diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 64eae5c12..bf96d157c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ else ()
     nng_check_sym (alloca alloca.h NNG_HAVE_ALLOCA)
     nng_check_struct_member(msghdr msg_control sys/socket.h NNG_HAVE_MSG_CONTROL)
     nng_check_sym (kqueue sys/event.h NNG_HAVE_KQUEUE)
+    nng_check_sym (epoll_wait sys/epoll.h NNG_HAVE_EPOLL)
 endif ()
 
 nng_check_sym (strlcat string.h NNG_HAVE_STRLCAT)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index ab0683220..92f75f947 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ if (NNG_HAVE_KQUEUE)
     set (NNG_SOURCES ${NNG_SOURCES}
         platform/posix/posix_pollq_kqueue.c
     )
+elseif (NNG_HAVE_EPOLL)
+    set (NNG_SOURCES ${NNG_SOURCES}
+        platform/posix/posix_pollq_epoll.c
+    )
 else()
     set (NNG_SOURCES ${NNG_SOURCES}
         platform/posix/posix_pollq_poll.c
diff --git a/src/platform/posix/posix_pollq_epoll.c b/src/platform/posix/posix_pollq_epoll.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2196cff21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/platform/posix/posix_pollq_epoll.c
@@ -0,0 +1,379 @@
+//
+// Copyright 2018 Staysail Systems, Inc. <info@staysail.tech>
+// Copyright 2018 Capitar IT Group BV <info@capitar.com>
+// Copyright 2018 Liam Staskawicz <liam@stask.net>
+//
+// This software is supplied under the terms of the MIT License, a
+// copy of which should be located in the distribution where this
+// file was obtained (LICENSE.txt).  A copy of the license may also be
+// found online at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT.
+//
+
+#ifdef NNG_HAVE_EPOLL
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h> /* for strerror() */
+#include <sys/epoll.h>
+#include <sys/eventfd.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "core/nng_impl.h"
+#include "platform/posix/posix_pollq.h"
+
+#define NNI_MAX_EPOLL_EVENTS 64
+
+// flags we always want enabled as long as at least one event is active
+#define NNI_EPOLL_FLAGS (EPOLLONESHOT | EPOLLERR | EPOLLHUP)
+
+// nni_posix_pollq is a work structure that manages state for the epoll-based
+// pollq implementation
+struct nni_posix_pollq {
+	nni_mtx               mtx;
+	nni_cv                cv;
+	int                   epfd;  // epoll handle
+	int                   evfd;  // event fd
+	bool                  close; // request for worker to exit
+	bool                  started;
+	nni_thr               thr;    // worker thread
+	nni_posix_pollq_node *wait;   // cancel waiting on this
+	nni_posix_pollq_node *active; // active node (in callback)
+};
+
+int
+nni_posix_pollq_add(nni_posix_pollq_node *node)
+{
+	int                rv;
+	nni_posix_pollq *  pq;
+	struct epoll_event ev;
+
+	pq = nni_posix_pollq_get(node->fd);
+	if (pq == NULL) {
+		return (NNG_EINVAL);
+	}
+
+	// ensure node was not previously associated with a pollq
+	if (node->pq != NULL) {
+		return (NNG_ESTATE);
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+	if (pq->close) {
+		// This shouldn't happen!
+		nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+		return (NNG_ECLOSED);
+	}
+
+	node->pq     = pq;
+	node->events = 0;
+
+	// notifications disabled to begin with
+	ev.events   = 0;
+	ev.data.ptr = node;
+
+	rv = epoll_ctl(pq->epfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, node->fd, &ev);
+	if (rv != 0) {
+		rv = nni_plat_errno(errno);
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+	return (rv);
+}
+
+// common functionality for nni_posix_pollq_remove() and nni_posix_pollq_fini()
+// called while pq's lock is held
+static void
+nni_posix_pollq_remove_helper(nni_posix_pollq *pq, nni_posix_pollq_node *node)
+{
+	int                rv;
+	struct epoll_event ev;
+
+	node->events = 0;
+	node->pq     = NULL;
+
+	ev.events   = 0;
+	ev.data.ptr = node;
+
+	rv = epoll_ctl(pq->epfd, EPOLL_CTL_DEL, node->fd, &ev);
+	if (rv != 0) {
+		NNI_ASSERT(errno == EBADF || errno == ENOENT);
+	}
+}
+
+// nni_posix_pollq_remove removes the node from the pollq, but
+// does not ensure that the pollq node is safe to destroy.  In particular,
+// this function can be called from a callback (the callback may be active).
