diff --git a/doc/guides/howto/debug_troubleshoot.rst b/doc/guides/howto/debug_troubleshoot.rst
index cef016b2fe..056f556a73 100644
--- a/doc/guides/howto/debug_troubleshoot.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/howto/debug_troubleshoot.rst
@@ -307,8 +307,9 @@ Custom worker function :numref:`dtg_distributor_worker`.
 
 #. Configuration issue isolation
 
-   * Identify core role using ``rte_eal_lcore_role`` to identify RTE, OFF and
-     SERVICE. Check performance functions are mapped to run on the cores.
+   * Identify core role using ``rte_eal_lcore_role`` to identify RTE, OFF,
+     SERVICE and EXTERNAL. Check performance functions are mapped to run on the
+     cores.
 
    * For high-performance execution logic ensure running it on correct NUMA
      and non-master core.
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_lcore.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_lcore.c
index 5404922a87..35d6c1295e 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_lcore.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_lcore.c
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#include <rte_errno.h>
-#include <rte_log.h>
-#include <rte_eal.h>
-#include <rte_lcore.h>
 #include <rte_common.h>
 #include <rte_debug.h>
+#include <rte_eal.h>
+#include <rte_errno.h>
+#include <rte_lcore.h>
+#include <rte_log.h>
+#include <rte_spinlock.h>
 
+#include "eal_internal_cfg.h"
 #include "eal_private.h"
 #include "eal_thread.h"
 
@@ -209,3 +211,37 @@ rte_socket_id_by_idx(unsigned int idx)
 	}
 	return config->numa_nodes[idx];
 }
+
+rte_spinlock_t external_lcore_lock = RTE_SPINLOCK_INITIALIZER;
+
+unsigned int
+eal_lcore_external_reserve(void)
+{
+	struct rte_config *cfg = rte_eal_get_configuration();
+	unsigned int lcore_id;
+
+	rte_spinlock_lock(&external_lcore_lock);
+	for (lcore_id = 0; lcore_id < RTE_MAX_LCORE; lcore_id++) {
+		if (rte_eal_lcore_role(lcore_id) != ROLE_OFF)
+			continue;
+		cfg->lcore_role[lcore_id] = ROLE_EXTERNAL;
+		cfg->lcore_count++;
+		break;
+	}
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(&external_lcore_lock);
+
+	return lcore_id;
+}
+
+void
+eal_lcore_external_release(unsigned int lcore_id)
+{
+	struct rte_config *cfg = rte_eal_get_configuration();
+
+	rte_spinlock_lock(&external_lcore_lock);
+	if (rte_eal_lcore_role(lcore_id) == ROLE_EXTERNAL) {
+		cfg->lcore_role[lcore_id] = ROLE_OFF;
+		cfg->lcore_count--;
+	}
+	rte_spinlock_unlock(&external_lcore_lock);
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_thread.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
index 8a973ca8ac..d57a6ec797 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(int, _thread_id) = -1;
 static RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(unsigned int, _socket_id) =
 	(unsigned int)SOCKET_ID_ANY;
 static RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(rte_cpuset_t, _cpuset);
+static RTE_DEFINE_PER_LCORE(bool, thread_registered);
 
 unsigned rte_socket_id(void)
 {
@@ -255,3 +256,47 @@ rte_ctrl_thread_create(pthread_t *thread, const char *name,
 	pthread_join(*thread, NULL);
 	return -ret;
 }
+
+void
+rte_thread_register(void)
+{
+	unsigned int lcore_id;
+	rte_cpuset_t cpuset;
+
+	/* EAL init flushes all lcores, we can't register before. */
+	assert(internal_config.init_complete == 1);
+
+	if (RTE_PER_LCORE(thread_registered))
+		return;
+
+	if (pthread_getaffinity_np(pthread_self(), sizeof(cpuset),
+			&cpuset) != 0)
+		CPU_ZERO(&cpuset);
+
+	lcore_id = eal_lcore_external_reserve();
+	if (lcore_id >= RTE_MAX_LCORE)
+		lcore_id = LCORE_ID_ANY;
+
+	rte_thread_init(lcore_id, &cpuset);
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Registered thread as lcore %u.\n", lcore_id);
+	RTE_PER_LCORE(thread_registered) = true;
+}
+
+void
+rte_thread_unregister(void)
+{
+	unsigned int lcore_id;
+
+	if (!RTE_PER_LCORE(thread_registered))
+		return;
+
+	lcore_id = RTE_PER_LCORE(_lcore_id);
+	if (lcore_id != LCORE_ID_ANY)
+		eal_lcore_external_release(lcore_id);
+
+	rte_thread_uninit();
+
+	RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Unregistered thread (was lcore %u).\n", lcore_id);
+	RTE_PER_LCORE(thread_registered) = false;
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
index 869ce183ad..8dd850f68a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_private.h
@@ -274,6 +274,23 @@ uint64_t get_tsc_freq(void);
  */
 uint64_t get_tsc_freq_arch(void);
 
