diff --git a/helper/include/odp/helper/linux.h b/helper/include/odp/helper/linux.h
index 2e89833..238bcf8 100644
--- a/helper/include/odp/helper/linux.h
+++ b/helper/include/odp/helper/linux.h
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ int odph_linux_pthread_create(odph_linux_pthread_t *pthread_tbl,
  */
 void odph_linux_pthread_join(odph_linux_pthread_t *thread_tbl, int num);
 
-
 /**
  * Fork a process
  *
@@ -200,6 +199,28 @@ int odph_odpthreads_create(odph_odpthread_t *thread_tbl,
 int odph_odpthreads_join(odph_odpthread_t *thread_tbl);
 
 /**
+ * Set CPU affinity of the current odp thread
+ *
+ * CPU affinity determines the CPU core on which the thread is
+ * eligible to run.
+ *
+ * @param cpu           The affinity CPU core
+ *
+ * @return 0 on success, -1 on failure
+ */
+int odph_odpthread_setaffinity(const int cpu);
+
+/**
+ * Get CPU affinity of the current odp thread
+ *
+ * CPU affinity determines the CPU core on which the thread is
+ * eligible to run.
+ *
+ * @return positive cpu ID on success, -1 on failure
+ */
+int odph_odpthread_getaffinity(void);
+
+/**
  * Merge getopt options
  *
  * Given two sets of getopt options (each containing possibly both short
diff --git a/helper/linux.c b/helper/linux.c
index 6366694..8b9dbe8 100644
--- a/helper/linux.c
+++ b/helper/linux.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/prctl.h>
+#include <sys/syscall.h>
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -492,6 +493,59 @@ int odph_odpthreads_join(odph_odpthread_t *thread_tbl)
 	return (retval < 0) ? retval : terminated;
 }
 
+/* man gettid() notes:
+ * Glibc does not provide a wrapper for this system call;
+ */
+static inline pid_t __gettid(void)
+{
+	return (pid_t)syscall(SYS_gettid);
+}
+
+int odph_odpthread_setaffinity(const int cpu)
+{
+	cpu_set_t cpuset;
+
+	CPU_ZERO(&cpuset);
+	CPU_SET(cpu, &cpuset);
+
+	/* determine main process or pthread based on
+	 * equality of thread and thread group IDs.
+	 */
+	if (__gettid() == getpid()) {
+		return sched_setaffinity(
+			0, /* pid zero means calling process */
+			sizeof(cpu_set_t), &cpuset);
+	}
+
+	/* on error, they return a nonzero error number. */
+	return (0 == pthread_setaffinity_np(
+		pthread_self(), sizeof(cpu_set_t), &cpuset)) ? 0 : -1;
+}
+
+int odph_odpthread_getaffinity(void)
+{
+	int cpu, result;
+	cpu_set_t cpuset;
+
+	CPU_ZERO(&cpuset);
+	if (__gettid() == getpid()) {
+		result = sched_getaffinity(
+			0, sizeof(cpu_set_t), &cpuset);
+	} else {
+		result = pthread_getaffinity_np(
+			pthread_self(), sizeof(cpu_set_t), &cpuset);
+	}
+
+	/* ODP thread mean to run on single CPU core */
+	if ((result == 0) && (CPU_COUNT(&cpuset) == 1)) {
+		for (cpu = 0; cpu < CPU_SETSIZE; cpu++) {
+			if (CPU_ISSET(cpu, &cpuset))
+				return cpu;
+		}
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
 /*
  * return the number of elements in an array of getopt options, excluding the
  * terminating {0,0,0,0}
diff --git a/helper/test/odpthreads.c b/helper/test/odpthreads.c
index bba4fa5..3d20eaa 100644
--- a/helper/test/odpthreads.c
+++ b/helper/test/odpthreads.c
@@ -10,17 +10,50 @@
  * the option passed to the program (--odph_proc, --odph_thread or both)
  */
 
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 #include <test_debug.h>
 #include <odp_api.h>
 #include <odp/helper/linux.h>
 
 #define NUMBER_WORKERS 16
+
+/* register odp_term_local/global() calls atexit() */
+static void main_exit(void);
+
+/* ODP application instance */
+static odp_instance_t odp_instance;
+
 static int worker_fn(void *arg TEST_UNUSED)
 {
+	int cpu;
+	odp_cpumask_t workers;
+
 	/* depend on the odp helper to call odp_init_local */
 
 	printf("Worker thread on CPU %d\n", odp_cpu_id());
 
