diff --git a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
index c5d8b4327d..a588535224 100644
--- a/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
+++ b/lib/eal/common/eal_common_thread.c
@@ -251,8 +251,13 @@ static void *ctrl_thread_init(void *arg)
 	struct rte_thread_ctrl_params *params = arg;
 	void *(*start_routine)(void *) = params->start_routine;
 	void *routine_arg = params->arg;
+	unsigned int lcore_id;
+
+	lcore_id = eal_lcore_non_eal_allocate();
+	if (lcore_id >= RTE_MAX_LCORE)
+		lcore_id = LCORE_ID_ANY;
 
-	__rte_thread_init(rte_lcore_id(), cpuset);
+	__rte_thread_init(lcore_id, cpuset);
 	params->ret = pthread_setaffinity_np(pthread_self(), sizeof(*cpuset),
 		cpuset);
 	if (params->ret != 0) {