diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 91f9421549..2f190c4a30 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ DEFNETWORKMODEL := macvtap
 
 DEFDISABLEBLOCK := false
 DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER := virtio-scsi
+DEFENABLEIOTHREADS := false
 DEFENABLEMEMPREALLOC := false
 DEFENABLEHUGEPAGES := false
 DEFENABLESWAP := false
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ USER_VARS += DEFBRIDGES
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL
 USER_VARS += DEFDISABLEBLOCK
 USER_VARS += DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER
+USER_VARS += DEFENABLEIOTHREADS
 USER_VARS += DEFENABLEMEMPREALLOC
 USER_VARS += DEFENABLEHUGEPAGES
 USER_VARS += DEFENABLESWAP
@@ -263,6 +265,7 @@ const defaultBridgesCount uint32 = $(DEFBRIDGES)
 const defaultInterNetworkingModel = "$(DEFNETWORKMODEL)"
 const defaultDisableBlockDeviceUse bool = $(DEFDISABLEBLOCK)
 const defaultBlockDeviceDriver = "$(DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER)"
+const defaultEnableIOThreads bool = $(DEFENABLEIOTHREADS)
 const defaultEnableMemPrealloc bool = $(DEFENABLEMEMPREALLOC)
 const defaultEnableHugePages bool = $(DEFENABLEHUGEPAGES)
 const defaultEnableSwap bool = $(DEFENABLESWAP)
@@ -346,6 +349,7 @@ $(GENERATED_FILES): %: %.in Makefile VERSION
 		-e "s|@DEFNETWORKMODEL@|$(DEFNETWORKMODEL)|g" \
 		-e "s|@DEFDISABLEBLOCK@|$(DEFDISABLEBLOCK)|g" \
 		-e "s|@DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER@|$(DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER)|g" \
+		-e "s|@DEFENABLEIOTHREADS@|$(DEFENABLEIOTHREADS)|g" \
 		-e "s|@DEFENABLEMEMPREALLOC@|$(DEFENABLEMEMPREALLOC)|g" \
 		-e "s|@DEFENABLEHUGEPAGES@|$(DEFENABLEHUGEPAGES)|g" \
 		-e "s|@DEFENABLEMSWAP@|$(DEFENABLESWAP)|g" \
diff --git a/cli/config.go b/cli/config.go
index e22f857e8c..98629e152e 100644
--- a/cli/config.go
+++ b/cli/config.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ type hypervisor struct {
 	Swap                  bool   `toml:"enable_swap"`
 	Debug                 bool   `toml:"enable_debug"`
 	DisableNestingChecks  bool   `toml:"disable_nesting_checks"`
+	EnableIOThreads       bool   `toml:"enable_iothreads"`
 }
 
 type proxy struct {
@@ -321,6 +322,7 @@ func newQemuHypervisorConfig(h hypervisor) (vc.HypervisorConfig, error) {
 		Debug:                 h.Debug,
 		DisableNestingChecks:  h.DisableNestingChecks,
 		BlockDeviceDriver:     blockDriver,
+		EnableIOThreads:       h.EnableIOThreads,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -423,6 +425,7 @@ func loadConfiguration(configPath string, ignoreLogging bool) (resolvedConfigPat
 		Debug:                 defaultEnableDebug,
 		DisableNestingChecks:  defaultDisableNestingChecks,
 		BlockDeviceDriver:     defaultBlockDeviceDriver,
+		EnableIOThreads:       defaultEnableIOThreads,
 	}
 
 	err = config.InterNetworkModel.SetModel(defaultInterNetworkingModel)
diff --git a/cli/config/configuration.toml.in b/cli/config/configuration.toml.in
index e3416adaa9..307d841f35 100644
--- a/cli/config/configuration.toml.in
+++ b/cli/config/configuration.toml.in
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ disable_block_device_use = @DEFDISABLEBLOCK@
 # virtio-blk.
 block_device_driver = "@DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER@"
 
+# Enable iothreads (data-plane) to be used. This causes IO to be
+# handled in a separate IO thread. This is currently only implemented
+# for SCSI.
+#
+enable_iothreads = @DEFENABLEIOTHREADS@
+
 # Enable pre allocation of VM RAM, default false
 # Enabling this will result in lower container density
 # as all of the memory will be allocated and locked
diff --git a/cli/config_test.go b/cli/config_test.go
index 54f358179b..6b3f7c5818 100644
--- a/cli/config_test.go
+++ b/cli/config_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ type testRuntimeConfig struct {
 	LogPath           string
 }
 
