INNER_L4_MASK,
+	};
+	const uint32_t *all_ptypes;
+	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
+	uint32_t unused_mask;
+	unsigned int i, j;
+	int ret;
+
+	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
+	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
+
+	if (num > 0 && set_ptypes == NULL)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (*dev->dev_ops->dev_supported_ptypes_get == NULL ||
+			*dev->dev_ops->dev_ptypes_set == NULL) {
+		ret = 0;
+		goto ptype_unknown;
+	}
+
+	if (ptype_mask == 0) {
+		ret = (*dev->dev_ops->dev_ptypes_set)(dev,
+				ptype_mask);
+		goto ptype_unknown;
+	}
+
+	unused_mask = ptype_mask;
+	for (i = 0; i < RTE_DIM(valid_ptype_masks); i++) {
+		uint32_t mask = ptype_mask & valid_ptype_masks[i];
+		if (mask && mask != valid_ptype_masks[i]) {
+			ret = -EINVAL;
+			goto ptype_unknown;
+		}
+		unused_mask &= ~valid_ptype_masks[i];
+	}
+
+	if (unused_mask) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto ptype_unknown;
+	}
+
+	all_ptypes = (*dev->dev_ops->dev_supported_ptypes_get)(dev);
+	if (all_ptypes == NULL) {
+		ret = 0;
+		goto ptype_unknown;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Accommodate as many set_ptypes as possible. If the supplied
+	 * set_ptypes array is insufficient fill it partially.
+	 */
+	for (i = 0, j = 0; set_ptypes != NULL &&
+				(all_ptypes[i] != RTE_PTYPE_UNKNOWN); ++i) {
+		if (ptype_mask & all_ptypes[i]) {
+			if (j < num - 1) {
+				set_ptypes[j] = all_ptypes[i];
+				j++;
+				continue;
+			}
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (set_ptypes != NULL && j < num)
+		set_ptypes[j] = RTE_PTYPE_UNKNOWN;
+
+	return (*dev->dev_ops->dev_ptypes_set)(dev, ptype_mask);
+
+ptype_unknown:
+	if (num > 0)
+		set_ptypes[0] = RTE_PTYPE_UNKNOWN;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int
 rte_eth_macaddr_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_ether_addr *mac_addr)
 {
@@ -2891,7 +2977,6 @@ rte_eth_macaddr_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_ether_addr *mac_addr)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-
 int
 rte_eth_dev_get_mtu(uint16_t port_id, uint16_t *mtu)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
index 44d77b332..a7872819d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -2604,6 +2604,42 @@ int rte_eth_dev_fw_version_get(uint16_t port_id,
  */
 int rte_eth_dev_get_supported_ptypes(uint16_t port_id, uint32_t ptype_mask,
 				     uint32_t *ptypes, int num);
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * Inform Ethernet device about reduced range of packet types to handle.
+ *
+ * Application can use this function to set only specific ptypes that it's
+ * interested. This information can be used by the PMD to optimize Rx path.
+ *
+ * The function accepts an array `set_ptypes` allocated by the caller to
+ * store the packet types set by the driver, the last element of the array
+ * is set to RTE_PTYPE_UNKNOWN. The size of the `set_ptype` array should be
+ * `rte_eth_dev_get_supported_ptypes() + 1` else it might only be filled
+ * partially.
+ *
+ * @param port_id
+ *   The port identifier of the Ethernet device.
+ * @param ptype_mask
+ *   The ptype family that application is interested in should be bitwise OR of
+ *   RTE_PTYPE_*_MASK or 0.
+ * @param set_ptypes
+ *   An array pointer to store set packet types, allocated by caller. The
+ *   function marks the end of array with RTE_PTYPE_UNKNOWN.
+ * @param num
+ *   Size of the array pointed by param ptypes.
+ *   Should be rte_eth_dev_get_supported_ptypes() + 1 to accommodate the
+ *   set ptypes.
+ * @return
+ *   - (0) if Success.
+ *   - (-ENODEV) if *port_id* invalid.
+ *   - (-EINVAL) if *ptype_mask* is invalid (or) set_ptypes is NULL and
+ *     num > 0.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_eth_dev_set_ptypes(uint16_t port_id, uint32_t ptype_mask,
+			   uint32_t *set_ptypes, unsigned int num);
 
 /**
  * Retrieve the MTU of an Ethernet device.
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h
index f215af7c9..9588fe7d8 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_core.h
@@ -234,6 +234,21 @@ typedef int (*eth_dev_infos_get_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 typedef const uint32_t *(*eth_dev_supported_ptypes_get_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
 /**< @internal Get supported ptypes of an Ethernet device. */
 
+/**
+ * @internal
+ * Inform Ethernet device about reduced range of packet types to handle.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   The Ethernet device identifier.
+ * @param ptype_mask
+ *   The ptype family that application is interested in should be bitwise OR of
+ *   RTE_PTYPE_*_MASK or 0.
+ * @return
+ *   - (0) if Success.
+ */
+typedef int (*eth_dev_ptypes_set_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+				     uint32_t ptype_mask);
+
 typedef int (*eth_queue_start_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				    uint16_t queue_id);
 /**< @internal Start rx and tx of a queue of an Ethernet device. */
@@ -630,6 +645,8 @@ struct eth_dev_ops {
 	eth_fw_version_get_t       fw_version_get; /**< Get firmware version. */
 	eth_dev_supported_ptypes_get_t dev_supported_ptypes_get;
 	/**< Get packet types supported and identified by device. */
+	eth_dev_ptypes_set_t dev_ptypes_set;
+	/**< Inform Ethernet device about reduced range of packet types to handle. */
 
 	vlan_filter_set_t          vlan_filter_set; /**< Filter VLAN Setup. */
 	vlan_tpid_set_t            vlan_tpid_set; /**< Outer/Inner VLAN TPID Setup. */
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
index ee289ef13..ccfbeae23 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
@@ -292,4 +292,5 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_flow_dynf_metadata_offs;
 	rte_flow_dynf_metadata_mask;
 	rte_flow_dynf_metadata_register;
+	rte_eth_dev_set_ptypes;
 };