+	/* verify CPU affinity was already set and among the
+	 * allowed worker cpu
+	 */
+	odp_cpumask_zero(&workers);
+	odp_cpumask_default_worker(&workers, NUMBER_WORKERS);
+
+	cpu = odph_odpthread_getaffinity();
+	if ((cpu < 0) || !odp_cpumask_isset(&workers, cpu)) {
+		printf("Worker thread(%d)'s CPU "
+		       "affinity was invalid.\n", odp_cpu_id());
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	/* verify helper API is workable by re-configure the same */
+	if (odph_odpthread_setaffinity(cpu) != 0) {
+		printf("Re-configure worker thread(%d)'s "
+		       "CPU affinity failed.\n", odp_cpu_id());
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	/* depend on the odp helper to call odp_term_local */
 
 	return 0;
@@ -29,28 +62,55 @@ static int worker_fn(void *arg TEST_UNUSED)
 /* Create additional dataplane opdthreads */
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	odp_instance_t instance;
 	odph_odpthread_params_t thr_params;
 	odph_odpthread_t thread_tbl[NUMBER_WORKERS];
 	odp_cpumask_t cpu_mask;
 	int num_workers;
-	int cpu;
+	int cpu, affinity;
 	int ret;
 	char cpumaskstr[ODP_CPUMASK_STR_SIZE];
 
 	/* let helper collect its own arguments (e.g. --odph_proc) */
 	odph_parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, NULL);
 
-	if (odp_init_global(&instance, NULL, NULL)) {
+	if (odp_init_global(&odp_instance, NULL, NULL)) {
 		LOG_ERR("Error: ODP global init failed.\n");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	if (odp_init_local(instance, ODP_THREAD_CONTROL)) {
+	if (odp_init_local(odp_instance, ODP_THREAD_CONTROL)) {
 		LOG_ERR("Error: ODP local init failed.\n");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
+	/* register termination callback */
+	atexit(main_exit);
+
+	odp_cpumask_zero(&cpu_mask);
+	/* allocate the 1st available control cpu to main process */
+	if (odp_cpumask_default_control(&cpu_mask, 1) != 1) {
+		LOG_ERR("Allocate main process CPU core failed.\n");
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
+	cpu = odp_cpumask_first(&cpu_mask);
+	if (odph_odpthread_setaffinity(cpu) != 0) {
+		LOG_ERR("Set main process affinify to "
+			"cpu(%d) failed.\n", cpu);
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
+	/* read back affinity to verify */
+	affinity = odph_odpthread_getaffinity();
+	if ((affinity < 0) || (cpu != affinity)) {
+		LOG_ERR("Verify main process affinity failed: "
+			"set(%d) read(%d).\n", cpu, affinity);
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+	cpu = 0;
+	affinity = 0;
+	odp_cpumask_zero(&cpu_mask);
+
 	/* discover how many opdthreads this system can support */
 	num_workers = odp_cpumask_default_worker(&cpu_mask, NUMBER_WORKERS);
 	if (num_workers < NUMBER_WORKERS) {
@@ -78,7 +138,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	thr_params.start    = worker_fn;
 	thr_params.arg      = NULL;
 	thr_params.thr_type = ODP_THREAD_WORKER;
-	thr_params.instance = instance;
+	thr_params.instance = odp_instance;
 
 	odph_odpthreads_create(&thread_tbl[0], &cpu_mask, &thr_params);
 
@@ -86,15 +146,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (ret < 0)
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void main_exit(void)
+{
 	if (odp_term_local()) {
 		LOG_ERR("Error: ODP local term failed.\n");
-		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	if (odp_term_global(instance)) {
+	if (odp_term_global(odp_instance)) {
 		LOG_ERR("Error: ODP global term failed.\n");
-		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c b/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c
index 7df9aa6..2337c92 100644
--- a/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c
+++ b/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c
@@ -333,9 +333,24 @@ int odp_cunit_update(odp_suiteinfo_t testsuites[])
 int odp_cunit_register(odp_suiteinfo_t testsuites[])
 {
 	/* call test executable init hook, if any */
-	if (global_init_term.global_init_ptr &&
-	    ((*global_init_term.global_init_ptr)(&instance) != 0))
-		return -1;
+	if (global_init_term.global_init_ptr) {
+		if ((*global_init_term.global_init_ptr)(&instance) == 0) {
+			/* After ODP initialization, set main thread's
+			 * CPU affinity to the 1st available control CPU core
+			 */
+			int cpu = 0;
+			odp_cpumask_t cpuset;
+
+			odp_cpumask_zero(&cpuset);
+			if (odp_cpumask_default_control(&cpuset, 1) == 1) {
+				cpu = odp_cpumask_first(&cpuset);
+				odph_odpthread_setaffinity(cpu);
+			}
+		} else {
+			/* ODP initialization failed */
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
 
 	CU_set_error_action(CUEA_ABORT);
 
