diff --git a/devicemodel/Makefile b/devicemodel/Makefile
index 1b0b27384..823265e27 100644
--- a/devicemodel/Makefile
+++ b/devicemodel/Makefile
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ SRCS += core/sw_load_vsbl.c
 SRCS += core/sw_load_ovmf.c
 SRCS += core/sw_load_elf.c
 SRCS += core/mevent.c
+SRCS += core/iothread.c
 SRCS += core/pm.c
 SRCS += core/pm_vuart.c
 SRCS += core/console.c
diff --git a/devicemodel/core/iothread.c b/devicemodel/core/iothread.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f56ea60d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devicemodel/core/iothread.c
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2022 Intel Corporation.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+*/
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/epoll.h>
+#include <sys/queue.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+
+#include "iothread.h"
+#include "log.h"
+#include "mevent.h"
+
+
+#define MEVENT_MAX 64
+struct iothread_ctx {
+	pthread_t tid;
+	int epfd;
+	bool started;
+	pthread_mutex_t mtx;
+};
+static struct iothread_ctx ioctx;
+
+static void *
+io_thread(void *arg)
+{
+	struct epoll_event eventlist[MEVENT_MAX];
+	struct iothread_mevent *aevp;
+	int i, n;
+
+	while(ioctx.started) {
+		n = epoll_wait(ioctx.epfd, eventlist, MEVENT_MAX, -1);
+		if (n < 0) {
+			if (errno == EINTR)
+				pr_info("%s: exit from epoll_wait\n", __func__);
+			else
+				pr_err("%s: return from epoll wait with errno %d\r\n", __func__, errno);
+			break;
+		}
+		for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+			aevp = eventlist[i].data.ptr;
+			if (aevp && aevp->run)
+				(*aevp->run)(aevp->arg);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static int
+iothread_start(void)
+{
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&ioctx.mtx);
+
+	if (ioctx.started) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&ioctx.mtx);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (pthread_create(&ioctx.tid, NULL, io_thread, NULL) != 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&ioctx.mtx);
+		pr_err("%s", "iothread create failed\r\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	ioctx.started = true;
+	pthread_setname_np(ioctx.tid, "iothread");
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&ioctx.mtx);
+	pr_info("iothread started\n");
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+iothread_add(int fd, struct iothread_mevent *aevt)
+{
+	struct epoll_event ee;
+	int ret;
+	/* Create a epoll instance before the first fd is added.*/
+	ee.events = EPOLLIN;
+	ee.data.ptr = aevt;
+	ret = epoll_ctl(ioctx.epfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, fd, &ee);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		pr_err("%s: failed to add fd, error is %d\n",
+			__func__, errno);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	/* Start the iothread after the first fd is added.*/
+	ret = iothread_start();
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		pr_err("%s: failed to start iothread thread\n",
+			__func__);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int
+iothread_del(int fd)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (ioctx.epfd) {
+		ret = epoll_ctl(ioctx.epfd, EPOLL_CTL_DEL, fd, NULL);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			pr_err("%s: failed to delete fd from epoll fd, error is %d\n",
+				__func__, errno);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+void
+iothread_deinit(void)
+{
+	void *jval;
+
+	if (ioctx.tid > 0) {
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&ioctx.mtx);
+		ioctx.started = false;
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&ioctx.mtx);
+		pthread_kill(ioctx.tid, SIGCONT);
+		pthread_join(ioctx.tid, &jval);
+	}
+	if (ioctx.epfd > 0) {
+		close(ioctx.epfd);
+		ioctx.epfd = -1;
+	}
+	pthread_mutex_destroy(&ioctx.mtx);
+	pr_info("iothread stop\n");
+}
+
+int
+iothread_init(void)
+{
+	pthread_mutexattr_t attr;
+
+	pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr);
+	pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE);
+	pthread_mutex_init(&ioctx.mtx, &attr);
+	pthread_mutexattr_destroy(&attr);
+
+	ioctx.tid = -1;
+	ioctx.started = false;
+	ioctx.epfd = epoll_create1(0);
+
+	if (ioctx.epfd < 0) {
+		pr_err("%s: failed to create epoll fd, error is %d\r\n",
+			__func__, errno);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/devicemodel/core/main.c b/devicemodel/core/main.c
index 924a6b5d6..f2acb0b15 100644
--- a/devicemodel/core/main.c
+++ b/devicemodel/core/main.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 #include "vssram.h"
 #include "cmd_monitor.h"
 #include "vdisplay.h"
+#include "iothread.h"
 
 #define	VM_MAXCPU		16	/* maximum virtual cpus */
 
@@ -1105,6 +1106,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			goto mevent_fail;
 		}
 
+		error = iothread_init();
+		if (error) {
+			pr_err("Unable to initialize iothread (%d)\n", errno);
+			goto iothread_fail;
+		}
+
 		pr_notice("vm_init_vdevs\n");
 		if (vm_init_vdevs(ctx) < 0) {
 			pr_err("Unable to init vdev (%d)\n", errno);
@@ -1167,6 +1174,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		vm_deinit_vdevs(ctx);
 		mevent_deinit();
+		iothread_deinit();
 		vm_unsetup_memory(ctx);
 		vm_destroy(ctx);
 		_ctx = 0;
@@ -1181,6 +1189,8 @@ vm_fail:
 		clean_vssram_configs();
 
 dev_fail:
+	iothread_deinit();
+iothread_fail:
 	mevent_deinit();
 mevent_fail:
 	vm_unsetup_memory(ctx);
diff --git a/devicemodel/include/iothread.h b/devicemodel/include/iothread.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a3cc7167
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devicemodel/include/iothread.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2022 Intel Corporation.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef	_iothread_CTX_H_
+#define	_iothread_CTX_H_
+
+struct iothread_mevent {
+	void (*run)(void *);
+	void *arg;
+};
+int iothread_add(int fd, struct iothread_mevent *aevt);
+int iothread_del(int fd);
+int iothread_init(void);
+void iothread_deinit(void);
+
+#endif