diff --git a/src/vlib/main.c b/src/vlib/main.c
index c3ca8b1..2e100b2 100644
--- a/src/vlib/main.c
+++ b/src/vlib/main.c
@@ -1702,6 +1702,26 @@
 {
 }
 
+static_always_inline u64
+dispatch_pending_interrupts (vlib_main_t * vm, vlib_node_main_t * nm,
+			     u64 cpu_time_now)
+{
+  vlib_node_runtime_t *n;
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < _vec_len (nm->pending_local_interrupts); i++)
+    {
+      vlib_node_interrupt_t *in;
+      in = vec_elt_at_index (nm->pending_local_interrupts, i);
+      n = vec_elt_at_index (nm->nodes_by_type[VLIB_NODE_TYPE_INPUT],
+			    in->node_runtime_index);
+      n->interrupt_data = in->data;
+      cpu_time_now = dispatch_node (vm, n, VLIB_NODE_TYPE_INPUT,
+				    VLIB_NODE_STATE_INTERRUPT, /* frame */ 0,
+				    cpu_time_now);
+    }
+  vec_reset_length (nm->pending_local_interrupts);
+  return cpu_time_now;
+}
 
 static_always_inline void
 vlib_main_or_worker_loop (vlib_main_t * vm, int is_main)
@@ -1712,7 +1732,6 @@
   u64 cpu_time_now;
   f64 now;
   vlib_frame_queue_main_t *fqm;
-  u32 *last_node_runtime_indices = 0;
   u32 frame_queue_check_counter = 0;
 
   /* Initialize pending node vector. */
@@ -1732,10 +1751,9 @@
     cpu_time_now = clib_cpu_time_now ();
 
   /* Pre-allocate interupt runtime indices and lock. */
-  vec_alloc (nm->pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices, 32);
-  vec_alloc (last_node_runtime_indices, 32);
-  if (!is_main)
-    clib_spinlock_init (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
+  vec_alloc (nm->pending_local_interrupts, 32);
+  vec_alloc (nm->pending_remote_interrupts, 32);
+  clib_spinlock_init (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
 
   /* Pre-allocate expired nodes. */
   if (!nm->polling_threshold_vector_length)
@@ -1821,40 +1839,27 @@
       if (PREDICT_TRUE (is_main && vm->queue_signal_pending == 0))
 	vm->queue_signal_callback (vm);
 
-      /* Next handle interrupts. */
-      {
-	/* unlocked read, for performance */
-	uword l = _vec_len (nm->pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices);
-	uword i;
-	if (PREDICT_FALSE (l > 0))
-	  {
-	    u32 *tmp;
-	    if (!is_main)
-	      {
-		clib_spinlock_lock (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
-		/* Re-read w/ lock held, in case another thread added an item */
-		l = _vec_len (nm->pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices);
-	      }
+      /* handle local interruots */
+      if (_vec_len (nm->pending_local_interrupts))
+	cpu_time_now = dispatch_pending_interrupts (vm, nm, cpu_time_now);
 
-	    tmp = nm->pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices;
-	    nm->pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices =
-	      last_node_runtime_indices;
-	    last_node_runtime_indices = tmp;
-	    _vec_len (last_node_runtime_indices) = 0;
-	    if (!is_main)
-	      clib_spinlock_unlock (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
-	    for (i = 0; i < l; i++)
-	      {
-		n = vec_elt_at_index (nm->nodes_by_type[VLIB_NODE_TYPE_INPUT],
-				      last_node_runtime_indices[i]);
-		cpu_time_now =
-		  dispatch_node (vm, n, VLIB_NODE_TYPE_INPUT,
-				 VLIB_NODE_STATE_INTERRUPT,
-				 /* frame */ 0,
-				 cpu_time_now);
-	      }
-	  }
-      }
+      /* handle remote interruots */
+      if (_vec_len (nm->pending_remote_interrupts))
+	{
+	  vlib_node_interrupt_t *in;
+
+	  /* at this point it is known that
+	   * vec_len (nm->pending_local_interrupts) is zero so we quickly swap
+	   * local and remote vector under the spinlock */
+	  clib_spinlock_lock (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
+	  in = nm->pending_local_interrupts;
+	  nm->pending_local_interrupts = nm->pending_remote_interrupts;
+	  nm->pending_remote_interrupts = in;
+	  clib_spinlock_unlock (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
+
+	  cpu_time_now = dispatch_pending_interrupts (vm, nm, cpu_time_now);
+	}
+
       /* Input nodes may have added work to the pending vector.
          Process pending vector until there is nothing left.
          All pending vectors will be processed from input -> output. */
diff --git a/src/vlib/node.h b/src/vlib/node.h
index 1bdb3bb..ca7564a 100644
--- a/src/vlib/node.h
+++ b/src/vlib/node.h
@@ -471,10 +471,6 @@
 
