diff --git a/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.c b/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.c
index 3217c72..7ea7cbe 100644
--- a/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.c
+++ b/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.c
@@ -106,13 +106,13 @@
     }
   vui->nregions = 0;
 
-  for (q = 0; q < vui->num_qid; q++)
-    {
-      vq = &vui->vrings[q];
-      vq->avail = 0;
-      vq->used = 0;
-      vq->desc = 0;
-    }
+  FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ (q, vui)
+  {
+    vq = &vui->vrings[q];
+    vq->avail = 0;
+    vq->used = 0;
+    vq->desc = 0;
+  }
 }
 
 static_always_inline void
@@ -163,16 +163,28 @@
   vnet_main_t *vnm = vnet_get_main ();
   int rv;
   u32 q = qid >> 1;
+  vhost_user_main_t *vum = &vhost_user_main;
 
   ASSERT ((qid & 1) == 1);	// should be odd
   // Assign new queue mappings for the interface
+  if (txvq->queue_index != ~0)
+    return;
   vnet_hw_if_set_input_node (vnm, vui->hw_if_index,
 			     vhost_user_input_node.index);
   txvq->queue_index = vnet_hw_if_register_rx_queue (vnm, vui->hw_if_index, q,
 						    VNET_HW_IF_RXQ_THREAD_ANY);
+  txvq->thread_index =
+    vnet_hw_if_get_rx_queue_thread_index (vnm, txvq->queue_index);
+
   if (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_UNKNOWN)
     /* Set polling as the default */
     txvq->mode = VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING;
+  if (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING)
+    {
+      vhost_cpu_t *cpu = vec_elt_at_index (vum->cpus, txvq->thread_index);
+      /* Keep a polling queue count for each thread */
+      cpu->polling_q_count++;
+    }
   txvq->qid = q;
   rv = vnet_hw_if_set_rx_queue_mode (vnm, txvq->queue_index, txvq->mode);
   if (rv)
@@ -227,7 +239,7 @@
 {
   if (qid & 1)			// RX is odd, TX is even
     {
-      if (vui->vrings[qid].qid == -1)
+      if (vui->vrings[qid].queue_index == ~0)
 	vhost_user_rx_thread_placement (vui, qid);
     }
   else
@@ -258,10 +270,17 @@
 					    vq->kickfd_idx);
     }
 
-  if (is_txq && (vhost_user_intf_ready (vui) &&
-		 ((vq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE) ||
-		  (vq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT))))
-    vnet_hw_if_rx_queue_set_int_pending (vnm, vq->queue_index);
+  if (is_txq && (vq->mode != VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING) &&
+      vhost_user_intf_ready (vui))
+    {
+      vhost_cpu_t *cpu = vec_elt_at_index (vum->cpus, vq->thread_index);
+      /*
+       * If the thread has more than 1 queue and the other queue is in polling
+       * mode, there is no need to trigger an interrupt
+       */
+      if (cpu->polling_q_count == 0)
+	vnet_hw_if_rx_queue_set_int_pending (vnm, vq->queue_index);
+    }
 
   return 0;
 }
@@ -276,6 +295,9 @@
   vring->callfd_idx = ~0;
   vring->errfd = -1;
   vring->qid = -1;
+  vring->queue_index = ~0;
+  vring->thread_index = ~0;
+  vring->mode = VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING;
 
   clib_spinlock_init (&vring->vring_lock);
 
@@ -319,11 +341,16 @@
 
   clib_spinlock_free (&vring->vring_lock);
 
-  // save the qid so that we don't need to unassign and assign_rx_thread
-  // when the interface comes back up. They are expensive calls.
+  // save the needed information in vrings prior to being wiped out
   u16 q = vui->vrings[qid].qid;
+  u32 queue_index = vui->vrings[qid].queue_index;
+  u32 mode = vui->vrings[qid].mode;
+  u32 thread_index = vui->vrings[qid].thread_index;
   vhost_user_vring_init (vui, qid);
   vui->vrings[qid].qid = q;
+  vui->vrings[qid].queue_index = queue_index;
+  vui->vrings[qid].mode = mode;
+  vui->vrings[qid].thread_index = thread_index;
 }
 
 static_always_inline void
@@ -342,13 +369,38 @@
 
   vui->is_ready = 0;
 
