diff --git a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/en.h b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/en.h
index 0a927c615176..b05d13baff7c 100644
--- a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/en.h
+++ b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/en.h
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@ struct mlx5e_params {
   m(+1, u64 tx_coalesce_usecs, "tx_coalesce_usecs", "Limit in usec for joining tx packets") \
   m(+1, u64 tx_coalesce_pkts, "tx_coalesce_pkts", "Maximum number of tx packets to join") \
   m(+1, u64 tx_coalesce_mode, "tx_coalesce_mode", "0: EQE mode 1: CQE mode") \
+  m(+1, u64 tx_bufring_disable, "tx_bufring_disable", "0: Enable bufring 1: Disable bufring") \
   m(+1, u64 tx_completion_fact, "tx_completion_fact", "1..MAX: Completion event ratio") \
   m(+1, u64 tx_completion_fact_max, "tx_completion_fact_max", "Maximum completion event ratio") \
   m(+1, u64 hw_lro, "hw_lro", "set to enable hw_lro") \
diff --git a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_ethtool.c b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_ethtool.c
index 092fdcb95ece..fef3be71f2b8 100644
--- a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_ethtool.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_ethtool.c
@@ -352,6 +352,18 @@ mlx5e_ethtool_handler(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 			mlx5e_open_locked(priv->ifp);
 		break;
 
+	case MLX5_PARAM_OFFSET(tx_bufring_disable):
+		/* rangecheck input value */
+		priv->params_ethtool.tx_bufring_disable =
+		    priv->params_ethtool.tx_bufring_disable ? 1 : 0;
+
+		/* reconfigure the sendqueues, if any */
+		if (was_opened) {
+			mlx5e_close_locked(priv->ifp);
+			mlx5e_open_locked(priv->ifp);
+		}
+		break;
+
 	case MLX5_PARAM_OFFSET(tx_completion_fact):
 		/* network interface must be down */
 		if (was_opened)
diff --git a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c
index 0e5f9a1db4a3..aa2e44a64f80 100644
--- a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c
@@ -439,7 +439,8 @@ mlx5e_update_stats_work(struct work_struct *work)
 			tso_packets += sq_stats->tso_packets;
 			tso_bytes += sq_stats->tso_bytes;
 			tx_queue_dropped += sq_stats->dropped;
-			tx_queue_dropped += sq_br->br_drops;
+			if (sq_br != NULL)
+				tx_queue_dropped += sq_br->br_drops;
 			tx_defragged += sq_stats->defragged;
 			tx_offload_none += sq_stats->csum_offload_none;
 		}
@@ -987,34 +988,37 @@ mlx5e_create_sq(struct mlx5e_channel *c,
 	sq->priv = priv;
 	sq->tc = tc;
 
-	sq->br = buf_ring_alloc(MLX5E_SQ_TX_QUEUE_SIZE, M_MLX5EN,
-	    M_WAITOK, &sq->lock);
-	if (sq->br == NULL) {
-		if_printf(c->ifp, "%s: Failed allocating sq drbr buffer\n",
-		    __func__);
-		err = -ENOMEM;
-		goto err_free_sq_db;
-	}
+	/* check if we should allocate a second packet buffer */
+	if (priv->params_ethtool.tx_bufring_disable == 0) {
+		sq->br = buf_ring_alloc(MLX5E_SQ_TX_QUEUE_SIZE, M_MLX5EN,
+		    M_WAITOK, &sq->lock);
+		if (sq->br == NULL) {
+			if_printf(c->ifp, "%s: Failed allocating sq drbr buffer\n",
+			    __func__);
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto err_free_sq_db;
+		}
 
-	sq->sq_tq = taskqueue_create_fast("mlx5e_que", M_WAITOK,
-	    taskqueue_thread_enqueue, &sq->sq_tq);
-	if (sq->sq_tq == NULL) {
-		if_printf(c->ifp, "%s: Failed allocating taskqueue\n",
-		    __func__);
-		err = -ENOMEM;
-		goto err_free_drbr;
-	}
+		sq->sq_tq = taskqueue_create_fast("mlx5e_que", M_WAITOK,
+		    taskqueue_thread_enqueue, &sq->sq_tq);
+		if (sq->sq_tq == NULL) {
+			if_printf(c->ifp, "%s: Failed allocating taskqueue\n",
+			    __func__);
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto err_free_drbr;
+		}
 
