diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 7e520c14eb8c6..bcaa967b8ddf9 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -3288,6 +3288,7 @@ static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_dec(void)
 	__this_cpu_dec(softnet_data.xmit.recursion);
 }
 
+void net_trigger_defer_list_processing(unsigned int cpu);
 void __netif_schedule(struct Qdisc *q);
 void netif_schedule_queue(struct netdev_queue *txq);
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 606a366cc2095..ec319e5dcb086 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@
 #include <linux/prandom.h>
 #include <linux/once_lite.h>
 #include <net/netdev_rx_queue.h>
+#include <linux/smpboot.h>
 
 #include "dev.h"
 #include "net-sysfs.h"
@@ -4409,6 +4410,46 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(__dev_direct_xmit);
 /*************************************************************************
  *			Receiver routines
  *************************************************************************/
+static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct task_struct *, backlog_napi);
+
+#ifndef CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT
+
+static DEFINE_STATIC_KEY_FALSE(use_backlog_threads_key);
+
+static int __init setup_backlog_napi_threads(char *arg)
+{
+	static_branch_enable(&use_backlog_threads_key);
+	return 0;
+}
+early_param("thread_backlog_napi", setup_backlog_napi_threads);
+
+static bool use_backlog_threads(void)
+{
+	return static_branch_unlikely(&use_backlog_threads_key);
+}
+
+#else
+
+static bool use_backlog_threads(void)
+{
+	return true;
+}
+
+#endif
+
+void net_trigger_defer_list_processing(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	struct softnet_data *sd;
+
+	sd = &per_cpu(softnet_data, cpu);
+	if (use_backlog_threads()) {
+		__napi_schedule(&sd->backlog);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!cmpxchg(&sd->defer_ipi_scheduled, 0, 1))
+		smp_call_function_single_async(cpu, &sd->defer_csd);
+}
 
 int netdev_max_backlog __read_mostly = 1000;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(netdev_max_backlog);
@@ -4441,6 +4482,9 @@ static inline void ____napi_schedule(struct softnet_data *sd,
 		 */
 		thread = READ_ONCE(napi->thread);
 		if (thread) {
+			if (use_backlog_threads() && thread == raw_cpu_read(backlog_napi))
+				goto use_local_napi;
+
 			/* Avoid doing set_bit() if the thread is in
 			 * INTERRUPTIBLE state, cause napi_thread_wait()
 			 * makes sure to proceed with napi polling
@@ -4453,6 +4497,7 @@ static inline void ____napi_schedule(struct softnet_data *sd,
 		}
 	}
 
+use_local_napi:
 	list_add_tail(&napi->poll_list, &sd->poll_list);
 	WRITE_ONCE(napi->list_owner, smp_processor_id());
 	/* If not called from net_rx_action()
@@ -4696,6 +4741,10 @@ static void napi_schedule_rps(struct softnet_data *sd)
 {
 	struct softnet_data *mysd = this_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data);
 
+	if (use_backlog_threads()) {
+		__napi_schedule_irqoff(&sd->backlog);
+		return;
+	}
 #ifdef CONFIG_RPS
 	if (sd != mysd) {
 		sd->rps_ipi_next = mysd->rps_ipi_list;
@@ -5921,7 +5970,7 @@ static void net_rps_action_and_irq_enable(struct softnet_data *sd)
 #ifdef CONFIG_RPS
 	struct softnet_data *remsd = sd->rps_ipi_list;
 
-	if (remsd) {
+	if (!use_backlog_threads() && remsd) {
 		sd->rps_ipi_list = NULL;
 
 		local_irq_enable();
@@ -5936,7 +5985,7 @@ static void net_rps_action_and_irq_enable(struct softnet_data *sd)
 static bool sd_has_rps_ipi_waiting(struct softnet_data *sd)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_RPS
-	return sd->rps_ipi_list != NULL;
+	return !use_backlog_threads() && sd->rps_ipi_list != NULL;
 #else
 	return false;
 #endif
@@ -5980,7 +6029,7 @@ static int process_backlog(struct napi_struct *napi, int quota)
 			 * We can use a plain write instead of clear_bit(),
 			 * and we dont need an smp_mb() memory barrier.
 			 */
-			napi->state = 0;
+			napi->state &= NAPIF_STATE_THREADED;
 			again = false;
 		} else {
 			skb_queue_splice_tail_init(&sd->input_pkt_queue,
@@ -6650,40 +6699,42 @@ static void skb_defer_free_flush(struct softnet_data *sd)
 	}
 }
 
+static void napi_threaded_poll_loop(struct napi_struct *napi)
+{
+	struct softnet_data *sd;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		bool repoll = false;
+		void *have;
+
+		local_bh_disable();
+		sd = this_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data);
+		sd->in_napi_threaded_poll = true;
+
+		have = netpoll_poll_lock(napi);
+		__napi_poll(napi, &repoll);
+		netpoll_poll_unlock(have);
+
+		sd->in_napi_threaded_poll = false;
+		barrier();
+
+		skb_defer_free_flush(sd);
+		local_bh_enable();
+
+		if (!repoll)
+			break;
+
+		cond_resched();
+	}
+}
+
 static int napi_threaded_poll(void *data)
 {
 	struct napi_struct *napi = data;
-	struct softnet_data *sd;
-	void *have;
 