-  for (q = 0; q < vui->num_qid; q++)
-    vhost_user_vring_close (vui, q);
+  FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ (q, vui) { vhost_user_vring_close (vui, q); }
 
   unmap_all_mem_regions (vui);
   vu_log_debug (vui, "interface ifindex %d disconnected", vui->sw_if_index);
 }
 
+void
+vhost_user_set_operation_mode (vhost_user_intf_t *vui,
+			       vhost_user_vring_t *txvq)
+{
+  if (vhost_user_is_packed_ring_supported (vui))
+    {
+      if (txvq->used_event)
+	{
+	  if (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING)
+	    txvq->used_event->flags = VRING_EVENT_F_DISABLE;
+	  else
+	    txvq->used_event->flags = 0;
+	}
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      if (txvq->used)
+	{
+	  if (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING)
+	    txvq->used->flags = VRING_USED_F_NO_NOTIFY;
+	  else
+	    txvq->used->flags = 0;
+	}
+    }
+}
+
 static clib_error_t *
 vhost_user_socket_read (clib_file_t * uf)
 {
@@ -579,19 +631,19 @@
        * Re-compute desc, used, and avail descriptor table if vring address
        * is set.
        */
-      for (q = 0; q < vui->num_qid; q++)
-	{
-	  if (vui->vrings[q].desc_user_addr &&
-	      vui->vrings[q].used_user_addr && vui->vrings[q].avail_user_addr)
-	    {
-	      vui->vrings[q].desc =
-		map_user_mem (vui, vui->vrings[q].desc_user_addr);
-	      vui->vrings[q].used =
-		map_user_mem (vui, vui->vrings[q].used_user_addr);
-	      vui->vrings[q].avail =
-		map_user_mem (vui, vui->vrings[q].avail_user_addr);
-	    }
-	}
+      FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ (q, vui)
+      {
+	if (vui->vrings[q].desc_user_addr && vui->vrings[q].used_user_addr &&
+	    vui->vrings[q].avail_user_addr)
+	  {
+	    vui->vrings[q].desc =
+	      map_user_mem (vui, vui->vrings[q].desc_user_addr);
+	    vui->vrings[q].used =
+	      map_user_mem (vui, vui->vrings[q].used_user_addr);
+	    vui->vrings[q].avail =
+	      map_user_mem (vui, vui->vrings[q].avail_user_addr);
+	  }
+      }
       vlib_worker_thread_barrier_release (vm);
       break;
 
@@ -665,12 +717,8 @@
       vui->vrings[msg.state.index].last_kick =
 	vui->vrings[msg.state.index].last_used_idx;
 
-      /* tell driver that we don't want interrupts */
-      if (vhost_user_is_packed_ring_supported (vui))
-	vui->vrings[msg.state.index].used_event->flags =
-	  VRING_EVENT_F_DISABLE;
-      else
-	vui->vrings[msg.state.index].used->flags = VRING_USED_F_NO_NOTIFY;
+      /* tell driver that we want interrupts or not */
+      vhost_user_set_operation_mode (vui, &vui->vrings[msg.state.index]);
       vlib_worker_thread_barrier_release (vm);
       vhost_user_update_iface_state (vui);
       break;
@@ -1180,6 +1228,7 @@
 
 	case VHOST_USER_EVENT_START_TIMER:
 	  stop_timer = 0;
+	  timeout = 1e-3;
 	  if (!vlib_process_suspend_time_is_zero (poll_time_remaining))
 	    break;
 	  /* fall through */
@@ -1188,32 +1237,23 @@
 	  /* *INDENT-OFF* */
 	  pool_foreach (vui, vum->vhost_user_interfaces) {
 	      next_timeout = timeout;
-	      for (qid = 0; qid < vui->num_qid / 2; qid += 2)
-		{
-		  vhost_user_vring_t *rxvq = &vui->vrings[qid];
-		  vhost_user_vring_t *txvq = &vui->vrings[qid + 1];
+	      FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ (qid, vui)
+	      {
+		vhost_user_vring_t *vq = &vui->vrings[qid];
 
-		  if (txvq->qid == -1)
-		    continue;
-		  if (txvq->n_since_last_int)
-		    {
-		      if (now >= txvq->int_deadline)
-			vhost_user_send_call (vm, vui, txvq);
-		      else
-			next_timeout = txvq->int_deadline - now;
-		    }
+		if (vq->started == 0)
+		  continue;
+		if (vq->n_since_last_int)
+		  {
+		    if (now >= vq->int_deadline)
+		      vhost_user_send_call (vm, vui, vq);
+		    else
+		      next_timeout = vq->int_deadline - now;
+		  }
 