+/**
+ * Ask for a free lcore to associate to a non-EAL thread.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   The id of a lcore with role ROLE_EXTERNAL or RTE_MAX_LCORE if none was
+ *   available.
+ */
+unsigned int eal_lcore_external_reserve(void);
+
+/**
+ * Release an external lcore.
+ *
+ * @param lcore_id
+ *   The lcore with role ROLE_EXTERNAL to release.
+ */
+void eal_lcore_external_release(unsigned int lcore_id);
+
 /**
  * Prepare physical memory mapping
  * i.e. hugepages on Linux and
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_eal.h b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_eal.h
index 2edf8c6556..0913d1947c 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_eal.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_eal.h
@@ -31,15 +31,6 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Maximum thread_name length. */
 #define RTE_MAX_THREAD_NAME_LEN 16
 
-/**
- * The lcore role (used in RTE or not).
- */
-enum rte_lcore_role_t {
-	ROLE_RTE,
-	ROLE_OFF,
-	ROLE_SERVICE,
-};
-
 /**
  * The type of process in a linux, multi-process setup
  */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_lcore.h b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_lcore.h
index 5c1d1926e9..d59c4edc67 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_lcore.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/include/rte_lcore.h
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ extern "C" {
 
 RTE_DECLARE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _lcore_id);  /**< Per thread "lcore id". */
 
+/**
+ * The lcore role (used in RTE or not).
+ */
+enum rte_lcore_role_t {
+	ROLE_RTE,
+	ROLE_OFF,
+	ROLE_SERVICE,
+	ROLE_EXTERNAL,
+};
+
 /**
  * Get a lcore's role.
  *
@@ -34,6 +44,20 @@ RTE_DECLARE_PER_LCORE(unsigned, _lcore_id);  /**< Per thread "lcore id". */
  */
 enum rte_lcore_role_t rte_eal_lcore_role(unsigned int lcore_id);
 
+/**
+ * Test if the core supplied has a specific role
+ *
+ * @param lcore_id
+ *   The identifier of the lcore, which MUST be between 0 and
+ *   RTE_MAX_LCORE-1.
+ * @param role
+ *   The role to be checked against.
+ * @return
+ *   Boolean value: positive if test is true; otherwise returns 0.
+ */
+int
+rte_lcore_has_role(unsigned int lcore_id, enum rte_lcore_role_t role);
+
 /**
  * Return the Application thread ID of the execution unit.
  *
@@ -256,6 +280,20 @@ int rte_thread_setname(pthread_t id, const char *name);
 __rte_experimental
 int rte_thread_getname(pthread_t id, char *name, size_t len);
 
+/**
+ * Register current non-EAL thread as a lcore.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+void
+rte_thread_register(void);
+
+/**
+ * Unregister current thread and release lcore if one was associated.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+void
+rte_thread_unregister(void);
+
 /**
  * Create a control thread.
  *
@@ -283,20 +321,6 @@ rte_ctrl_thread_create(pthread_t *thread, const char *name,
 		const pthread_attr_t *attr,
 		void *(*start_routine)(void *), void *arg);
 
-/**
- * Test if the core supplied has a specific role
- *
- * @param lcore_id
- *   The identifier of the lcore, which MUST be between 0 and
- *   RTE_MAX_LCORE-1.
- * @param role
- *   The role to be checked against.
- * @return
- *   Boolean value: positive if test is true; otherwise returns 0.
- */
-int
-rte_lcore_has_role(unsigned int lcore_id, enum rte_lcore_role_t role);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
index fdfc3f1a88..f5b68d2815 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -393,4 +393,8 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_trace_point_lookup;
 	rte_trace_regexp;
 	rte_trace_save;
+
+	# added in 20.08
+	rte_thread_register;
+	rte_thread_unregister;
 };
