diff --git a/include/dwarfs/worker_group.h b/include/dwarfs/worker_group.h
index 50a20ce8..65164bf2 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/worker_group.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/worker_group.h
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ class worker_group {
   size_t size() const { return impl_->size(); }
   size_t queue_size() const { return impl_->queue_size(); }
   double get_cpu_time() const { return impl_->get_cpu_time(); }
+  bool set_affinity(std::vector<int> const& cpus) {
+    return impl_->set_affinity(cpus);
+  }
 
   template <typename T>
   bool add_job(std::packaged_task<T()>&& task) {
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ class worker_group {
     virtual size_t size() const = 0;
     virtual size_t queue_size() const = 0;
     virtual double get_cpu_time() const = 0;
+    virtual bool set_affinity(std::vector<int> const& cpus) = 0;
   };
 
  private:
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/worker_group.cpp b/src/dwarfs/worker_group.cpp
index 3c04b630..36c8d1a0 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/worker_group.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/worker_group.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include <folly/Conv.h>
+#include <folly/String.h>
 #include <folly/portability/PThread.h>
 #include <folly/portability/Windows.h>
 #include <folly/system/ThreadName.h>
@@ -116,6 +117,10 @@ class basic_worker_group final : public worker_group::impl, private Policy {
         do_work(niceness > 10);
       });
     }
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    check_set_affinity_from_enviroment(group_name);
+#endif
   }
 
   basic_worker_group(const basic_worker_group&) = delete;
@@ -219,9 +224,53 @@ class basic_worker_group final : public worker_group::impl, private Policy {
     return t;
   }
 
+  bool set_affinity(std::vector<int> const& cpus) override {
+    if (cpus.empty()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    std::lock_guard lock(mx_);
+
+    cpu_set_t cpuset;
+
+    for (auto cpu : cpus) {
+      CPU_SET(cpu, &cpuset);
+    }
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < workers_.size(); ++i) {
+      if (auto error = pthread_setaffinity_np(workers_[i].native_handle(),
+                                              sizeof(cpu_set_t), &cpuset);
+          error != 0) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+#endif
+
+    return true;
+  }
+
  private:
   using jobs_t = std::queue<worker_group::job_t>;
 
+  void check_set_affinity_from_enviroment(const char* group_name) {
+    if (auto var = std::getenv("DWARFS_WORKER_GROUP_AFFINITY")) {
+      std::vector<std::string_view> groups;
+      folly::split(':', var, groups);
+
+      for (auto& group : groups) {
+        std::vector<std::string_view> parts;
+        folly::split('=', group, parts);
+
+        if (parts.size() == 2 && parts[0] == group_name) {
+          std::vector<int> cpus;
+          folly::split(',', parts[1], cpus);
+          set_affinity(cpus);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   // TODO: move out of this class
   static void set_thread_niceness(int niceness) {
     if (niceness > 0) {