diff --git a/etc/spdk/nvmf.conf.in b/etc/spdk/nvmf.conf.in
index 470f2515c..ab013e3aa 100644
--- a/etc/spdk/nvmf.conf.in
+++ b/etc/spdk/nvmf.conf.in
@@ -39,8 +39,14 @@
   # Set the maximum I/O size. Must be a multiple of 4096.
   #MaxIOSize 131072
 
+  # Set the global acceptor lcore ID, lcores are numbered starting at 0.
+  #AcceptorCore 0
+
 # Define an NVMf Subsystem.
 # - NQN is required and must be unique.
+# - Core may be set or not. If set, the specified subsystem will run on
+#   it, otherwise each subsystem will use a round-robin method to allocate
+#   core from available cores,  lcores are numbered starting at 0.
 # - Mode may be either "Direct" or "Virtual". Direct means that physical
 #   devices attached to the target will be presented to hosts as if they
 #   were directly attached to the host. No software emulation or command
@@ -59,6 +65,7 @@
 #   any PCI device.
 [Subsystem1]
   NQN nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1
+  Core 0
   Mode Direct
   Listen RDMA 15.15.15.2:4420
   Host nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:init
@@ -67,6 +74,7 @@
 # Multiple subsystems are allowed.
 [Subsystem2]
   NQN nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode2
+  Core 0
   Mode Direct
   Listen RDMA 192.168.2.21:4420
   Host nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:init
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/conf.c b/lib/nvmf/conf.c
index a06ae3589..2cabcdfaf 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/conf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/conf.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 	int max_queues_per_sess;
 	int in_capsule_data_size;
 	int max_io_size;
+	int acceptor_lcore;
 	int rc;
 
 	sp = spdk_conf_find_section(NULL, "Nvmf");
@@ -142,7 +143,13 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_nvmf_tgt(void)
 	max_io_size = nvmf_max(max_io_size, SPDK_NVMF_CONFIG_MAX_IO_SIZE_MIN);
 	max_io_size = nvmf_min(max_io_size, SPDK_NVMF_CONFIG_MAX_IO_SIZE_MAX);
 
-	rc = nvmf_tgt_init(max_queue_depth, max_queues_per_sess, in_capsule_data_size, max_io_size);
+	acceptor_lcore = spdk_conf_section_get_intval(sp, "AcceptorCore");
+	if (acceptor_lcore < 0) {
+		acceptor_lcore = rte_lcore_id();
+	}
+
+	rc = nvmf_tgt_init(max_queue_depth, max_queues_per_sess, in_capsule_data_size, max_io_size,
+			   acceptor_lcore);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("nvmf_tgt_init() failed\n");
 		return rc;
@@ -360,7 +367,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem(struct spdk_conf_section *sp)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_subsystem *subsystem;
 	int i, ret;
 	uint64_t mask;
-	uint32_t lcore;
+	int lcore = 0;
 
 	nqn = spdk_conf_section_get_val(sp, "NQN");
 	if (nqn == NULL) {
@@ -372,12 +379,15 @@ spdk_nvmf_parse_subsystem(struct spdk_conf_section *sp)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	/* Determine which core to assign to the subsystem using round robin */
+	/* Determine which core to assign to the subsystem */
 	mask = spdk_app_get_core_mask();
-	lcore = 0;
-	for (i = 0; i < sp->num; i++) {
-		lcore = spdk_nvmf_allocate_lcore(mask, lcore);
-		lcore++;
+	lcore = spdk_conf_section_get_intval(sp, "Core");
+	if (lcore < 0) {
+		lcore = 0;
+		for (i = 0; i < sp->num; i++) {
+			lcore = spdk_nvmf_allocate_lcore(mask, lcore);
+			lcore++;
+		}
 	}
 	lcore = spdk_nvmf_allocate_lcore(mask, lcore);
 
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
index bb379f312..b40c4c690 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf.c
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ spdk_nvmf_check_pools(void)
 
 int
 nvmf_tgt_init(uint16_t max_queue_depth, uint16_t max_queues_per_sess,
-	      uint32_t in_capsule_data_size, uint32_t max_io_size)
+	      uint32_t in_capsule_data_size, uint32_t max_io_size,
+	      uint32_t acceptor_lcore)
 {
 	int rc;
 
@@ -125,11 +126,13 @@ nvmf_tgt_init(uint16_t max_queue_depth, uint16_t max_queues_per_sess,
 	g_nvmf_tgt.max_queue_depth = max_queue_depth;
 	g_nvmf_tgt.in_capsule_data_size = in_capsule_data_size;
 	g_nvmf_tgt.max_io_size = max_io_size;
+	g_nvmf_tgt.acceptor_lcore = acceptor_lcore;
 
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "Max Queues Per Session: %d\n", max_queues_per_sess);
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "Max Queue Depth: %d\n", max_queue_depth);
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "Max In Capsule Data: %d bytes\n", in_capsule_data_size);
 	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "Max I/O Size: %d bytes\n", max_io_size);
+	SPDK_TRACELOG(SPDK_TRACE_NVMF, "NVMf Acceptor lcore: %d \n", acceptor_lcore);
 
 	/* init nvmf specific config options */
 	if (!g_nvmf_tgt.sin_port) {
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
index 8a4c95aef..b9d11c193 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
+++ b/lib/nvmf/nvmf_internal.h
@@ -69,11 +69,14 @@ struct spdk_nvmf_globals {
 	uint32_t in_capsule_data_size;
 	uint32_t max_io_size;
 
+	uint32_t acceptor_lcore;
+
 	uint16_t	   sin_port;
 };
 
 int nvmf_tgt_init(uint16_t max_queue_depth, uint16_t max_conn_per_sess,
-		  uint32_t in_capsule_data_size, uint32_t max_io_size);
+		  uint32_t in_capsule_data_size, uint32_t max_io_size,
+		  uint32_t acceptor_lcore);
 
 static inline uint32_t
 nvmf_u32log2(uint32_t x)
diff --git a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
index b78b8f437..ad6ed0f79 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/rdma.c
@@ -1018,8 +1018,8 @@ spdk_nvmf_rdma_acceptor_start(void)
 	sin_port = ntohs(rdma_get_src_port(g_rdma.acceptor_listen_id));
 	SPDK_NOTICELOG("*** NVMf Target Listening on port %d ***\n", sin_port);
 
-	spdk_poller_register(&g_rdma.acceptor_poller, nvmf_rdma_accept, NULL, rte_lcore_id(), NULL,
-			     ACCEPT_TIMEOUT_US);
+	spdk_poller_register(&g_rdma.acceptor_poller, nvmf_rdma_accept, NULL, g_nvmf_tgt.acceptor_lcore,
+			     NULL, ACCEPT_TIMEOUT_US);
 	return rc;
 
 listen_error: