diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h
index ca40fc6bcd..b8f19bf15a 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ typedef void (*isc_nm_opaquecb_t)(void *arg);
  * callbacks.
  */
 
+typedef void (*isc_nm_workcb_t)(void *arg);
+typedef void (*isc_nm_after_workcb_t)(void *arg, isc_result_t result);
+/*%<
+ * Callback functions for libuv threadpool work (see uv_work_t)
+ */
+
 void
 isc_nm_attach(isc_nm_t *mgr, isc_nm_t **dst);
 void
@@ -529,6 +535,19 @@ isc_nm_task_enqueue(isc_nm_t *mgr, isc_task_t *task, int threadid);
  *     maximum number of 'workers' as specifed in isc_nm_start()
  */
 
+void
+isc_nm_work_offload(isc_nm_t *mgr, isc_nm_workcb_t work_cb,
+		    isc_nm_after_workcb_t after_work_cb, void *data);
+/*%<
+ * Schedules a job to be handled by the libuv thread pool (see uv_work_t).
+ * The function specified in `work_cb` will be run by a thread in the
+ * thread pool; when complete, the `after_work_cb` function will run.
+ *
+ * Requires:
+ * \li 'mgr' is a valid netmgr object.
+ * \li We are currently running in a network manager thread.
+ */
+
 void
 isc__nm_force_tid(int tid);
 /*%<
diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h
index dece53bfec..9e5445664b 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h
@@ -646,6 +646,17 @@ typedef union {
 	isc__netievent_tlsconnect_t nitc;
 } isc__netievent_storage_t;
 
+/*
+ * Work item for a uv_work threadpool.
+ */
+typedef struct isc__nm_work {
+	isc_nm_t *netmgr;
+	uv_work_t req;
+	isc_nm_workcb_t cb;
+	isc_nm_after_workcb_t after_cb;
+	void *data;
+} isc__nm_work_t;
+
 /*
  * Network manager
  */
diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c
index 9692be6a4b..0b708b57d5 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "netmgr-int.h"
 #include "netmgr_p.h"
 #include "openssl_shim.h"
+#include "trampoline_p.h"
 #include "uv-compat.h"
 
 /*%
@@ -199,6 +200,14 @@ static void
 isc__nm_async_detach(isc__networker_t *worker, isc__netievent_t *ev0);
 static void
 isc__nm_async_close(isc__networker_t *worker, isc__netievent_t *ev0);
+
+static void
+isc__nm_threadpool_initialize(uint32_t workers);
+static void
+isc__nm_work_cb(uv_work_t *req);
+static void
+isc__nm_after_work_cb(uv_work_t *req, int status);
+
 /*%<
  * Issue a 'handle closed' callback on the socket.
  */
@@ -256,6 +265,17 @@ isc__nm_winsock_destroy(void) {
 }
 #endif /* WIN32 */
 
+static void
+isc__nm_threadpool_initialize(uint32_t workers) {
+	char buf[11];
+	int r = uv_os_getenv("UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE", buf,
+			     &(size_t){ sizeof(buf) });
+	if (r == UV_ENOENT) {
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%" PRIu32, workers);
+		uv_os_setenv("UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE", buf);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 isc__netmgr_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, uint32_t workers, isc_nm_t **netmgrp) {
 	isc_nm_t *mgr = NULL;
@@ -267,6 +287,8 @@ isc__netmgr_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, uint32_t workers, isc_nm_t **netmgrp) {
 	isc__nm_winsock_initialize();
 #endif /* WIN32 */
 
+	isc__nm_threadpool_initialize(workers);
+
 	mgr = isc_mem_get(mctx, sizeof(*mgr));
 	*mgr = (isc_nm_t){ .nworkers = workers };
 
@@ -280,8 +302,6 @@ isc__netmgr_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, uint32_t workers, isc_nm_t **netmgrp) {
 	atomic_init(&mgr->workers_paused, 0);
 	atomic_init(&mgr->paused, false);
 	atomic_init(&mgr->closing, false);
-	atomic_init(&mgr->idle, false);
-	atomic_init(&mgr->keepalive, false);
 	atomic_init(&mgr->recv_tcp_buffer_size, 0);
 	atomic_init(&mgr->send_tcp_buffer_size, 0);
 	atomic_init(&mgr->recv_udp_buffer_size, 0);
@@ -818,7 +838,8 @@ async_cb(uv_async_t *handle) {
 	isc__networker_t *worker = (isc__networker_t *)handle->loop->data;
 
 	if (process_all_queues(worker)) {
-		/* If we didn't process all the events, we need to enqueue
+		/*
+		 * If we didn't process all the events, we need to enqueue
 		 * async_cb to be run in the next iteration of the uv_loop
 		 */
 		uv_async_send(handle);
@@ -3242,6 +3263,73 @@ isc__nm_set_network_buffers(isc_nm_t *nm, uv_handle_t *handle) {
 	}
 }
 