-	TASK_INIT(&sq->sq_task, 0, mlx5e_tx_que, sq);
+		TASK_INIT(&sq->sq_task, 0, mlx5e_tx_que, sq);
 #ifdef RSS
-	cpu_id = rss_getcpu(c->ix % rss_getnumbuckets());
-	CPU_SETOF(cpu_id, &cpu_mask);
-	taskqueue_start_threads_cpuset(&sq->sq_tq, 1, PI_NET, &cpu_mask,
-	    "%s TX SQ%d.%d CPU%d", c->ifp->if_xname, c->ix, tc, cpu_id);
+		cpu_id = rss_getcpu(c->ix % rss_getnumbuckets());
+		CPU_SETOF(cpu_id, &cpu_mask);
+		taskqueue_start_threads_cpuset(&sq->sq_tq, 1, PI_NET, &cpu_mask,
+		    "%s TX SQ%d.%d CPU%d", c->ifp->if_xname, c->ix, tc, cpu_id);
 #else
-	taskqueue_start_threads(&sq->sq_tq, 1, PI_NET,
-	    "%s TX SQ%d.%d", c->ifp->if_xname, c->ix, tc);
+		taskqueue_start_threads(&sq->sq_tq, 1, PI_NET,
+		    "%s TX SQ%d.%d", c->ifp->if_xname, c->ix, tc);
 #endif
+	}
 	snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "txstat%dtc%d", c->ix, tc);
 	mlx5e_create_stats(&sq->stats.ctx, SYSCTL_CHILDREN(priv->sysctl_ifnet),
 	    buffer, mlx5e_sq_stats_desc, MLX5E_SQ_STATS_NUM,
@@ -1047,9 +1051,12 @@ mlx5e_destroy_sq(struct mlx5e_sq *sq)
 	mlx5e_free_sq_db(sq);
 	mlx5_wq_destroy(&sq->wq_ctrl);
 	mlx5_unmap_free_uar(sq->priv->mdev, &sq->uar);
-	taskqueue_drain(sq->sq_tq, &sq->sq_task);
-	taskqueue_free(sq->sq_tq);
-	buf_ring_free(sq->br, M_MLX5EN);
+	if (sq->sq_tq != NULL) {
+		taskqueue_drain(sq->sq_tq, &sq->sq_task);
+		taskqueue_free(sq->sq_tq);
+	}
+	if (sq->br != NULL)
+		buf_ring_free(sq->br, M_MLX5EN);
 }
 
 int
@@ -1497,9 +1504,10 @@ mlx5e_chan_mtx_init(struct mlx5e_channel *c)
 	for (tc = 0; tc < c->num_tc; tc++) {
 		struct mlx5e_sq *sq = c->sq + tc;
 
-		mtx_init(&sq->lock, "mlx5tx", MTX_NETWORK_LOCK, MTX_DEF);
-		mtx_init(&sq->comp_lock, "mlx5comp", MTX_NETWORK_LOCK,
-		    MTX_DEF);
+		mtx_init(&sq->lock, "mlx5tx",
+		    MTX_NETWORK_LOCK " TX", MTX_DEF);
+		mtx_init(&sq->comp_lock, "mlx5comp",
+		    MTX_NETWORK_LOCK " TX", MTX_DEF);
 
 		callout_init_mtx(&sq->cev_callout, &sq->lock, 0);
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c
index be82a7b2b974..fe0eb20ab071 100644
--- a/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_tx.c
@@ -439,7 +439,8 @@ mlx5e_poll_tx_cq(struct mlx5e_sq *sq, int budget)
 
 	sq->cc = sqcc;
 
-	if (atomic_cmpset_int(&sq->queue_state, MLX5E_SQ_FULL, MLX5E_SQ_READY))
+	if (sq->sq_tq != NULL &&
+	    atomic_cmpset_int(&sq->queue_state, MLX5E_SQ_FULL, MLX5E_SQ_READY))
 		taskqueue_enqueue(sq->sq_tq, &sq->sq_task);
 }
 
@@ -498,6 +499,45 @@ mlx5e_xmit_locked(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mlx5e_sq *sq, struct mbuf *mb)
 	return (err);
 }
 
+static int
+mlx5e_xmit_locked_no_br(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mlx5e_sq *sq, struct mbuf *mb)
+{
+	int err = 0;
+
+	if (unlikely((ifp->if_drv_flags & IFF_DRV_RUNNING) == 0 ||
+	    sq->stopped != 0)) {
+		m_freem(mb);
+		return (ENETDOWN);
+	}
+
+	/* Do transmit */
+	if (mlx5e_sq_xmit(sq, &mb) != 0) {
+		/* NOTE: m_freem() is NULL safe */
+		m_freem(mb);
+		err = ENOBUFS;
+	}
+
+	/* Check if we need to write the doorbell */
+	if (likely(sq->doorbell.d64 != 0)) {
+		mlx5e_tx_notify_hw(sq, sq->doorbell.d32, 0);
+		sq->doorbell.d64 = 0;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Check if we need to start the event timer which flushes the
+	 * transmit ring on timeout:
+	 */
+	if (unlikely(sq->cev_next_state == MLX5E_CEV_STATE_INITIAL &&
+	    sq->cev_factor != 1)) {
+		/* start the timer */
+		mlx5e_sq_cev_timeout(sq);
+	} else {
+		/* don't send NOPs yet */
+		sq->cev_next_state = MLX5E_CEV_STATE_HOLD_NOPS;
+	}
+	return (err);
+}
+
 int
 mlx5e_xmit(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mbuf *mb)
 {
@@ -510,7 +550,13 @@ mlx5e_xmit(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mbuf *mb)
 		m_freem(mb);
 		return (ENXIO);
 	}
-	if (mtx_trylock(&sq->lock)) {
+
+	if (unlikely(sq->br == NULL)) {
+		/* rate limited traffic */
+		mtx_lock(&sq->lock);
+		ret = mlx5e_xmit_locked_no_br(ifp, sq, mb);
+		mtx_unlock(&sq->lock);
+	} else if (mtx_trylock(&sq->lock)) {
 		ret = mlx5e_xmit_locked(ifp, sq, mb);
 		mtx_unlock(&sq->lock);
 	} else {