-	while (!napi_thread_wait(napi)) {
-		for (;;) {
-			bool repoll = false;
+	while (!napi_thread_wait(napi))
+		napi_threaded_poll_loop(napi);
 
-			local_bh_disable();
-			sd = this_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data);
-			sd->in_napi_threaded_poll = true;
-
-			have = netpoll_poll_lock(napi);
-			__napi_poll(napi, &repoll);
-			netpoll_poll_unlock(have);
-
-			sd->in_napi_threaded_poll = false;
-			barrier();
-
-			if (sd_has_rps_ipi_waiting(sd)) {
-				local_irq_disable();
-				net_rps_action_and_irq_enable(sd);
-			}
-			skb_defer_free_flush(sd);
-			local_bh_enable();
-
-			if (!repoll)
-				break;
-
-			cond_resched();
-		}
-	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -11220,7 +11271,7 @@ static int dev_cpu_dead(unsigned int oldcpu)
 
 		list_del_init(&napi->poll_list);
 		if (napi->poll == process_backlog)
-			napi->state = 0;
+			napi->state &= NAPIF_STATE_THREADED;
 		else
 			____napi_schedule(sd, napi);
 	}
@@ -11228,12 +11279,14 @@ static int dev_cpu_dead(unsigned int oldcpu)
 	raise_softirq_irqoff(NET_TX_SOFTIRQ);
 	local_irq_enable();
 
+	if (!use_backlog_threads()) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_RPS
-	remsd = oldsd->rps_ipi_list;
-	oldsd->rps_ipi_list = NULL;
+		remsd = oldsd->rps_ipi_list;
+		oldsd->rps_ipi_list = NULL;
 #endif
-	/* send out pending IPI's on offline CPU */
-	net_rps_send_ipi(remsd);
+		/* send out pending IPI's on offline CPU */
+		net_rps_send_ipi(remsd);
+	}
 
 	/* Process offline CPU's input_pkt_queue */
 	while ((skb = __skb_dequeue(&oldsd->process_queue))) {
@@ -11487,6 +11540,49 @@ static struct pernet_operations __net_initdata default_device_ops = {
  *
  */
 
+static int backlog_napi_should_run(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	struct softnet_data *sd = per_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data, cpu);
+	struct napi_struct *napi = &sd->backlog;
+
+	if (READ_ONCE(sd->defer_list))
+		return 1;
+
+	return test_bit(NAPI_STATE_SCHED, &napi->state);
+}
+
+static void run_backlog_napi(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	struct softnet_data *sd = per_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data, cpu);
+
+	napi_threaded_poll_loop(&sd->backlog);
+}
+
+static void backlog_napi_setup(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	struct softnet_data *sd = per_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data, cpu);
+	struct napi_struct *napi = &sd->backlog;
+
+	napi->thread = this_cpu_read(backlog_napi);
+	set_bit(NAPI_STATE_THREADED, &napi->state);
+}
+
+static void backlog_napi_park(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	struct softnet_data *sd = per_cpu_ptr(&softnet_data, cpu);
+
+	skb_defer_free_flush(sd);
+}
+
+static struct smp_hotplug_thread backlog_threads = {
+	.store			= &backlog_napi,
+	.thread_should_run	= backlog_napi_should_run,
+	.thread_fn		= run_backlog_napi,
+	.thread_comm		= "backlog_napi/%u",
+	.setup			= backlog_napi_setup,
+	.park			= backlog_napi_park,
+};
+
 /*
  *       This is called single threaded during boot, so no need
  *       to take the rtnl semaphore.
@@ -11537,7 +11633,10 @@ static int __init net_dev_init(void)
 		init_gro_hash(&sd->backlog);
 		sd->backlog.poll = process_backlog;
 		sd->backlog.weight = weight_p;
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sd->backlog.poll_list);
 	}
+	if (use_backlog_threads())
+		smpboot_register_percpu_thread(&backlog_threads);
 
 	dev_boot_phase = 0;
 
diff --git a/net/core/skbuff.c b/net/core/skbuff.c
index 2198979470ecf..30cdb008dd65c 100644
--- a/net/core/skbuff.c
+++ b/net/core/skbuff.c
@@ -6844,8 +6844,8 @@ nodefer:	__kfree_skb(skb);
 	/* Make sure to trigger NET_RX_SOFTIRQ on the remote CPU
 	 * if we are unlucky enough (this seems very unlikely).
 	 */
-	if (unlikely(kick) && !cmpxchg(&sd->defer_ipi_scheduled, 0, 1))
-		smp_call_function_single_async(cpu, &sd->defer_csd);
+	if (unlikely(kick))
+		net_trigger_defer_list_processing(cpu);
 }
 
 static void skb_splice_csum_page(struct sk_buff *skb, struct page *page,
