diff --git a/lib/dpif-netdev.c b/lib/dpif-netdev.c
index 30907b7..a80ffb2 100644
--- a/lib/dpif-netdev.c
+++ b/lib/dpif-netdev.c
@@ -279,8 +279,9 @@ enum dp_stat_type {
 };
 
 enum pmd_cycles_counter_type {
-    PMD_CYCLES_POLLING,         /* Cycles spent polling NICs. */
-    PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING,      /* Cycles spent processing packets */
+    PMD_CYCLES_IDLE,            /* Cycles spent idle or unsuccessful polling */
+    PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING,      /* Cycles spent successfully polling and
+                                 * processing polled packets */
     PMD_N_CYCLES
 };
 
@@ -755,10 +756,10 @@ pmd_info_show_stats(struct ds *reply,
     }
 
     ds_put_format(reply,
-                  "\tpolling cycles:%"PRIu64" (%.02f%%)\n"
+                  "\tidle cycles:%"PRIu64" (%.02f%%)\n"
                   "\tprocessing cycles:%"PRIu64" (%.02f%%)\n",
-                  cycles[PMD_CYCLES_POLLING],
-                  cycles[PMD_CYCLES_POLLING] / (double)total_cycles * 100,
+                  cycles[PMD_CYCLES_IDLE],
+                  cycles[PMD_CYCLES_IDLE] / (double)total_cycles * 100,
                   cycles[PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING],
                   cycles[PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING] / (double)total_cycles * 100);
 
@@ -2953,30 +2954,43 @@ cycles_count_end(struct dp_netdev_pmd_thread *pmd,
     non_atomic_ullong_add(&pmd->cycles.n[type], interval);
 }
 
-static void
+/* Calculate the intermediate cycle result and add to the counter 'type' */
+static inline void
+cycles_count_intermediate(struct dp_netdev_pmd_thread *pmd,
+                          enum pmd_cycles_counter_type type)
+    OVS_NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS
+{
+    unsigned long long new_cycles = cycles_counter();
+    unsigned long long interval = new_cycles - pmd->last_cycles;
+    pmd->last_cycles = new_cycles;
+
+    non_atomic_ullong_add(&pmd->cycles.n[type], interval);
+}
+
+static int
 dp_netdev_process_rxq_port(struct dp_netdev_pmd_thread *pmd,
                            struct netdev_rxq *rx,
                            odp_port_t port_no)
 {
     struct dp_packet_batch batch;
     int error;
+    int batch_cnt = 0;
 
     dp_packet_batch_init(&batch);
-    cycles_count_start(pmd);
     error = netdev_rxq_recv(rx, &batch);
-    cycles_count_end(pmd, PMD_CYCLES_POLLING);
     if (!error) {
         *recirc_depth_get() = 0;
 
-        cycles_count_start(pmd);
+        batch_cnt = batch.count;
         dp_netdev_input(pmd, &batch, port_no);
-        cycles_count_end(pmd, PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING);
     } else if (error != EAGAIN && error != EOPNOTSUPP) {
         static struct vlog_rate_limit rl = VLOG_RATE_LIMIT_INIT(1, 5);
 
         VLOG_ERR_RL(&rl, "error receiving data from %s: %s",
                     netdev_rxq_get_name(rx), ovs_strerror(error));
     }
+
+    return batch_cnt;
 }
 
 static struct tx_port *
@@ -3438,21 +3452,29 @@ dpif_netdev_run(struct dpif *dpif)
     struct dp_netdev *dp = get_dp_netdev(dpif);
     struct dp_netdev_pmd_thread *non_pmd;
     uint64_t new_tnl_seq;
+    int process_packets = 0;
 
     ovs_mutex_lock(&dp->port_mutex);
     non_pmd = dp_netdev_get_pmd(dp, NON_PMD_CORE_ID);
     if (non_pmd) {
         ovs_mutex_lock(&dp->non_pmd_mutex);
+        cycles_count_start(non_pmd);
         HMAP_FOR_EACH (port, node, &dp->ports) {
             if (!netdev_is_pmd(port->netdev)) {
                 int i;
 
                 for (i = 0; i < port->n_rxq; i++) {
-                    dp_netdev_process_rxq_port(non_pmd, port->rxqs[i].rx,
-                                               port->port_no);
+                    process_packets =
+                        dp_netdev_process_rxq_port(non_pmd,
+                                                   port->rxqs[i].rx,
+                                                   port->port_no);
+                    cycles_count_intermediate(non_pmd, process_packets ?
+                                                       PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING
+                                                     : PMD_CYCLES_IDLE);
                 }
             }
         }
+        cycles_count_end(non_pmd, PMD_CYCLES_IDLE);
         dpif_netdev_xps_revalidate_pmd(non_pmd, time_msec(), false);
         ovs_mutex_unlock(&dp->non_pmd_mutex);
 
@@ -3577,6 +3599,7 @@ pmd_thread_main(void *f_)
     bool exiting;
     int poll_cnt;
     int i;
+    int process_packets = 0;
 
     poll_list = NULL;
 
@@ -3603,10 +3626,15 @@ reload:
         lc = UINT_MAX;
     }
 
+    cycles_count_start(pmd);
     for (;;) {
         for (i = 0; i < poll_cnt; i++) {
-            dp_netdev_process_rxq_port(pmd, poll_list[i].rx,
-                                       poll_list[i].port_no);
+            process_packets =
+                dp_netdev_process_rxq_port(pmd, poll_list[i].rx,
+                                           poll_list[i].port_no);
+            cycles_count_intermediate(pmd,
+                                      process_packets ? PMD_CYCLES_PROCESSING
+                                                      : PMD_CYCLES_IDLE);
         }
 
         if (lc++ > 1024) {
@@ -3627,6 +3655,8 @@ reload:
         }
     }
 
+    cycles_count_end(pmd, PMD_CYCLES_IDLE);
+
     poll_cnt = pmd_load_queues_and_ports(pmd, &poll_list);
     exiting = latch_is_set(&pmd->exit_latch);
     /* Signal here to make sure the pmd finishes
diff --git a/vswitchd/ovs-vswitchd.8.in b/vswitchd/ovs-vswitchd.8.in
index fc19f3b..2e6e684 100644
--- a/vswitchd/ovs-vswitchd.8.in
+++ b/vswitchd/ovs-vswitchd.8.in
@@ -253,7 +253,10 @@ The sum of ``emc hits'', ``masked hits'' and ``miss'' is the number of
 packets received by the datapath.  Cycles are counted using the TSC or similar
 facilities (when available on the platform).  To reset these counters use
 \fBdpif-netdev/pmd-stats-clear\fR. The duration of one cycle depends on the
-measuring infrastructure.
+measuring infrastructure. ``idle cycles'' refers to cycles spent polling
+devices but not receiving any packets. ``processing cycles'' refers to cycles
+spent polling devices and sucessfully receiving packets, plus the cycles
+spent processing said packets.
 .IP "\fBdpif-netdev/pmd-stats-clear\fR [\fIdp\fR]"
 Resets to zero the per pmd thread performance numbers shown by the
 \fBdpif-netdev/pmd-stats-show\fR command.  It will NOT reset datapath or
