diff --git a/hw/net/vhost_net.c b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
index 50f4dcd655..11fabc0b0a 100644
--- a/hw/net/vhost_net.c
+++ b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VhostNetOptions *options)
     }
 
     r = vhost_dev_init(&net->dev, options->opaque,
-                       options->backend_type);
+                       options->backend_type, options->busyloop_timeout);
     if (r < 0) {
         goto fail;
     }
diff --git a/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
index 9261d51da7..2a00f2f3c8 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static void vhost_scsi_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     s->dev.backend_features = 0;
 
     ret = vhost_dev_init(&s->dev, (void *)(uintptr_t)vhostfd,
-                         VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_KERNEL);
+                         VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_KERNEL, 0);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_setg(errp, "vhost-scsi: vhost initialization failed: %s",
                    strerror(-ret));
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.c
index b35890289f..d62372e597 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.c
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ static int vhost_kernel_set_vring_call(struct vhost_dev *dev,
     return vhost_kernel_call(dev, VHOST_SET_VRING_CALL, file);
 }
 
+static int vhost_kernel_set_vring_busyloop_timeout(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                                                   struct vhost_vring_state *s)
+{
+    return vhost_kernel_call(dev, VHOST_SET_VRING_BUSYLOOP_TIMEOUT, s);
+}
+
 static int vhost_kernel_set_features(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                                      uint64_t features)
 {
@@ -185,6 +191,8 @@ static const VhostOps kernel_ops = {
         .vhost_get_vring_base = vhost_kernel_get_vring_base,
         .vhost_set_vring_kick = vhost_kernel_set_vring_kick,
         .vhost_set_vring_call = vhost_kernel_set_vring_call,
+        .vhost_set_vring_busyloop_timeout =
+                                vhost_kernel_set_vring_busyloop_timeout,
         .vhost_set_features = vhost_kernel_set_features,
         .vhost_get_features = vhost_kernel_get_features,
         .vhost_set_owner = vhost_kernel_set_owner,
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost.c b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
index a01394d5ac..ec3abda9d5 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
@@ -960,6 +960,28 @@ static void vhost_eventfd_del(MemoryListener *listener,
 {
 }
 
+static int vhost_virtqueue_set_busyloop_timeout(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                                                int n, uint32_t timeout)
+{
+    int vhost_vq_index = dev->vhost_ops->vhost_get_vq_index(dev, n);
+    struct vhost_vring_state state = {
+        .index = vhost_vq_index,
+        .num = timeout,
+    };
+    int r;
+
+    if (!dev->vhost_ops->vhost_set_vring_busyloop_timeout) {
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    r = dev->vhost_ops->vhost_set_vring_busyloop_timeout(dev, &state);
+    if (r) {
+        return r;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int vhost_virtqueue_init(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                                 struct vhost_virtqueue *vq, int n)
 {
@@ -990,7 +1012,7 @@ static void vhost_virtqueue_cleanup(struct vhost_virtqueue *vq)
 }
 
 int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
-                   VhostBackendType backend_type)
+                   VhostBackendType backend_type, uint32_t busyloop_timeout)
 {
     uint64_t features;
     int i, r;
@@ -1031,6 +1053,17 @@ int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
             goto fail_vq;
         }
     }
+
+    if (busyloop_timeout) {
+        for (i = 0; i < hdev->nvqs; ++i) {
+            r = vhost_virtqueue_set_busyloop_timeout(hdev, hdev->vq_index + i,
+                                                     busyloop_timeout);
+            if (r < 0) {
+                goto fail_busyloop;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     hdev->features = features;
 
     hdev->memory_listener = (MemoryListener) {
@@ -1073,6 +1106,11 @@ int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
     hdev->memory_changed = false;
     memory_listener_register(&hdev->memory_listener, &address_space_memory);
     return 0;
+fail_busyloop:
+    while (--i >= 0) {
+        vhost_virtqueue_set_busyloop_timeout(hdev, hdev->vq_index + i, 0);
+    }
+    i = hdev->nvqs;
 fail_vq:
     while (--i >= 0) {
         vhost_virtqueue_cleanup(hdev->vqs + i);
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
index 95fcc96676..84e1cb79ff 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ typedef int (*vhost_set_vring_kick_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                                        struct vhost_vring_file *file);
 typedef int (*vhost_set_vring_call_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                                        struct vhost_vring_file *file);
+typedef int (*vhost_set_vring_busyloop_timeout_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                                                   struct vhost_vring_state *r);
 typedef int (*vhost_set_features_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                                      uint64_t features);
 typedef int (*vhost_get_features_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ typedef struct VhostOps {
     vhost_get_vring_base_op vhost_get_vring_base;
     vhost_set_vring_kick_op vhost_set_vring_kick;
     vhost_set_vring_call_op vhost_set_vring_call;
+    vhost_set_vring_busyloop_timeout_op vhost_set_vring_busyloop_timeout;
     vhost_set_features_op vhost_set_features;
     vhost_get_features_op vhost_get_features;
     vhost_set_owner_op vhost_set_owner;
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
index b60d7585b4..2106ed8c0d 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ struct vhost_dev {
 };
 