+void
+nni_posix_pollq_remove(nni_posix_pollq_node *node)
+{
+	nni_posix_pollq *pq = node->pq;
+
+	if (pq == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+	nni_posix_pollq_remove_helper(pq, node);
+
+	if (pq->close) {
+		nni_cv_wake(&pq->cv);
+	}
+	nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+}
+
+// nni_posix_pollq_init merely ensures that the node is ready for use.
+// It does not register the node with any pollq in particular.
+int
+nni_posix_pollq_init(nni_posix_pollq_node *node)
+{
+	NNI_ARG_UNUSED(node);
+	return (0);
+}
+
+// nni_posix_pollq_fini does everything that nni_posix_pollq_remove does,
+// but it also ensures that the callback is not active, so that the node
+// may be deallocated.  This function must not be called in a callback.
+void
+nni_posix_pollq_fini(nni_posix_pollq_node *node)
+{
+	nni_posix_pollq *pq = node->pq;
+	if (pq == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+	while (pq->active == node) {
+		pq->wait = node;
+		nni_cv_wait(&pq->cv);
+	}
+
+	nni_posix_pollq_remove_helper(pq, node);
+
+	if (pq->close) {
+		nni_cv_wake(&pq->cv);
+	}
+	nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+}
+
+void
+nni_posix_pollq_arm(nni_posix_pollq_node *node, int events)
+{
+	int                rv;
+	struct epoll_event ev;
+	nni_posix_pollq *  pq = node->pq;
+
+	NNI_ASSERT(pq != NULL);
+	if (events == 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+
+	node->events |= events;
+	ev.events   = node->events | NNI_EPOLL_FLAGS;
+	ev.data.ptr = node;
+
+	rv = epoll_ctl(pq->epfd, EPOLL_CTL_MOD, node->fd, &ev);
+	NNI_ASSERT(rv == 0);
+
+	nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+}
+
+void
+nni_posix_pollq_disarm(nni_posix_pollq_node *node, int events)
+{
+	struct epoll_event ev;
+
+	nni_posix_pollq *pq = node->pq;
+	if (pq == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+
+	node->events &= ~events;
+	if (node->events == 0) {
+		ev.events = 0;
+	} else {
+		ev.events = node->events | NNI_EPOLL_FLAGS;
+	}
+	ev.data.ptr = node;
+
+	if (epoll_ctl(pq->epfd, EPOLL_CTL_MOD, node->fd, &ev) != 0) {
+		NNI_ASSERT(errno == EBADF || errno == ENOENT);
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+}
+
+static void
+nni_posix_poll_thr(void *arg)
+{
+	nni_posix_pollq *  pq = arg;
+	struct epoll_event events[NNI_MAX_EPOLL_EVENTS];
+
+	nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+
+	while (!pq->close) {
+		int i;
+		int nevents;
+
+		// block indefinitely, timers are handled separately
+		nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+		nevents =
+		    epoll_wait(pq->epfd, events, NNI_MAX_EPOLL_EVENTS, -1);
+		nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+
+		if (nevents <= 0) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		// dispatch events
+		for (i = 0; i < nevents; ++i) {
+			const struct epoll_event *ev;
+			nni_posix_pollq_node *    node;
+
+			ev = &events[i];
+			// If the waker pipe was signaled, read from it.
