diff --git a/Documentation/howto/dpdk.rst b/Documentation/howto/dpdk.rst
index a67f3a1fa..bac51de8e 100644
--- a/Documentation/howto/dpdk.rst
+++ b/Documentation/howto/dpdk.rst
@@ -123,6 +123,22 @@ automatically. The processing cycles that have been stored for each rxq
 will be used where known to assign rxqs to pmd based on a round robin of the
 sorted rxqs.
 
+For example, in the case where here there are 5 rxqs and 3 cores (e.g. 3,7,8)
+available, and the measured usage of core cycles per rxq over the last
+interval is seen to be:
+
+- Queue #0: 30%
+- Queue #1: 80%
+- Queue #3: 60%
+- Queue #4: 70%
+- Queue #5: 10%
+
+The rxqs will be assigned to cores 3,7,8 in the following order:
+
+Core 3: Q1 (80%) |
+Core 7: Q4 (70%) | Q5 (10%)
+core 8: Q3 (60%) | Q0 (30%)
+
 Rxq to pmds assignment takes place whenever there are configuration changes.
 
 QoS
diff --git a/lib/dpif-netdev.c b/lib/dpif-netdev.c
index 7331b0bdb..1b2dc9b3d 100644
--- a/lib/dpif-netdev.c
+++ b/lib/dpif-netdev.c
@@ -3287,6 +3287,7 @@ struct rr_numa {
     int n_pmds;
 
     int cur_index;
+    bool idx_inc;
 };
 
 static struct rr_numa *
@@ -3343,13 +3344,37 @@ rr_numa_list_populate(struct dp_netdev *dp, struct rr_numa_list *rr)
         numa->n_pmds++;
         numa->pmds = xrealloc(numa->pmds, numa->n_pmds * sizeof *numa->pmds);
         numa->pmds[numa->n_pmds - 1] = pmd;
+        /* At least one pmd so initialise curr_idx and idx_inc. */
+        numa->cur_index = 0;
+        numa->idx_inc = true;
     }
 }
 
+/* Returns the next pmd from the numa node in
+ * incrementing or decrementing order. */
 static struct dp_netdev_pmd_thread *
 rr_numa_get_pmd(struct rr_numa *numa)
 {
-    return numa->pmds[numa->cur_index++ % numa->n_pmds];
+    int numa_idx = numa->cur_index;
+
+    if (numa->idx_inc == true) {
+        /* Incrementing through list of pmds. */
+        if (numa->cur_index == numa->n_pmds-1) {
+            /* Reached the last pmd. */
+            numa->idx_inc = false;
+        } else {
+            numa->cur_index++;
+        }
+    } else {
+        /* Decrementing through list of pmds. */
+        if (numa->cur_index == 0) {
+            /* Reached the first pmd. */
+            numa->idx_inc = true;
+        } else {
+            numa->cur_index--;
+        }
+    }
+    return numa->pmds[numa_idx];
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/tests/pmd.at b/tests/pmd.at
index b6732eac5..e39a23a43 100644
--- a/tests/pmd.at
+++ b/tests/pmd.at
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ m4_define([CHECK_PMD_THREADS_CREATED], [
 ])
 
 m4_define([SED_NUMA_CORE_PATTERN], ["s/\(numa_id \)[[0-9]]*\( core_id \)[[0-9]]*:/\1<cleared>\2<cleared>:/"])
-m4_define([SED_NUMA_CORE_QUEUE_PATTERN], ["s/\(numa_id \)[[0-9]]*\( core_id \)[[0-9]]*:/\1<cleared>\2<cleared>:/;s/\(queue-id: \)0 2 4 6/\1<cleared>/;s/\(queue-id: \)1 3 5 7/\1<cleared>/"])
+m4_define([SED_NUMA_CORE_QUEUE_PATTERN], ["s/\(numa_id \)[[0-9]]*\( core_id \)[[0-9]]*:/\1<cleared>\2<cleared>:/;s/\(queue-id: \)1 2 5 6/\1<cleared>/;s/\(queue-id: \)0 3 4 7/\1<cleared>/"])
 m4_define([DUMMY_NUMA], [--dummy-numa="0,0,0,0"])
 
 AT_SETUP([PMD - creating a thread/add-port])