diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c
index 03760ba1..9d1155f3 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c
@@ -2113,6 +2113,7 @@ json_parse_config(json_t *root)
 #if BNGBLASTER_DPDK
             } else if(strcmp(s, "dpdk") == 0) {
                 g_ctx->config.io_mode = IO_MODE_DPDK;
+                g_ctx->dpdk = true;
 #endif
             } else {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Config error: Invalid value for interfaces->io-mode\n");
diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h
index 49019a18..edfff806 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ typedef struct bbl_ctx_
     io_thread_s *io_threads; /* single linked list of threads */
 
     bool tcp;
+    bool dpdk;
 
     bgp_session_s *bgp_sessions;
     bgp_raw_update_s *bgp_raw_updates;
diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/io/io_dpdk.c b/code/bngblaster/src/io/io_dpdk.c
index 9f33d3e3..05ca05a2 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/io/io_dpdk.c
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/io/io_dpdk.c
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ io_dpdk_init()
 
     struct rte_eth_dev_info dev_info;    
     
+    if(!g_ctx->dpdk) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     char *dpdk_args[2];
     char **argv=dpdk_args;