diff --git a/extras/hs-test/cpu_pinning_test.go b/extras/hs-test/cpu_pinning_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8dec65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extras/hs-test/cpu_pinning_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	. "fd.io/hs-test/infra"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	RegisterCpuPinningSoloTests(DefaultCpuConfigurationTest, SkipCoresTest)
+}
+
+// TODO: Add more CPU configuration tests
+
+func DefaultCpuConfigurationTest(s *CpuPinningSuite) {
+	vpp := s.GetContainerByName(SingleTopoContainerVpp).VppInstance
+	s.AssertNil(vpp.Start())
+}
+
+func SkipCoresTest(s *CpuPinningSuite) {
+
+	skipCoresConfiguration := VppCpuConfig{
+		PinMainCpu:         true,
+		PinWorkersCorelist: true,
+		SkipCores:          1,
+	}
+
+	vpp := s.GetContainerByName(SingleTopoContainerVpp).VppInstance
+	vpp.CpuConfig = skipCoresConfiguration
+
+	s.AssertNil(vpp.Start())
+}
diff --git a/extras/hs-test/infra/container.go b/extras/hs-test/infra/container.go
index 1dd8280..3e8ccb4 100644
--- a/extras/hs-test/infra/container.go
+++ b/extras/hs-test/infra/container.go
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@
 	vpp := new(VppInstance)
 	vpp.Container = c
 	vpp.Cpus = cpus
+	vpp.setDefaultCpuConfig()
 	vpp.AdditionalConfig = append(vpp.AdditionalConfig, additionalConfigs...)
 	c.VppInstance = vpp
 	return vpp, nil
diff --git a/extras/hs-test/infra/hst_suite.go b/extras/hs-test/infra/hst_suite.go
index b2e0693..41c8d29 100644
--- a/extras/hs-test/infra/hst_suite.go
+++ b/extras/hs-test/infra/hst_suite.go
@@ -247,6 +247,16 @@
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *HstSuite) SkipIfNotEnoughAvailableCpus(containerCount int, nCpus int) bool {
+	MaxRequestedCpu := (GinkgoParallelProcess() * containerCount * nCpus)
+
+	if len(s.CpuAllocator.cpus)-1 < MaxRequestedCpu {
+		s.Skip(fmt.Sprintf("test case cannot allocate requested cpus (%d cpus * %d containers)", nCpus, containerCount))
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
 func (s *HstSuite) SkipUnlessExtendedTestsBuilt() {
 	imageName := "hs-test/nginx-http3"
 
diff --git a/extras/hs-test/infra/suite_cpu_pinning.go b/extras/hs-test/infra/suite_cpu_pinning.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..629d2da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extras/hs-test/infra/suite_cpu_pinning.go
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+package hst
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	"reflect"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+var cpuPinningTests = map[string][]func(s *CpuPinningSuite){}
+var cpuPinningSoloTests = map[string][]func(s *CpuPinningSuite){}
+
+type CpuPinningSuite struct {
+	HstSuite
+}
+
+func RegisterCpuPinningTests(tests ...func(s *CpuPinningSuite)) {
+	cpuPinningTests[getTestFilename()] = tests
+}
+
+func RegisterCpuPinningSoloTests(tests ...func(s *CpuPinningSuite)) {
+	cpuPinningSoloTests[getTestFilename()] = tests
+}
+
+func (s *CpuPinningSuite) SetupSuite() {
+	s.HstSuite.SetupSuite()
+	s.LoadNetworkTopology("tap")
+	s.LoadContainerTopology("singleCpuPinning")
+}
+
+func (s *CpuPinningSuite) SetupTest() {
+	// Skip if we cannot allocate 3 CPUs for test container
+	s.SkipIfNotEnoughAvailableCpus(1, 3)
+	s.CpuPerVpp = 3
+	s.HstSuite.SetupTest()
+	container := s.GetContainerByName(SingleTopoContainerVpp)
+	vpp, err := container.newVppInstance(container.AllocatedCpus)
+	s.AssertNotNil(vpp, fmt.Sprint(err))
+
+}
+
+var _ = Describe("CpuPinningSuite", Ordered, ContinueOnFailure, func() {
+	var s CpuPinningSuite
+	BeforeAll(func() {
+		s.SetupSuite()
+	})
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		s.SetupTest()
+	})
+	AfterAll(func() {
+		s.TearDownSuite()
+
+	})
+	AfterEach(func() {
+		s.TearDownTest()
+	})
+
+	// https://onsi.github.io/ginkgo/#dynamically-generating-specs
+	for filename, tests := range cpuPinningTests {
+		for _, test := range tests {
+			test := test
+			pc := reflect.ValueOf(test).Pointer()
+			funcValue := runtime.FuncForPC(pc)
+			testName := filename + "/" + strings.Split(funcValue.Name(), ".")[2]
+			It(testName, func(ctx SpecContext) {
+				s.Log(testName + ": BEGIN")
+				test(&s)
+			}, SpecTimeout(SuiteTimeout))
+		}
+	}
+})
+
+var _ = Describe("CpuPinningSuiteSolo", Ordered, ContinueOnFailure, Serial, func() {
+	var s CpuPinningSuite
+	BeforeAll(func() {
+		s.SetupSuite()
+	})
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		s.SetupTest()
+	})
+	AfterAll(func() {
+		s.TearDownSuite()
+	})
+	AfterEach(func() {
+		s.TearDownTest()
+	})
+
+	for filename, tests := range cpuPinningSoloTests {
+		for _, test := range tests {
+			test := test
+			pc := reflect.ValueOf(test).Pointer()
+			funcValue := runtime.FuncForPC(pc)
+			testName := filename + "/" + strings.Split(funcValue.Name(), ".")[2]
+			It(testName, Label("SOLO"), func(ctx SpecContext) {
+				s.Log(testName + ": BEGIN")
+				test(&s)
+			}, SpecTimeout(SuiteTimeout))
+		}
+	}
+})
diff --git a/extras/hs-test/infra/vppinstance.go b/extras/hs-test/infra/vppinstance.go
index 48d2b78..d4f5700 100644
--- a/extras/hs-test/infra/vppinstance.go
+++ b/extras/hs-test/infra/vppinstance.go
@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@
 	Connection       *core.Connection
 	ApiStream        api.Stream
 	Cpus             []int
+	CpuConfig        VppCpuConfig
+}
+
+type VppCpuConfig struct {
+	PinMainCpu         bool
+	PinWorkersCorelist bool
+	SkipCores          int
 }
 
