diff --git a/Documentation/intro/install/dpdk.rst b/Documentation/intro/install/dpdk.rst
index e83f852..a760fb6 100644
--- a/Documentation/intro/install/dpdk.rst
+++ b/Documentation/intro/install/dpdk.rst
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ affinitized accordingly.
 
   A poll mode driver (pmd) thread handles the I/O of all DPDK interfaces
   assigned to it. A pmd thread shall poll the ports for incoming packets,
-  switch the packets and send to tx port.  pmd thread is CPU bound, and needs
+  switch the packets and send to tx port.  A pmd thread is CPU bound, and needs
   to be affinitized to isolated cores for optimum performance.
 
   By setting a bit in the mask, a pmd thread is created and pinned to the
@@ -458,8 +458,20 @@ affinitized accordingly.
       $ ovs-vsctl set Open_vSwitch . other_config:pmd-cpu-mask=0x4
 
   .. note::
-    pmd thread on a NUMA node is only created if there is at least one DPDK
-    interface from that NUMA node added to OVS.
+    While pmd threads are created based on pmd-cpu-mask, the thread only starts
+    consuming CPU cycles if there is least one receive queue assigned to the
+    pmd.
+
+  .. note::
+
+    On NUMA systems PCI devices are also local to a NUMA node.  Unbound Rx
+    queues for PCI device will assigned to a pmd on it's local NUMA node if
+    pmd-cpu-mask has created a pmd thread on that NUMA node.  If not the queue
+    will be assigned to a pmd on a remote NUMA node.  This will result in
+    reduced maximum throughput on that device.  In case such a queue assignment
+    is made a warning message will be logged: "There's no available (non-
+    isolated) pmd thread on numa node N. Queue Q on port P will be assigned to
+    the pmd on core C (numa node N'). Expect reduced performance."
 
 - QEMU vCPU thread Affinity
 
diff --git a/lib/dpif-netdev.c b/lib/dpif-netdev.c
index 4e29085..38a0fd3 100644
--- a/lib/dpif-netdev.c
+++ b/lib/dpif-netdev.c
@@ -3195,6 +3195,23 @@ rr_numa_list_lookup(struct rr_numa_list *rr, int numa_id)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+/* Returns next NUMA from rr list in round-robin fashion. Returns the first
+ * NUMA node if 'NULL' or the last node passed, and 'NULL' if list is empty. */
+static struct rr_numa *
+rr_numa_list_next(struct rr_numa_list *rr, const struct rr_numa *numa)
+{
+    struct hmap_node *node = NULL;
+
+    if (numa) {
+        node = hmap_next(&rr->numas, &numa->node);
+    }
+    if (!node) {
+        node = hmap_first(&rr->numas);
+    }
+
+    return (node) ? CONTAINER_OF(node, struct rr_numa, node) : NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 rr_numa_list_populate(struct dp_netdev *dp, struct rr_numa_list *rr)
 {
@@ -3249,6 +3266,7 @@ rxq_scheduling(struct dp_netdev *dp, bool pinned) OVS_REQUIRES(dp->port_mutex)
 {
     struct dp_netdev_port *port;
     struct rr_numa_list rr;
+    struct rr_numa * non_local_numa = NULL;
 
     rr_numa_list_populate(dp, &rr);
 
@@ -3262,7 +3280,6 @@ rxq_scheduling(struct dp_netdev *dp, bool pinned) OVS_REQUIRES(dp->port_mutex)
 
         numa_id = netdev_get_numa_id(port->netdev);
         numa = rr_numa_list_lookup(&rr, numa_id);
-
         for (int qid = 0; qid < port->n_rxq; qid++) {
             struct dp_netdev_rxq *q = &port->rxqs[qid];
 
@@ -3281,11 +3298,28 @@ rxq_scheduling(struct dp_netdev *dp, bool pinned) OVS_REQUIRES(dp->port_mutex)
                 }
             } else if (!pinned && q->core_id == OVS_CORE_UNSPEC) {
                 if (!numa) {
-                    VLOG_WARN("There's no available (non isolated) pmd thread "
+                    /* There are no pmds on the queue's local NUMA node.
+                       Round-robin on the NUMA nodes that do have pmds. */
+                    non_local_numa = rr_numa_list_next(&rr, non_local_numa);
+                    if (!non_local_numa) {
+                        VLOG_ERR("There is no available (non-isolated) pmd "
+                                 "thread for port \'%s\' queue %d. This queue "
+                                 "will not be polled. Is pmd-cpu-mask set to "
+                                 "zero? Or are all PMDs isolated to other "
+                                 "queues?", netdev_get_name(port->netdev),
+                                 qid);
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    q->pmd = rr_numa_get_pmd(non_local_numa);
+                    VLOG_WARN("There's no available (non-isolated) pmd thread "
                               "on numa node %d. Queue %d on port \'%s\' will "
-                              "not be polled.",
-                              numa_id, qid, netdev_get_name(port->netdev));
+                              "be assigned to the pmd on core %d "
+                              "(numa node %d). Expect reduced performance.",
+                              numa_id, qid, netdev_get_name(port->netdev),
+                              q->pmd->core_id, q->pmd->numa_id);
                 } else {
+                    /* Assign queue to the next (round-robin) PMD on it's local
+                       NUMA node. */
                     q->pmd = rr_numa_get_pmd(numa);
                 }
             }
