diff --git a/include/spdk/event.h b/include/spdk/event.h
index 08b9682de5..af3e3d13b4 100644
--- a/include/spdk/event.h
+++ b/include/spdk/event.h
@@ -131,6 +131,13 @@ struct spdk_app_opts {
 	uint32_t		dpdk_mem_channel;
 	uint32_t 		dpdk_master_core;
 	int			dpdk_mem_size;
+
+	/* The maximum latency allowed when passing an event
+	 * from one core to another. A value of 0
+	 * means all cores continually poll. This is
+	 * specified in microseconds.
+	 */
+	uint64_t		max_delay_us;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -213,7 +220,7 @@ void spdk_event_call(spdk_event_t event);
 #define spdk_event_get_arg2(event)	(event)->arg2
 
 /* TODO: This is only used by tests and should be made private */
-void spdk_event_queue_run_all(uint32_t lcore);
+uint32_t spdk_event_queue_run_all(uint32_t lcore);
 
 /**
  * \brief Register a poller on the given lcore.
diff --git a/lib/event/app.c b/lib/event/app.c
index 758f49a67d..3c3ab151c9 100644
--- a/lib/event/app.c
+++ b/lib/event/app.c
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ spdk_app_opts_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 	opts->dpdk_master_core = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_MASTER_CORE;
 	opts->dpdk_mem_channel = SPDK_APP_DPDK_DEFAULT_MEM_CHANNEL;
 	opts->reactor_mask = NULL;
+	opts->max_delay_us = 0;
 }
 
 void
@@ -322,7 +323,7 @@ spdk_app_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 	 *  reactor_mask will be NULL which will enable all cores to run
 	 *  reactors.
 	 */
-	if (spdk_reactors_init(opts->reactor_mask)) {
+	if (spdk_reactors_init(opts->reactor_mask, opts->max_delay_us)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Invalid reactor mask.\n");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/event/reactor.c b/lib/event/reactor.c
index 4e9a1fb40b..47f8111e1a 100644
--- a/lib/event/reactor.c
+++ b/lib/event/reactor.c
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@
 
 #define SPDK_MAX_SOCKET		64
 
+#define SPDK_REACTOR_SPIN_TIME_US	1
+
 struct spdk_poller {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_poller)	tailq;
 	uint32_t			lcore;
@@ -94,6 +96,8 @@ struct spdk_reactor {
 	TAILQ_HEAD(timer_pollers_head, spdk_poller)	timer_pollers;
 
 	struct rte_ring					*events;
+
+	uint64_t					max_delay_us;
 };
 
 static struct spdk_reactor g_reactors[RTE_MAX_LCORE];
@@ -102,7 +106,8 @@ static int	g_reactor_count = 0;
 
 static enum spdk_reactor_state	g_reactor_state = SPDK_REACTOR_STATE_INVALID;
 
-static void spdk_reactor_construct(struct spdk_reactor *w, uint32_t lcore);
+static void spdk_reactor_construct(struct spdk_reactor *w, uint32_t lcore,
+				   uint64_t max_delay_us);
 
 struct rte_mempool *g_spdk_event_mempool[SPDK_MAX_SOCKET];
 
@@ -203,13 +208,15 @@ spdk_event_queue_run(uint32_t lcore, uint32_t count)
 	}
 }
 
-void
+uint32_t
 spdk_event_queue_run_all(uint32_t lcore)
 {
 	uint32_t count;
 
 	count = spdk_event_queue_count(lcore);
 	spdk_event_queue_run(lcore, count);
+
+	return count;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -293,12 +300,23 @@ _spdk_reactor_run(void *arg)
 {
 	struct spdk_reactor	*reactor = arg;
 	struct spdk_poller	*poller;
+	uint32_t		event_count;
+	uint64_t		last_action, now;
+	uint64_t		spin_cycles, sleep_cycles;
+	uint32_t		sleep_us;
 
 	set_reactor_thread_name();
-	SPDK_NOTICELOG("waiting for work item to arrive...\n");
+	SPDK_NOTICELOG("Reactor started on core 0x%x\n", rte_lcore_id());
+
+	spin_cycles = SPDK_REACTOR_SPIN_TIME_US * rte_get_timer_hz() / 1000000ULL;
+	sleep_cycles = reactor->max_delay_us * rte_get_timer_hz() / 1000000ULL;
+	last_action = rte_get_timer_cycles();
 
 	while (1) {
-		spdk_event_queue_run_all(rte_lcore_id());
+		event_count = spdk_event_queue_run_all(rte_lcore_id());
+		if (event_count > 0) {
+			last_action = rte_get_timer_cycles();
+		}
 
 		rte_timer_manage();
 