+static isc_threadresult_t
+isc__nm_work_run(isc_threadarg_t arg) {
+	isc__nm_work_t *work = (isc__nm_work_t *)arg;
+
+	work->cb(work->data);
+
+	return ((isc_threadresult_t)0);
+}
+
+static void
+isc__nm_work_cb(uv_work_t *req) {
+	isc__nm_work_t *work = uv_req_get_data((uv_req_t *)req);
+
+	if (isc_tid_v == SIZE_MAX) {
+		isc__trampoline_t *trampoline_arg =
+			isc__trampoline_get(isc__nm_work_run, work);
+		(void)isc__trampoline_run(trampoline_arg);
+	} else {
+		(void)isc__nm_work_run((isc_threadarg_t)work);
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+isc__nm_after_work_cb(uv_work_t *req, int status) {
+	isc_result_t result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+	isc__nm_work_t *work = uv_req_get_data((uv_req_t *)req);
+	isc_nm_t *netmgr = work->netmgr;
+
+	if (status != 0) {
+		result = isc__nm_uverr2result(status);
+	}
+
+	work->after_cb(work->data, result);
+
+	isc_mem_put(netmgr->mctx, work, sizeof(*work));
+
+	isc_nm_detach(&netmgr);
+}
+
+void
+isc_nm_work_offload(isc_nm_t *netmgr, isc_nm_workcb_t work_cb,
+		    isc_nm_after_workcb_t after_work_cb, void *data) {
+	isc__networker_t *worker = NULL;
+	isc__nm_work_t *work = NULL;
+	int r;
+
+	REQUIRE(isc__nm_in_netthread());
+	REQUIRE(VALID_NM(netmgr));
+
+	worker = &netmgr->workers[isc_nm_tid()];
+
+	work = isc_mem_get(netmgr->mctx, sizeof(*work));
+	*work = (isc__nm_work_t){
+		.cb = work_cb,
+		.after_cb = after_work_cb,
+		.data = data,
+	};
+
+	isc_nm_attach(netmgr, &work->netmgr);
+
+	uv_req_set_data((uv_req_t *)&work->req, work);
+
+	r = uv_queue_work(&worker->loop, &work->req, isc__nm_work_cb,
+			  isc__nm_after_work_cb);
+	RUNTIME_CHECK(r == 0);
+}
+
 #ifdef NETMGR_TRACE
 /*
  * Dump all active sockets in netmgr. We output to stderr
@@ -3302,7 +3390,8 @@ nmsocket_dump(isc_nmsocket_t *sock) {
 		nmsocket_type_totext(sock->type),
 		isc_refcount_current(&sock->references));
 	fprintf(stderr,
-		"Parent %p, listener %p, server %p, statichandle = %p\n",
+		"Parent %p, listener %p, server %p, statichandle = "
+		"%p\n",
 		sock->parent, sock->listener, sock->server, sock->statichandle);
 	fprintf(stderr, "Flags:%s%s%s%s%s\n",
 		atomic_load(&sock->active) ? " active" : "",
diff --git a/lib/isc/win32/libisc.def.in b/lib/isc/win32/libisc.def.in
index fdf402a572..664ff6c065 100644
--- a/lib/isc/win32/libisc.def.in
+++ b/lib/isc/win32/libisc.def.in
@@ -474,11 +474,13 @@ isc_nm_tcpdnsconnect
 isc_nm_gettimeouts
 isc_nm_setnetbuffers
 isc_nm_settimeouts
+isc_nm_task_enqueue
 isc_nm_tcpdns_keepalive
 isc_nm_tcpdns_sequential
 isc_nm_tid
 isc_nm_tlsdnsconnect
 isc_nm_udpconnect
+isc_nm_work_offload
 isc_nmsocket_close
 isc__nm_acquire_interlocked
 isc__nm_drop_interlocked