-		  if (rxvq->n_since_last_int)
-		    {
-		      if (now >= rxvq->int_deadline)
-			vhost_user_send_call (vm, vui, rxvq);
-		      else
-			next_timeout = rxvq->int_deadline - now;
-		    }
-
-		  if ((next_timeout < timeout) && (next_timeout > 0.0))
-		    timeout = next_timeout;
-		}
+		if ((next_timeout < timeout) && (next_timeout > 0.0))
+		  timeout = next_timeout;
+	      }
 	  }
           /* *INDENT-ON* */
 	  break;
@@ -1364,10 +1404,10 @@
   vhost_user_update_gso_interface_count (vui, 0 /* delete */ );
   vhost_user_update_iface_state (vui);
 
-  for (q = 0; q < vui->num_qid; q++)
-    {
-      clib_spinlock_free (&vui->vrings[q].vring_lock);
-    }
+  FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ (q, vui)
+  {
+    clib_spinlock_free (&vui->vrings[q].vring_lock);
+  }
 
   if (vui->unix_server_index != ~0)
     {
@@ -1403,28 +1443,33 @@
   vu_log_debug (vui, "Deleting vhost-user interface %s (instance %d)",
 		hwif->name, hwif->dev_instance);
 
-  for (qid = 1; qid < vui->num_qid / 2; qid += 2)
-    {
-      vhost_user_vring_t *txvq = &vui->vrings[qid];
+  FOR_ALL_VHOST_TXQ (qid, vui)
+  {
+    vhost_user_vring_t *txvq = &vui->vrings[qid];
 
-      if (txvq->qid == -1)
-	continue;
-      if ((vum->ifq_count > 0) &&
-	  ((txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT) ||
-	   (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE)))
-	{
-	  vum->ifq_count--;
-	  // Stop the timer if there is no more interrupt interface/queue
-	  if ((vum->ifq_count == 0) &&
-	      (vum->coalesce_time > 0.0) && (vum->coalesce_frames > 0))
-	    {
-	      vlib_process_signal_event (vm,
-					 vhost_user_send_interrupt_node.index,
-					 VHOST_USER_EVENT_STOP_TIMER, 0);
-	      break;
-	    }
-	}
-    }
+    if ((txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING) &&
+	(txvq->thread_index != ~0))
+      {
+	vhost_cpu_t *cpu = vec_elt_at_index (vum->cpus, txvq->thread_index);
+	ASSERT (cpu->polling_q_count != 0);
+	cpu->polling_q_count--;
+      }
+
+    if ((vum->ifq_count > 0) &&
+	((txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT) ||
+	 (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE)))
+      {
+	vum->ifq_count--;
+	// Stop the timer if there is no more interrupt interface/queue
+	if (vum->ifq_count == 0)
+	  {
+	    vlib_process_signal_event (vm,
+				       vhost_user_send_interrupt_node.index,
+				       VHOST_USER_EVENT_STOP_TIMER, 0);
+	    break;
+	  }
+      }
+  }
 
   // Disable and reset interface
   vhost_user_term_if (vui);
@@ -1922,9 +1967,11 @@
   vhost_user_vring_t *vq = &vui->vrings[q];
 
   if (vq->avail && vq->used)
-    vlib_cli_output (vm, "  avail.flags %x avail event idx %u avail.idx %d "
-		     "used event idx %u used.idx %d\n", vq->avail->flags,
-		     vhost_user_avail_event_idx (vq), vq->avail->idx,
+    vlib_cli_output (vm,
+		     "  avail.flags %x avail event idx %u avail.idx %d "
+		     "used.flags %x used event idx %u used.idx %d\n",
+		     vq->avail->flags, vhost_user_avail_event_idx (vq),
+		     vq->avail->idx, vq->used->flags,
 		     vhost_user_used_event_idx (vq), vq->used->idx);
 
   vhost_user_show_fds (vm, vq);
@@ -2148,6 +2195,12 @@
   vlib_cli_output (vm, "  Number of rx virtqueues in interrupt mode: %d",
 		   vum->ifq_count);
   vlib_cli_output (vm, "  Number of GSO interfaces: %d", vum->gso_count);
+  for (u32 tid = 0; tid <= vlib_num_workers (); tid++)
+    {
+      vhost_cpu_t *cpu = vec_elt_at_index (vum->cpus, tid);
+      vlib_cli_output (vm, "  Thread %u: Polling queue count %u", tid,
+		       cpu->polling_q_count);
+    }
 
   for (i = 0; i < vec_len (hw_if_indices); i++)
     {
@@ -2199,19 +2252,16 @@
 
       vlib_cli_output (vm, " rx placement: ");
 