   vlib_error_t *errors;			/**< Vector of errors for this node. */
 
-#if __SIZEOF_POINTER__ == 4
-  u8 pad[8];
-#endif
-
   u32 clocks_since_last_overflow;	/**< Number of clock cycles. */
 
   u32 max_clock;			/**< Maximum clock cycle for an
@@ -512,6 +508,10 @@
 
   u16 state;				/**< Input node state. */
 
+  u32 interrupt_data;			/**< Data passed together with interrupt.
+					  Valid only when state is
+					  VLIB_NODE_STATE_INTERRUPT */
+
   u16 n_next_nodes;
 
   u16 cached_next_index;		/**< Next frame index that vector
@@ -676,6 +676,12 @@
 
 typedef struct
 {
+  u32 node_runtime_index;
+  u32 data;
+} vlib_node_interrupt_t;
+
+typedef struct
+{
   /* Public nodes. */
   vlib_node_t **nodes;
 
@@ -690,7 +696,8 @@
   vlib_node_runtime_t *nodes_by_type[VLIB_N_NODE_TYPE];
 
   /* Node runtime indices for input nodes with pending interrupts. */
-  u32 *pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices;
+  vlib_node_interrupt_t *pending_local_interrupts;
+  vlib_node_interrupt_t *pending_remote_interrupts;
   clib_spinlock_t pending_interrupt_lock;
 
   /* Input nodes are switched from/to interrupt to/from polling mode
diff --git a/src/vlib/node_funcs.h b/src/vlib/node_funcs.h
index d6d04fb..263017d 100644
--- a/src/vlib/node_funcs.h
+++ b/src/vlib/node_funcs.h
@@ -194,14 +194,36 @@
 }
 
 always_inline void
-vlib_node_set_interrupt_pending (vlib_main_t * vm, u32 node_index)
+vlib_node_set_interrupt_pending_with_data (vlib_main_t * vm, u32 node_index,
+					   u32 data)
 {
   vlib_node_main_t *nm = &vm->node_main;
   vlib_node_t *n = vec_elt (nm->nodes, node_index);
+  vlib_node_interrupt_t *i;
   ASSERT (n->type == VLIB_NODE_TYPE_INPUT);
-  clib_spinlock_lock_if_init (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
-  vec_add1 (nm->pending_interrupt_node_runtime_indices, n->runtime_index);
-  clib_spinlock_unlock_if_init (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
+
+  if (vm == vlib_get_main ())
+    {
+      /* local thread */
+      vec_add2 (nm->pending_local_interrupts, i, 1);
+      i->node_runtime_index = n->runtime_index;
+      i->data = data;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      /* remote thread */
+      clib_spinlock_lock (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
+      vec_add2 (nm->pending_remote_interrupts, i, 1);
+      i->node_runtime_index = n->runtime_index;
+      i->data = data;
+      clib_spinlock_unlock (&nm->pending_interrupt_lock);
+    }
+}
+
+always_inline void
+vlib_node_set_interrupt_pending (vlib_main_t * vm, u32 node_index)
+{
+  vlib_node_set_interrupt_pending_with_data (vm, node_index, 0);
 }
 
 always_inline vlib_process_t *