diff --git a/src/include/ipxe/netdevice.h b/src/include/ipxe/netdevice.h
index 4649377a..26e2ab89 100644
--- a/src/include/ipxe/netdevice.h
+++ b/src/include/ipxe/netdevice.h
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ struct net_device {
 /** Network device interrupts are enabled */
 #define NETDEV_IRQ_ENABLED 0x0002
 
+/** Network device receive queue processing is frozen */
+#define NETDEV_RX_FROZEN 0x0004
+
 /** Link-layer protocol table */
 #define LL_PROTOCOLS __table ( struct ll_protocol, "ll_protocols" )
 
@@ -505,7 +508,7 @@ netdev_link_ok ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
  * Check whether or not network device is open
  *
  * @v netdev		Network device
- * @v is_open		Network device is open
+ * @ret is_open		Network device is open
  */
 static inline __attribute__ (( always_inline )) int
 netdev_is_open ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
@@ -516,13 +519,24 @@ netdev_is_open ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
  * Check whether or not network device interrupts are currently enabled
  *
  * @v netdev		Network device
- * @v irq_enabled	Network device interrupts are enabled
+ * @ret irq_enabled	Network device interrupts are enabled
  */
 static inline __attribute__ (( always_inline )) int
 netdev_irq_enabled ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
 	return ( netdev->state & NETDEV_IRQ_ENABLED );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check whether or not network device receive queue processing is frozen
+ *
+ * @v netdev		Network device
+ * @ret rx_frozen	Network device receive queue processing is frozen
+ */
+static inline __attribute__ (( always_inline )) int
+netdev_rx_frozen ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
+	return ( netdev->state & NETDEV_RX_FROZEN );
+}
+
 extern void netdev_link_err ( struct net_device *netdev, int rc );
 extern void netdev_link_down ( struct net_device *netdev );
 extern int netdev_tx ( struct net_device *netdev, struct io_buffer *iobuf );
@@ -550,6 +564,7 @@ extern int net_tx ( struct io_buffer *iobuf, struct net_device *netdev,
 extern int net_rx ( struct io_buffer *iobuf, struct net_device *netdev,
 		    uint16_t net_proto, const void *ll_dest,
 		    const void *ll_source );
+extern void net_poll ( void );
 
 /**
  * Complete network transmission
@@ -585,4 +600,24 @@ netdev_link_up ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
 	netdev_link_err ( netdev, 0 );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Freeze network device receive queue processing
+ *
+ * @v netdev		Network device
+ */
+static inline __attribute__ (( always_inline )) void
+netdev_rx_freeze ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
+	netdev->state |= NETDEV_RX_FROZEN;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Unfreeze network device receive queue processing
+ *
+ * @v netdev		Network device
+ */
+static inline __attribute__ (( always_inline )) void
+netdev_rx_unfreeze ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
+	netdev->state &= ~NETDEV_RX_FROZEN;
+}
+
 #endif /* _IPXE_NETDEVICE_H */
diff --git a/src/net/netdevice.c b/src/net/netdevice.c
index c6c377b5..90dab8fb 100644
--- a/src/net/netdevice.c
+++ b/src/net/netdevice.c
@@ -669,14 +669,12 @@ int net_rx ( struct io_buffer *iobuf, struct net_device *netdev,
 }
 
 /**
- * Single-step the network stack
- *
- * @v process		Network stack process
+ * Poll the network stack
  *
  * This polls all interfaces for received packets, and processes
  * packets from the RX queue.
  */
-static void net_step ( struct process *process __unused ) {
+void net_poll ( void ) {
 	struct net_device *netdev;
 	struct io_buffer *iobuf;
 	struct ll_protocol *ll_protocol;
@@ -691,6 +689,15 @@ static void net_step ( struct process *process __unused ) {
 		/* Poll for new packets */
 		netdev_poll ( netdev );
 
+		/* Leave received packets on the queue if receive
+		 * queue processing is currently frozen.  This will
+		 * happen when the raw packets are to be manually
+		 * dequeued using netdev_rx_dequeue(), rather than
+		 * processed via the usual networking stack.
+		 */
+		if ( netdev_rx_frozen ( netdev ) )
+			continue;
+
 		/* Process at most one received packet.  Give priority
 		 * to getting packets out of the NIC over processing
 		 * the received packets, because we advertise a window
@@ -723,6 +730,15 @@ static void net_step ( struct process *process __unused ) {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Single-step the network stack
+ *
+ * @v process		Network stack process
+ */
+static void net_step ( struct process *process __unused ) {
+	net_poll();
+}
+
 /** Networking stack process */
 struct process net_process __permanent_process = {
 	.list = LIST_HEAD_INIT ( net_process.list ),