Index: head/sys/net/iflib.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/iflib.c
+++ head/sys/net/iflib.c
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@
 	uint16_t ifc_sysctl_nrxqs;
 	uint16_t ifc_sysctl_qs_eq_override;
 	uint16_t ifc_sysctl_rx_budget;
+	uint16_t ifc_sysctl_tx_abdicate;
 
 	qidx_t ifc_sysctl_ntxds[8];
 	qidx_t ifc_sysctl_nrxds[8];
@@ -3756,6 +3757,7 @@
 	iflib_txq_t txq = context;
 	if_ctx_t ctx = txq->ift_ctx;
 	struct ifnet *ifp = ctx->ifc_ifp;
+	int abdicate = ctx->ifc_sysctl_tx_abdicate;
 
 #ifdef IFLIB_DIAGNOSTICS
 	txq->ift_cpu_exec_count[curcpu]++;
@@ -3769,7 +3771,14 @@
 		return;
 	}
 	if (txq->ift_db_pending)
-		ifmp_ring_enqueue(txq->ift_br, (void **)&txq, 1, TX_BATCH_SIZE);
+		ifmp_ring_enqueue(txq->ift_br, (void **)&txq, 1, TX_BATCH_SIZE, abdicate);
+	else if (!abdicate)
+		ifmp_ring_check_drainage(txq->ift_br, TX_BATCH_SIZE);
+	/*
+	 * When abdicating, we always need to check drainage, not just when we don't enqueue
+	 */
+	if (abdicate)
+		ifmp_ring_check_drainage(txq->ift_br, TX_BATCH_SIZE);
 	ifmp_ring_check_drainage(txq->ift_br, TX_BATCH_SIZE);
 	if (ctx->ifc_flags & IFC_LEGACY)
 		IFDI_INTR_ENABLE(ctx);
@@ -3940,6 +3949,7 @@
 
 	iflib_txq_t txq;
 	int err, qidx;
+	int abdicate = ctx->ifc_sysctl_tx_abdicate;
 
 	if (__predict_false((ifp->if_drv_flags & IFF_DRV_RUNNING) == 0 || !LINK_ACTIVE(ctx))) {
 		DBG_COUNTER_INC(tx_frees);
@@ -3991,10 +4001,13 @@
 	}
 #endif
 	DBG_COUNTER_INC(tx_seen);
-	err = ifmp_ring_enqueue(txq->ift_br, (void **)&m, 1, TX_BATCH_SIZE);
+	err = ifmp_ring_enqueue(txq->ift_br, (void **)&m, 1, TX_BATCH_SIZE, abdicate);
 
-	GROUPTASK_ENQUEUE(&txq->ift_task);
-	if (err) {
+	if (abdicate)
+		GROUPTASK_ENQUEUE(&txq->ift_task);
+ 	if (err) {
+		if (!abdicate)
+			GROUPTASK_ENQUEUE(&txq->ift_task);
 		/* support forthcoming later */
 #ifdef DRIVER_BACKPRESSURE
 		txq->ift_closed = TRUE;
@@ -6200,6 +6213,9 @@
 	SYSCTL_ADD_U16(ctx_list, oid_list, OID_AUTO, "rx_budget",
 		       CTLFLAG_RWTUN, &ctx->ifc_sysctl_rx_budget, 0,
                        "set the rx budget");
+	SYSCTL_ADD_U16(ctx_list, oid_list, OID_AUTO, "tx_abdicate",
+		       CTLFLAG_RWTUN, &ctx->ifc_sysctl_tx_abdicate, 0,
+		       "cause tx to abdicate instead of running to completion");
 
 	/* XXX change for per-queue sizes */
 	SYSCTL_ADD_PROC(ctx_list, oid_list, OID_AUTO, "override_ntxds",
Index: head/sys/net/mp_ring.h
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/mp_ring.h
+++ head/sys/net/mp_ring.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 int ifmp_ring_alloc(struct ifmp_ring **, int, void *, mp_ring_drain_t,
     mp_ring_can_drain_t, struct malloc_type *, int);
 void ifmp_ring_free(struct ifmp_ring *);
-int ifmp_ring_enqueue(struct ifmp_ring *, void **, int, int);
+int ifmp_ring_enqueue(struct ifmp_ring *, void **, int, int, int);
 void ifmp_ring_check_drainage(struct ifmp_ring *, int);
 void ifmp_ring_reset_stats(struct ifmp_ring *);
 int ifmp_ring_is_idle(struct ifmp_ring *);
Index: head/sys/net/mp_ring.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/mp_ring.c
+++ head/sys/net/mp_ring.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@
  */
 #ifdef NO_64BIT_ATOMICS
 int
-ifmp_ring_enqueue(struct ifmp_ring *r, void **items, int n, int budget)
+ifmp_ring_enqueue(struct ifmp_ring *r, void **items, int n, int budget, int abdicate)
 {
 	union ring_state os, ns;
 	uint16_t pidx_start, pidx_stop;
@@ -380,16 +380,24 @@
 	 */
 	os.state = ns.state = r->state;
 	ns.pidx_tail = pidx_stop;
-	ns.flags = BUSY;
+	if (abdicate) {
+		if (os.flags == IDLE)
+			ns.flags = ABDICATED;
+	}
+	else {
+		ns.flags = BUSY;
+	}
 	r->state = ns.state;
 	counter_u64_add(r->enqueues, n);
 
-	/*
-	 * Turn into a consumer if some other thread isn't active as a consumer
-	 * already.
-	 */
-	if (os.flags != BUSY)
-		drain_ring_locked(r, ns, os.flags, budget);
+	if (!abdicate) {
+		/*
+		 * Turn into a consumer if some other thread isn't active as a consumer
+		 * already.
+		 */
+		if (os.flags != BUSY)
+			drain_ring_locked(r, ns, os.flags, budget);
+	}
 
 	mtx_unlock(&r->lock);
 	return (0);
@@ -397,7 +405,7 @@
 
 #else
 int
-ifmp_ring_enqueue(struct ifmp_ring *r, void **items, int n, int budget)
+ifmp_ring_enqueue(struct ifmp_ring *r, void **items, int n, int budget, int abdicate)
 {
 	union ring_state os, ns;
 	uint16_t pidx_start, pidx_stop;
@@ -455,11 +463,25 @@
 	do {
 		os.state = ns.state = r->state;
 		ns.pidx_tail = pidx_stop;
-		if (os.flags == IDLE)
-			ns.flags = ABDICATED;
+		if (abdicate) {
+			if (os.flags == IDLE)
+				ns.flags = ABDICATED;
+		}
+		else {
+			ns.flags = BUSY;
+		}
 	} while (atomic_cmpset_rel_64(&r->state, os.state, ns.state) == 0);
 	critical_exit();
 	counter_u64_add(r->enqueues, n);
+
+	if (!abdicate) {
+		/*
+		 * Turn into a consumer if some other thread isn't active as a consumer
+		 * already.
+		 */
+		if (os.flags != BUSY)
+			drain_ring_lockless(r, ns, os.flags, budget);
+	}
 
 	return (0);
 }