@@ -307,11 +325,12 @@ _spdk_reactor_run(void *arg)
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&reactor->active_pollers, poller, tailq);
 			poller->fn(poller->arg);
 			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&reactor->active_pollers, poller, tailq);
+			last_action = rte_get_timer_cycles();
 		}
 
 		poller = TAILQ_FIRST(&reactor->timer_pollers);
 		if (poller) {
-			uint64_t now = rte_get_timer_cycles();
+			now = rte_get_timer_cycles();
 
 			if (now >= poller->next_run_tick) {
 				TAILQ_REMOVE(&reactor->timer_pollers, poller, tailq);
@@ -320,6 +339,31 @@ _spdk_reactor_run(void *arg)
 			}
 		}
 
+		/* Determine if the thread can sleep */
+		if (sleep_cycles > 0) {
+			now = rte_get_timer_cycles();
+			if (now >= (last_action + spin_cycles)) {
+				sleep_us = reactor->max_delay_us;
+
+				poller = TAILQ_FIRST(&reactor->timer_pollers);
+				if (poller) {
+					/* There are timers registered, so don't sleep beyond
+					 * when the next timer should fire */
+					if (poller->next_run_tick < (now + sleep_cycles)) {
+						if (poller->next_run_tick <= now) {
+							sleep_us = 0;
+						} else {
+							sleep_us = ((poller->next_run_tick - now) * 1000000ULL) / rte_get_timer_hz();
+						}
+					}
+				}
+
+				if (sleep_us > 0) {
+					usleep(sleep_us);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		if (g_reactor_state != SPDK_REACTOR_STATE_RUNNING) {
 			break;
 		}
@@ -329,11 +373,12 @@ _spdk_reactor_run(void *arg)
 }
 
 static void
-spdk_reactor_construct(struct spdk_reactor *reactor, uint32_t lcore)
+spdk_reactor_construct(struct spdk_reactor *reactor, uint32_t lcore, uint64_t max_delay_us)
 {
 	char	ring_name[64];
 
 	reactor->lcore = lcore;
+	reactor->max_delay_us = max_delay_us;
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&reactor->active_pollers);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&reactor->timer_pollers);
@@ -492,7 +537,7 @@ void spdk_reactors_stop(void)
 }
 
 int
-spdk_reactors_init(const char *mask)
+spdk_reactors_init(const char *mask, unsigned int max_delay_us)
 {
 	uint32_t i;
 	int rc;
@@ -511,7 +556,7 @@ spdk_reactors_init(const char *mask)
 	RTE_LCORE_FOREACH(i) {
 		if (((1ULL << i) & spdk_app_get_core_mask())) {
 			reactor = spdk_reactor_get(i);
-			spdk_reactor_construct(reactor, i);
+			spdk_reactor_construct(reactor, i, max_delay_us);
 			g_reactor_count++;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/event/reactor.h b/lib/event/reactor.h
index cfbcaa3215..94fe160167 100644
--- a/lib/event/reactor.h
+++ b/lib/event/reactor.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #ifndef SPDK_REACTOR_H_
 #define SPDK_REACTOR_H_
 
-int spdk_reactors_init(const char *mask);
+int spdk_reactors_init(const char *mask, unsigned int max_delay_us);
 int spdk_reactors_fini(void);
 
 void spdk_reactors_start(void);
diff --git a/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c b/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c
index b531e0dede..be3b295b72 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c
+++ b/test/lib/event/reactor/reactor.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 	opts.name = "reactor";
+	opts.max_delay_us = 1000;
 
 	g_time_in_sec = 0;
 
@@ -121,7 +122,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	opts.shutdown_cb = test_cleanup;
 
-	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 	spdk_app_init(&opts);
 
 	spdk_app_start(test_start, NULL, NULL);