+			if ((ev->data.ptr == pq) && (ev->events & POLLIN)) {
+				int      rv;
+				uint64_t clear;
+				rv = read(pq->evfd, &clear, sizeof(clear));
+				NNI_ASSERT(rv == sizeof(clear));
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			node = (nni_posix_pollq_node *) ev->data.ptr;
+			if (node->pq == NULL) {
+				// node was removed while we were blocking
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			node->revents = ev->events &
+			    (EPOLLIN | EPOLLOUT | EPOLLERR | EPOLLHUP);
+
+			// mark events as cleared
+			node->events &= ~node->revents;
+
+			// Save the active node; we can notice this way
+			// when it is busy, and avoid freeing it until
+			// we are sure that it is not in use.
+			pq->active = node;
+
+			// Execute the callback with lock released
+			nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+			node->cb(node->data);
+			nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+
+			// We finished with this node.  If something
+			// was blocked waiting for that, wake it up.
+			pq->active = NULL;
+			if (pq->wait == node) {
+				pq->wait = NULL;
+				nni_cv_wake(&pq->cv);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+}
+
+static void
+nni_posix_pollq_destroy(nni_posix_pollq *pq)
+{
+	if (pq->started) {
+		int      rv;
+		uint64_t wakeval = 1;
+
+		nni_mtx_lock(&pq->mtx);
+		pq->close   = true;
+		pq->started = false;
+		rv          = write(pq->evfd, &wakeval, sizeof(wakeval));
+		NNI_ASSERT(rv == sizeof(wakeval));
+		nni_mtx_unlock(&pq->mtx);
+	}
+	nni_thr_fini(&pq->thr);
+
+	if (pq->evfd >= 0) {
+		close(pq->evfd);
+		pq->evfd = -1;
+	}
+
+	close(pq->epfd);
+	pq->epfd = -1;
+
+	nni_mtx_fini(&pq->mtx);
+}
+
+static int
+nni_posix_pollq_add_eventfd(nni_posix_pollq *pq)
+{
+	// add event fd so we can wake ourself on exit
+	struct epoll_event ev;
+	int                rv;
+
+	pq->evfd = eventfd(0, EFD_NONBLOCK);
+	if (pq->evfd == -1) {
+		return (nni_plat_errno(errno));
+	}
+
+	ev.events   = EPOLLIN;
+	ev.data.ptr = pq;
+
+	rv = epoll_ctl(pq->epfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, pq->evfd, &ev);
+	if (rv != 0) {
+		return (nni_plat_errno(errno));
+	}
+	return (0);
+}
+
+static int
+nni_posix_pollq_create(nni_posix_pollq *pq)
+{
+	int rv;
+
+	if ((pq->epfd = epoll_create1(0)) < 0) {
+		return (nni_plat_errno(errno));
+	}
+
+	pq->evfd  = -1;
+	pq->close = false;
+
+	nni_mtx_init(&pq->mtx);
+	nni_cv_init(&pq->cv, &pq->mtx);
+
+	if (((rv = nni_thr_init(&pq->thr, nni_posix_poll_thr, pq)) != 0) ||
+	    ((rv = nni_posix_pollq_add_eventfd(pq)) != 0)) {
+		nni_posix_pollq_destroy(pq);
+		return (rv);
+	}
+
+	pq->started = true;
+	nni_thr_run(&pq->thr);
+	return (0);
+}
+
+// single global instance for now
+static nni_posix_pollq nni_posix_global_pollq;
+
+nni_posix_pollq *
+nni_posix_pollq_get(int fd)
+{
+	NNI_ARG_UNUSED(fd);
+	return (&nni_posix_global_pollq);
+}
+
+int
+nni_posix_pollq_sysinit(void)
+{
+	return (nni_posix_pollq_create(&nni_posix_global_pollq));
+}
+
+void
+nni_posix_pollq_sysfini(void)
+{
+	nni_posix_pollq_destroy(&nni_posix_global_pollq);
+}
+
+#endif // NNG_HAVE_EPOLL