diff --git a/app/test-pmd/parameters.c b/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
index 958b3d0485..c20ce65737 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ usage(char* progname)
 	       "enable print of designated event or all of them.");
 	printf("  --mask-event <unknown|intr_lsc|queue_state|intr_reset|vf_mbox|macsec|intr_rmv|all>: "
 	       "disable print of designated event or all of them.");
+	printf("  --flow-isolate-all: "
+	       "requests flow API isolated mode on all ports at initialization time.");
 }
 
 #ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_CMDLINE
@@ -630,6 +632,7 @@ launch_args_parse(int argc, char** argv)
 		{ "tx-queue-stats-mapping",	1, 0, 0 },
 		{ "rx-queue-stats-mapping",	1, 0, 0 },
 		{ "no-flush-rx",	0, 0, 0 },
+		{ "flow-isolate-all",	        0, 0, 0 },
 		{ "txpkts",			1, 0, 0 },
 		{ "disable-link-check",		0, 0, 0 },
 		{ "no-lsc-interrupt",		0, 0, 0 },
@@ -1105,6 +1108,8 @@ launch_args_parse(int argc, char** argv)
 				lsc_interrupt = 0;
 			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "no-rmv-interrupt"))
 				rmv_interrupt = 0;
+			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "flow-isolate-all"))
+				flow_isolate_all = 1;
 			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "print-event"))
 				if (parse_event_printing_config(optarg, 1)) {
 					rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
index e09b803832..e754d12aae 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.c
@@ -271,6 +271,11 @@ uint16_t port_topology = PORT_TOPOLOGY_PAIRED; /* Ports are paired by default */
  */
 uint8_t no_flush_rx = 0; /* flush by default */
 
+/*
+ * Flow API isolated mode.
+ */
+uint8_t flow_isolate_all;
+
 /*
  * Avoids to check link status when starting/stopping a port.
  */
@@ -1429,6 +1434,15 @@ start_port(portid_t pid)
 		if (port->need_reconfig > 0) {
 			port->need_reconfig = 0;
 
+			if (flow_isolate_all) {
+				int ret = port_flow_isolate(pi, 1);
+				if (ret) {
+					printf("Failed to apply isolated"
+					       " mode on port %d\n", pi);
+					return -1;
+				}
+			}
+
 			printf("Configuring Port %d (socket %u)\n", pi,
 					port->socket_id);
 			/* configure port */
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index 73985c3e3e..c9d7739b81 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ extern char cmdline_filename[PATH_MAX]; /**< offline commands file */
 extern uint8_t  numa_support; /**< set by "--numa" parameter */
 extern uint16_t port_topology; /**< set by "--port-topology" parameter */
 extern uint8_t no_flush_rx; /**<set by "--no-flush-rx" parameter */
+extern uint8_t flow_isolate_all; /**< set by "--flow-isolate-all */
 extern uint8_t  mp_anon; /**< set by "--mp-anon" parameter */
 extern uint8_t no_link_check; /**<set by "--disable-link-check" parameter */
 extern volatile int test_done; /* stop packet forwarding when set to 1. */
diff --git a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
index e50c47f18e..e8303f3ba3 100644
--- a/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/testpmd_app_ug/run_app.rst
@@ -500,3 +500,11 @@ The commandline options are:
 
     Disable printing the occurrence of the designated event. Using all will
     disable all of them.
+
+*   ``--flow-isolate-all``
+
+    Providing this parameter requests flow API isolated mode on all ports at
+    initialization time. It ensures all traffic is received through the
+    configured flow rules only (see flow command).
+
+    Ports that do not support this mode are automatically discarded.