diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 71abd82..e66604d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -99,28 +99,6 @@ func parseSizes(s string) ([]int, error) {
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-func parseCPUs(s string) ([]int, error) {
-	if strings.TrimSpace(s) == "" {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	var out []int
-	for _, f := range strings.Split(s, ",") {
-		v, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(f))
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("bad cpu %q: %w", f, err)
-		}
-		out = append(out, v)
-	}
-	return out, nil
-}
-
-func cpuAt(cpus []int, i int) int {
-	if len(cpus) == 0 {
-		return -1
-	}
-	return cpus[i%len(cpus)]
-}
-
 func (d *direction) snapshot() sample {
 	var s sample
 	for _, t := range d.txStats {
@@ -252,7 +230,6 @@ func (d *direction) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup, doneTx, doneRx *atomic.Bool, cfg c
 			stream:  uint16(i),
 			spec:    d.specs[i],
 			batch:   cfg.batch,
-			cpu:     cpuAt(cfg.txCPUs, i),
 			stats:   d.txStats[i],
 			startTx: startTx,
 		}
@@ -266,7 +243,6 @@ func (d *direction) start(wg *sync.WaitGroup, doneTx, doneRx *atomic.Bool, cfg c
 		w := &rxWorker{
 			fd:      fd,
 			batch:   cfg.batch,
-			cpu:     cpuAt(cfg.rxCPUs, i),
 			spec:    d.specs[i],
 			stats:   d.rxStats[i],
 			streams: d.streams,
@@ -293,8 +269,6 @@ func (d *direction) close() {
 type config struct {
 	streams int
 	batch   int
-	txCPUs  []int
-	rxCPUs  []int
 }
 
 func main() {
@@ -306,12 +280,10 @@ func main() {
 		streams  = flag.Int("streams", 7, "independent streams per direction, capped by rx rings; each gets its own ethertype, steered by a flow rule to its own rx queue")
 		batch    = flag.Int("batch", 64, "frames per sendmmsg/recvmmsg call")
 		duplex   = flag.Bool("duplex", true, "run both directions simultaneously")
-		txCPUs   = flag.String("txcpus", "", "comma-separated CPUs to pin tx workers to")
-		rxCPUs   = flag.String("rxcpus", "", "comma-separated CPUs to pin rx workers to")
 	)
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	if err := run(*aName, *bName, *sizesArg, *patArg, *txCPUs, *rxCPUs,
+	if err := run(*aName, *bName, *sizesArg, *patArg,
 		*streams, *batch, *duplex); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "error:", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -320,7 +292,7 @@ func main() {
 
 const reportInterval = 500 * time.Millisecond
 
-func run(aName, bName, sizesArg, patArg, txCPUsArg, rxCPUsArg string,
+func run(aName, bName, sizesArg, patArg string,
 	nStreams, batch int, duplex bool) error {
 
 	if aName == "" || bName == "" {
@@ -334,14 +306,6 @@ func run(aName, bName, sizesArg, patArg, txCPUsArg, rxCPUsArg string,
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	txCPUs, err := parseCPUs(txCPUsArg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	rxCPUs, err := parseCPUs(rxCPUsArg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	a, err := lookupEndpoint(aName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -387,8 +351,6 @@ func run(aName, bName, sizesArg, patArg, txCPUsArg, rxCPUsArg string,
 	cfg := config{
 		streams: nStreams,
 		batch:   batch,
-		txCPUs:  txCPUs,
-		rxCPUs:  rxCPUs,
 	}
 
 	var dirs []*direction
diff --git a/rx.go b/rx.go
index 33511e6..c4f52fe 100644
--- a/rx.go
+++ b/rx.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ type rxStats struct {
 type rxWorker struct {
 	fd      int
 	batch   int
-	cpu     int
 	spec    *frameSpec
 	stats   *rxStats
 	streams []lossWindow
@@ -30,8 +29,6 @@ type rxWorker struct {
 }
 
 func (w *rxWorker) run(done *atomic.Bool) {
-	pinTo(w.cpu)
-
 	bufs := make([][]byte, w.batch)
 	for i := range bufs {
 		bufs[i] = make([]byte, maxFrame)
diff --git a/sock.go b/sock.go
index aee6ab1..0122f3b 100644
--- a/sock.go
+++ b/sock.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"runtime"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
@@ -115,17 +114,6 @@ func newMmsghdrs(bufs [][]byte) ([]mmsghdr, []unix.Iovec) {
 	return hdrs, iovs
 }
 
-func pinTo(cpu int) error {
-	if cpu < 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	runtime.LockOSThread()
-	var set unix.CPUSet
-	set.Zero()
-	set.Set(cpu)
-	return unix.SchedSetaffinity(0, &set)
-}
-
 func packetDrops(fd int) uint64 {
 	st, err := unix.GetsockoptTpacketStats(fd, unix.SOL_PACKET, unix.PACKET_STATISTICS)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/tx.go b/tx.go
index d2cff31..4622a1b 100644
--- a/tx.go
+++ b/tx.go
@@ -19,14 +19,11 @@ type txWorker struct {
 	stream  uint16
 	spec    *frameSpec
 	batch   int
-	cpu     int
 	stats   *txStats
 	startTx <-chan struct{}
 }
 
 func (w *txWorker) run(done *atomic.Bool) {
-	pinTo(w.cpu)
-
 	bufs := make([][]byte, w.batch)
 	for i := range bufs {
 		bufs[i] = make([]byte, w.spec.maxSize)