-func makeRuntimeConfigFileData(hypervisor, hypervisorPath, kernelPath, imagePath, kernelParams, machineType, shimPath, proxyPath, logPath string, disableBlock bool, blockDeviceDriver string) string {
+func makeRuntimeConfigFileData(hypervisor, hypervisorPath, kernelPath, imagePath, kernelParams, machineType, shimPath, proxyPath, logPath string, disableBlock bool, blockDeviceDriver string, enableIOThreads bool) string {
 	return `
 	# Runtime configuration file
 
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func makeRuntimeConfigFileData(hypervisor, hypervisorPath, kernelPath, imagePath
 	default_vcpus = ` + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(defaultVCPUCount), 10) + `
 	default_memory = ` + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(defaultMemSize), 10) + `
 	disable_block_device_use =  ` + strconv.FormatBool(disableBlock) + `
+	enable_iothreads =  ` + strconv.FormatBool(enableIOThreads) + `
 
 	[proxy.kata]
 	path = "` + proxyPath + `"
@@ -101,8 +102,9 @@ func createAllRuntimeConfigFiles(dir, hypervisor string) (config testRuntimeConf
 	machineType := "machineType"
 	disableBlockDevice := true
 	blockDeviceDriver := "virtio-scsi"
+	enableIOThreads := true
 
-	runtimeConfigFileData := makeRuntimeConfigFileData(hypervisor, hypervisorPath, kernelPath, imagePath, kernelParams, machineType, shimPath, proxyPath, logPath, disableBlockDevice, blockDeviceDriver)
+	runtimeConfigFileData := makeRuntimeConfigFileData(hypervisor, hypervisorPath, kernelPath, imagePath, kernelParams, machineType, shimPath, proxyPath, logPath, disableBlockDevice, blockDeviceDriver, enableIOThreads)
 
 	configPath := path.Join(dir, "runtime.toml")
 	err = createConfig(configPath, runtimeConfigFileData)
@@ -140,6 +142,7 @@ func createAllRuntimeConfigFiles(dir, hypervisor string) (config testRuntimeConf
 		BlockDeviceDriver:     defaultBlockDeviceDriver,
 		DefaultBridges:        defaultBridgesCount,
 		Mlock:                 !defaultEnableSwap,
+		EnableIOThreads:       enableIOThreads,
 	}
 
 	agentConfig := vc.KataAgentConfig{}
@@ -569,6 +572,7 @@ func TestNewQemuHypervisorConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	imagePath := path.Join(dir, "image")
 	machineType := "machineType"
 	disableBlock := true
+	enableIOThreads := true
 
 	hypervisor := hypervisor{
 		Path:                  hypervisorPath,
@@ -576,6 +580,7 @@ func TestNewQemuHypervisorConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		Image:                 imagePath,
 		MachineType:           machineType,
 		DisableBlockDeviceUse: disableBlock,
+		EnableIOThreads:       enableIOThreads,
 	}
 
 	files := []string{hypervisorPath, kernelPath, imagePath}
@@ -617,6 +622,10 @@ func TestNewQemuHypervisorConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected value for disable block usage %v, got %v", disableBlock, config.DisableBlockDeviceUse)
 	}
 
+	if config.EnableIOThreads != enableIOThreads {
+		t.Errorf("Expected value for enable IOThreads  %v, got %v", enableIOThreads, config.EnableIOThreads)
+	}
+
 }
 
 func TestNewShimConfig(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/kata-env_test.go b/cli/kata-env_test.go
index 9393cb863c..ee21c0e3d0 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env_test.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ func makeRuntimeConfig(prefixDir string) (configFile string, config oci.RuntimeC
 	proxyPath := filepath.Join(prefixDir, "proxy")
 	disableBlock := true
 	blockStorageDriver := "virtio-scsi"
+	enableIOThreads := true
 
 	// override
 	defaultProxyPath = proxyPath
@@ -112,7 +113,9 @@ func makeRuntimeConfig(prefixDir string) (configFile string, config oci.RuntimeC
 		testProxyURL,
 		logPath,
 		disableBlock,
-		blockStorageDriver)
+		blockStorageDriver,
+		enableIOThreads,
+	)
 
 	configFile = path.Join(prefixDir, "runtime.toml")
 	err = createConfig(configFile, runtimeConfig)