-      for (qid = 1; qid < vui->num_qid / 2; qid += 2)
-	{
-	  vnet_main_t *vnm = vnet_get_main ();
-	  uword thread_index;
-	  vhost_user_vring_t *txvq = &vui->vrings[qid];
+      FOR_ALL_VHOST_TXQ (qid, vui)
+      {
+	vhost_user_vring_t *txvq = &vui->vrings[qid];
 
-	  if (txvq->qid == -1)
-	    continue;
-	  thread_index =
-	    vnet_hw_if_get_rx_queue_thread_index (vnm, txvq->queue_index);
-	  vlib_cli_output (vm, "   thread %d on vring %d, %U\n", thread_index,
-			   qid, format_vnet_hw_if_rx_mode, txvq->mode);
-	}
+	if (txvq->qid == -1)
+	  continue;
+	vlib_cli_output (vm, "   thread %d on vring %d, %U\n",
+			 txvq->thread_index, qid, format_vnet_hw_if_rx_mode,
+			 txvq->mode);
+      }
 
       vlib_cli_output (vm, " tx placement: %s\n",
 		       vui->use_tx_spinlock ? "spin-lock" : "lock-free");
@@ -2244,29 +2294,30 @@
 			   vui->regions[j].mmap_offset,
 			   pointer_to_uword (vui->region_mmap_addr[j]));
 	}
-      for (q = 0; q < vui->num_qid; q++)
-	{
-	  if (!vui->vrings[q].started)
-	    continue;
+      FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ (q, vui)
+      {
+	if (!vui->vrings[q].started)
+	  continue;
 
-	  vlib_cli_output (vm, "\n Virtqueue %d (%s%s)\n", q,
-			   (q & 1) ? "RX" : "TX",
-			   vui->vrings[q].enabled ? "" : " disabled");
+	vlib_cli_output (vm, "\n Virtqueue %d (%s%s)\n", q,
+			 (q & 1) ? "RX" : "TX",
+			 vui->vrings[q].enabled ? "" : " disabled");
+	if (q & 1)
+	  vlib_cli_output (vm, "  global RX queue index %u\n",
+			   vui->vrings[q].queue_index);
 
-	  vlib_cli_output (vm,
-			   "  qsz %d last_avail_idx %d last_used_idx %d"
-			   " last_kick %u\n",
-			   vui->vrings[q].qsz_mask + 1,
-			   vui->vrings[q].last_avail_idx,
-			   vui->vrings[q].last_used_idx,
-			   vui->vrings[q].last_kick);
+	vlib_cli_output (
+	  vm,
+	  "  qsz %d last_avail_idx %d last_used_idx %d"
+	  " last_kick %u\n",
+	  vui->vrings[q].qsz_mask + 1, vui->vrings[q].last_avail_idx,
+	  vui->vrings[q].last_used_idx, vui->vrings[q].last_kick);
 
-	  if (vhost_user_is_packed_ring_supported (vui))
-	    vhost_user_show_desc_packed (vm, vui, q, show_descr,
-					 show_verbose);
-	  else
-	    vhost_user_show_desc (vm, vui, q, show_descr, show_verbose);
-	}
+	if (vhost_user_is_packed_ring_supported (vui))
+	  vhost_user_show_desc_packed (vm, vui, q, show_descr, show_verbose);
+	else
+	  vhost_user_show_desc (vm, vui, q, show_descr, show_verbose);
+      }
       vlib_cli_output (vm, "\n");
     }
 done:
diff --git a/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.h b/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.h
index 63a0bc0..8ecf4a3 100644
--- a/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.h
+++ b/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user.h
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@
   u16 last_kick;
   u8 first_kick;
   u32 queue_index;
+  u32 thread_index;
 } vhost_user_vring_t;
 
 #define VHOST_USER_EVENT_START_TIMER 1
@@ -290,6 +291,12 @@
   u8 enable_event_idx;
 } vhost_user_intf_t;
 