 int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
-                   VhostBackendType backend_type);
+                   VhostBackendType backend_type,
+                   uint32_t busyloop_timeout);
 void vhost_dev_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *hdev);
 int vhost_dev_start(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
 void vhost_dev_stop(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
diff --git a/include/net/vhost_net.h b/include/net/vhost_net.h
index 0bd48770d8..5a08efffef 100644
--- a/include/net/vhost_net.h
+++ b/include/net/vhost_net.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ typedef struct vhost_net VHostNetState;
 typedef struct VhostNetOptions {
     VhostBackendType backend_type;
     NetClientState *net_backend;
+    uint32_t busyloop_timeout;
     void *opaque;
 } VhostNetOptions;
 
diff --git a/net/tap.c b/net/tap.c
index 49817c70c1..676bad4e11 100644
--- a/net/tap.c
+++ b/net/tap.c
@@ -663,6 +663,11 @@ static void net_init_tap_one(const NetdevTapOptions *tap, NetClientState *peer,
 
         options.backend_type = VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_KERNEL;
         options.net_backend = &s->nc;
+        if (tap->has_poll_us) {
+            options.busyloop_timeout = tap->poll_us;
+        } else {
+            options.busyloop_timeout = 0;
+        }
 
         if (vhostfdname) {
             vhostfd = monitor_fd_param(cur_mon, vhostfdname, &err);
@@ -687,7 +692,7 @@ static void net_init_tap_one(const NetdevTapOptions *tap, NetClientState *peer,
             return;
         }
     } else if (vhostfdname) {
-        error_setg(errp, "vhostfd= is not valid without vhost");
+        error_setg(errp, "vhostfd(s)= is not valid without vhost");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/net/vhost-user.c b/net/vhost-user.c
index 92f4cfd1b1..a88dfe0655 100644
--- a/net/vhost-user.c
+++ b/net/vhost-user.c
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ static int vhost_user_start(int queues, NetClientState *ncs[])
 
         options.net_backend = ncs[i];
         options.opaque      = s->chr;
+        options.busyloop_timeout = 0;
         s->vhost_net = vhost_net_init(&options);
         if (!s->vhost_net) {
             error_report("failed to init vhost_net for queue %d", i);
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index ba3bf14749..d2d650673b 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -2592,6 +2592,9 @@
 #
 # @queues: #optional number of queues to be created for multiqueue capable tap
 #
+# @poll-us: #optional maximum number of microseconds that could
+# be spent on busy polling for tap (since 2.7)
+#
 # Since 1.2
 ##
 { 'struct': 'NetdevTapOptions',
@@ -2608,7 +2611,8 @@
     '*vhostfd':    'str',
     '*vhostfds':   'str',
     '*vhostforce': 'bool',
-    '*queues':     'uint32'} }
+    '*queues':     'uint32',
+    '*poll-us':    'uint32'} }
 
 ##
 # @NetdevSocketOptions
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 9692e53af6..8e0d9a51bf 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -1581,6 +1581,7 @@ DEF("netdev", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_netdev,
     "-netdev tap,id=str[,fd=h][,fds=x:y:...:z][,ifname=name][,script=file][,downscript=dfile]\n"
     "         [,helper=helper][,sndbuf=nbytes][,vnet_hdr=on|off][,vhost=on|off]\n"
     "         [,vhostfd=h][,vhostfds=x:y:...:z][,vhostforce=on|off][,queues=n]\n"
+    "         [,poll-us=n]\n"
     "                configure a host TAP network backend with ID 'str'\n"
     "                use network scripts 'file' (default=" DEFAULT_NETWORK_SCRIPT ")\n"
     "                to configure it and 'dfile' (default=" DEFAULT_NETWORK_DOWN_SCRIPT ")\n"
@@ -1600,6 +1601,8 @@ DEF("netdev", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_netdev,
     "                use 'vhostfd=h' to connect to an already opened vhost net device\n"
     "                use 'vhostfds=x:y:...:z to connect to multiple already opened vhost net devices\n"
     "                use 'queues=n' to specify the number of queues to be created for multiqueue TAP\n"
+    "                use 'poll-us=n' to speciy the maximum number of microseconds that could be\n"
+    "                spent on busy polling for vhost net\n"
     "-netdev bridge,id=str[,br=bridge][,helper=helper]\n"
     "                configure a host TAP network backend with ID 'str' that is\n"
     "                connected to a bridge (default=" DEFAULT_BRIDGE_INTERFACE ")\n"