 func (vpp *VppInstance) getSuite() *HstSuite {
@@ -131,7 +138,7 @@
 		defaultApiSocketFilePath,
 		defaultLogFilePath,
 	)
-	configContent += vpp.generateCpuConfig()
+	configContent += vpp.generateVPPCpuConfig()
 	for _, c := range vpp.AdditionalConfig {
 		configContent += c.ToString()
 	}
@@ -476,26 +483,55 @@
 	vpp.ApiStream.Close()
 }
 
-func (vpp *VppInstance) generateCpuConfig() string {
+func (vpp *VppInstance) setDefaultCpuConfig() {
+	vpp.CpuConfig.PinMainCpu = true
+	vpp.CpuConfig.PinWorkersCorelist = true
+	vpp.CpuConfig.SkipCores = 0
+}
+
+func (vpp *VppInstance) generateVPPCpuConfig() string {
 	var c Stanza
 	var s string
+	startCpu := 0
 	if len(vpp.Cpus) < 1 {
 		return ""
 	}
-	c.NewStanza("cpu").
-		Append(fmt.Sprintf("main-core %d", vpp.Cpus[0]))
-	vpp.getSuite().Log(fmt.Sprintf("main-core %d", vpp.Cpus[0]))
-	workers := vpp.Cpus[1:]
+
+	c.NewStanza("cpu")
+
+	// If skip-cores is valid, use as start value to assign main/workers CPUs
+	if vpp.CpuConfig.SkipCores != 0 {
+		c.Append(fmt.Sprintf("skip-cores %d", vpp.CpuConfig.SkipCores))
+		vpp.getSuite().Log(fmt.Sprintf("skip-cores %d", vpp.CpuConfig.SkipCores))
+	}
+
+	if len(vpp.Cpus) > vpp.CpuConfig.SkipCores {
+		startCpu = vpp.CpuConfig.SkipCores
+	}
+
+	if vpp.CpuConfig.PinMainCpu {
+		c.Append(fmt.Sprintf("main-core %d", vpp.Cpus[startCpu]))
+		vpp.getSuite().Log(fmt.Sprintf("main-core %d", vpp.Cpus[startCpu]))
+	}
+
+	workers := vpp.Cpus[startCpu+1:]
 
 	if len(workers) > 0 {
-		for i := 0; i < len(workers); i++ {
-			if i != 0 {
-				s = s + ", "
+		if vpp.CpuConfig.PinWorkersCorelist {
+			for i := 0; i < len(workers); i++ {
+				if i != 0 {
+					s = s + ", "
+				}
+				s = s + fmt.Sprintf("%d", workers[i])
 			}
-			s = s + fmt.Sprintf("%d", workers[i])
+			c.Append(fmt.Sprintf("corelist-workers %s", s))
+			vpp.getSuite().Log("corelist-workers " + s)
+		} else {
+			s = fmt.Sprintf("%d", len(workers))
+			c.Append(fmt.Sprintf("workers %s", s))
+			vpp.getSuite().Log("workers " + s)
 		}
-		c.Append(fmt.Sprintf("corelist-workers %s", s))
-		vpp.getSuite().Log("corelist-workers " + s)
 	}
+
 	return c.Close().ToString()
 }
diff --git a/extras/hs-test/topo-containers/singleCpuPinning.yaml b/extras/hs-test/topo-containers/singleCpuPinning.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e673aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extras/hs-test/topo-containers/singleCpuPinning.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+volumes:
+  - volume: &shared-vol
+      host-dir: "$HST_VOLUME_DIR/shared-vol"
+
+containers:
+  - name: "vpp"
+    volumes:
+      - <<: *shared-vol
+        container-dir: "/tmp/vpp"
+        is-default-work-dir: true