+#define FOR_ALL_VHOST_TXQ(qid, vui) for (qid = 1; qid < vui->num_qid; qid += 2)
+
+#define FOR_ALL_VHOST_RXQ(qid, vui) for (qid = 0; qid < vui->num_qid; qid += 2)
+
+#define FOR_ALL_VHOST_RX_TXQ(qid, vui) for (qid = 0; qid < vui->num_qid; qid++)
+
 typedef struct
 {
   uword dst;
@@ -323,6 +330,7 @@
 
   u32 *to_next_list;
   vlib_buffer_t **rx_buffers_pdesc;
+  u32 polling_q_count;
 } vhost_cpu_t;
 
 typedef struct
@@ -365,6 +373,8 @@
 
 int vhost_user_dump_ifs (vnet_main_t * vnm, vlib_main_t * vm,
 			 vhost_user_intf_details_t ** out_vuids);
+void vhost_user_set_operation_mode (vhost_user_intf_t *vui,
+				    vhost_user_vring_t *txvq);
 
 extern vlib_node_registration_t vhost_user_send_interrupt_node;
 extern vnet_device_class_t vhost_user_device_class;
diff --git a/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user_output.c b/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user_output.c
index 40faefa..d3e38bf 100644
--- a/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user_output.c
+++ b/src/vnet/devices/virtio/vhost_user_output.c
@@ -1046,7 +1046,24 @@
   vhost_user_intf_t *vui =
     pool_elt_at_index (vum->vhost_user_interfaces, hif->dev_instance);
   vhost_user_vring_t *txvq = &vui->vrings[VHOST_VRING_IDX_TX (qid)];
+  vhost_cpu_t *cpu;
 
+  if (mode == txvq->mode)
+    return 0;
+
+  if ((mode != VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING) &&
+      (mode != VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE) &&
+      (mode != VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT))
+    {
+      vu_log_err (vui, "unhandled mode %d changed for if %d queue %d", mode,
+		  hw_if_index, qid);
+      return clib_error_return (0, "unsupported");
+    }
+
+  if (txvq->thread_index == ~0)
+    return clib_error_return (0, "Queue initialization is not finished yet");
+
+  cpu = vec_elt_at_index (vum->cpus, txvq->thread_index);
   if ((mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT) ||
       (mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE))
     {
@@ -1057,11 +1074,14 @@
 	}
       if (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING)
 	{
+	  ASSERT (cpu->polling_q_count != 0);
+	  if (cpu->polling_q_count)
+	    cpu->polling_q_count--;
 	  vum->ifq_count++;
 	  // Start the timer if this is the first encounter on interrupt
 	  // interface/queue
 	  if ((vum->ifq_count == 1) &&
-	      (vum->coalesce_time > 0.0) && (vum->coalesce_frames > 0))
+	      ((vum->coalesce_time > 0.0) || (vum->coalesce_frames > 0)))
 	    vlib_process_signal_event (vm,
 				       vhost_user_send_interrupt_node.index,
 				       VHOST_USER_EVENT_START_TIMER, 0);
@@ -1072,10 +1092,10 @@
       if (((txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT) ||
 	   (txvq->mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE)) && vum->ifq_count)
 	{
+	  cpu->polling_q_count++;
 	  vum->ifq_count--;
 	  // Stop the timer if there is no more interrupt interface/queue
-	  if ((vum->ifq_count == 0) &&
-	      (vum->coalesce_time > 0.0) && (vum->coalesce_frames > 0))
+	  if (vum->ifq_count == 0)
 	    vlib_process_signal_event (vm,
 				       vhost_user_send_interrupt_node.index,
 				       VHOST_USER_EVENT_STOP_TIMER, 0);
@@ -1083,17 +1103,7 @@
     }
 
   txvq->mode = mode;
-  if (mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_POLLING)
-    txvq->used->flags = VRING_USED_F_NO_NOTIFY;
-  else if ((mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_ADAPTIVE) ||
-	   (mode == VNET_HW_IF_RX_MODE_INTERRUPT))
-    txvq->used->flags = 0;
-  else
-    {
-      vu_log_err (vui, "unhandled mode %d changed for if %d queue %d", mode,
-		  hw_if_index, qid);
-      return clib_error_return (0, "unsupported");
-    }
+  vhost_user_set_operation_mode (vui, txvq);
 
   return 0;
 }