diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap.c b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap.c
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap.c
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap.c
@@ -1621,6 +1621,35 @@
 	if (*na != NULL) /* valid match in netmap_get_bdg_na() */
 		goto out;
 
+	/* did the user ask for specific NUMA affinity? */
+	if (nmd == NULL) {
+		struct nmreq_option *opt;
+
+		opt = nmreq_getoption(hdr, NETMAP_REQ_OPT_NUMA_DOMAIN);
+		if (opt != NULL) {
+			struct nmreq_opt_numa_domain *numa;
+			int32_t domain;
+
+			numa = (struct nmreq_opt_numa_domain *)opt;
+			domain = numa->nro_numa_domain;
+			if (domain < -1 || domain >= vm_ndomains) {
+				error = EINVAL;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			if (domain != -1) {
+				nmd = netmap_mem_get_allocator(-1, domain);
+				if (nmd == NULL) {
+					/*
+					 * Failed to honour the
+					 * REQ_OPT_NUMA_DOMAIN request.
+					 */
+					error = ENXIO;
+					goto out;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * This must be a hardware na, lookup the name in the system.
 	 * Note that by hardware we actually mean "it shows up in ifconfig".
@@ -2818,6 +2847,7 @@
 						break;
 					}
 				}
+
 				/* find the interface and a reference */
 				error = netmap_get_na(hdr, &na, &ifp, nmd,
 						      1 /* create */); /* keep reference */
@@ -4011,7 +4041,7 @@
 
 	if (na->nm_mem == NULL) {
 		/* select an allocator based on IOMMU and NUMA affinity */
-		na->nm_mem = netmap_mem_get_allocator(na);
+		na->nm_mem = netmap_mem_get_na_allocator(na);
 	}
 	if (na->nm_bdg_attach == NULL)
 		/* no special nm_bdg_attach callback. On VALE
diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_kern.h
@@ -903,6 +903,7 @@
  	struct netmap_mem_d *nm_mem;
 	struct netmap_mem_d *nm_mem_prev;
 	struct netmap_lut na_lut;
+	int32_t na_numa_domain;
 
 	/* additional information attached to this adapter
 	 * by other netmap subsystems. Currently used by
diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.h b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.h
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.h
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.h
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@
 #define netmap_mem_get(d) __netmap_mem_get(d, __FUNCTION__, __LINE__)
 #define netmap_mem_put(d) __netmap_mem_put(d, __FUNCTION__, __LINE__)
 struct netmap_mem_d* __netmap_mem_get(struct netmap_mem_d *, const char *, int);
-struct netmap_mem_d* netmap_mem_get_allocator(struct netmap_adapter *);
+struct netmap_mem_d* netmap_mem_get_allocator(int, int);
+struct netmap_mem_d* netmap_mem_get_na_allocator(struct netmap_adapter *);
 void __netmap_mem_put(struct netmap_mem_d *, const char *, int);
 struct netmap_mem_d* netmap_mem_find(nm_memid_t);
 unsigned netmap_mem_bufsize(struct netmap_mem_d *nmd);
diff --git a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.c b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.c
--- a/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.c
+++ b/sys/dev/netmap/netmap_mem2.c
@@ -1818,20 +1818,27 @@
 	return d;
 }
 
-/* Reference IOMMU and NUMA local allocator - find existing or create new,
- * for non-hw adapters, fall back to global allocator.
- */
 struct netmap_mem_d *
-netmap_mem_get_allocator(struct netmap_adapter *na)
+netmap_mem_get_na_allocator(struct netmap_adapter *na)
 {
-	int i, domain, err, grp_id;
-	struct netmap_mem_d *nmd;
+	int domain, grp_id;
 
 	if (na == NULL || na->pdev == NULL)
 		return netmap_mem_get(&nm_mem);
 
 	domain = nm_numa_domain(na->pdev);
 	grp_id = nm_iommu_group_id(na->pdev);
+	return (netmap_mem_get_allocator(grp_id, domain));
+}
+
+/* Reference IOMMU and NUMA local allocator - find existing or create new,
+ * for non-hw adapters, fall back to global allocator.
+ */
+struct netmap_mem_d *
+netmap_mem_get_allocator(int grp_id, int domain)
+{
+	int i, err;
+	struct netmap_mem_d *nmd;
 
 	NM_MTX_LOCK(nm_mem_list_lock);
 	nmd = netmap_last_mem_d;
diff --git a/sys/net/netmap.h b/sys/net/netmap.h
--- a/sys/net/netmap.h
+++ b/sys/net/netmap.h
@@ -586,6 +586,11 @@
 	 */
 	NETMAP_REQ_OPT_OFFSETS,
 
+	/* On NETMAP_REQ_REGISTER, override the NUMA affinity of the memory
+	 * pool used for a hardware port.  Ignored for other port types.
+	 */
+	NETMAP_REQ_OPT_NUMA_DOMAIN,
+
 	/* This is a marker to count the number of available options.
 	 * New options must be added above it. */
 	NETMAP_REQ_OPT_MAX,
@@ -992,4 +997,14 @@
 	uint64_t		nro_min_gap;
 };
 
+struct nmreq_opt_numa_domain {
+	struct nmreq_option	nro_opt;
+
+	/* the ID of the NUMA domain to use for memory allocations.  A value of
+	 * -1 means that the system will try to use the port's NUMA affinity
+	 *  info to select the domain.
+	 */
+	int32_t			nro_numa_domain;
+};
+
 #endif /* _NET_NETMAP_H_ */