diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 7e0f820b4c2..f2aa3ac447b 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -143,6 +143,11 @@ build:mkl --define=tensorflow_mkldnn_contraction_kernel=0
 build:mkl --define=build_with_mkl_dnn_v1_only=true
 build:mkl -c opt
 
+# config to build OneDNN backend with a user specified threadpool.
+build:mkl_threadpool --define=build_with_mkl=true --define=enable_mkl=true
+build:mkl_threadpool --define=tensorflow_mkldnn_contraction_kernel=0
+build:mkl_threadpool --define=build_with_mkldnn_threadpool=true
+build:mkl_threadpool -c opt
 # This config refers to building with CUDA available. It does not necessarily
 # mean that we build CUDA op kernels.
 build:using_cuda --define=using_cuda=true
diff --git a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
index c029de9a4e8..9e89094f4e7 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
+++ b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ load(
     "//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_defs.bzl",
     "if_mkl_open_source_only",
     "if_mkl_v1_open_source_only",
+    "if_mkldnn_threadpool",
 )
 load(
     "//third_party/ngraph:build_defs.bzl",
@@ -327,6 +328,11 @@ def tf_copts(
         if_mkl(["-DINTEL_MKL=1", "-DEIGEN_USE_VML"]) +
         if_mkl_open_source_only(["-DINTEL_MKL_DNN_ONLY"]) +
         if_mkl_v1_open_source_only(["-DENABLE_MKLDNN_V1"]) +
+        if_mkldnn_threadpool([
+            "-DENABLE_MKLDNN_THREADPOOL",
+            "-DENABLE_MKLDNN_V1",
+            "-DINTEL_MKL_DNN_ONLY",
+        ]) +
         if_enable_mkl(["-DENABLE_MKL"]) +
         if_ngraph(["-DINTEL_NGRAPH=1"]) +
         if_android_arm(["-mfpu=neon"]) +
@@ -348,7 +354,9 @@ def tf_copts(
     )
 
 def tf_openmp_copts():
-    return if_mkl_lnx_x64(["-fopenmp"])
+    # TODO(intel-mkl): Remove -fopenmp for threadpool after removing all
+    # omp pragmas in tensorflow/core.
+    return if_mkl_lnx_x64(["-fopenmp"]) + if_mkldnn_threadpool(["-fopenmp"])
 
 def tfe_xla_copts():
     return select({
diff --git a/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl b/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl
index 4b8fb83eb09..bd0686523bc 100644
--- a/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl
+++ b/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def mkl_deps():
     return select({
         "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkl_dnn_only": ["@mkl_dnn"],
         "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkl_dnn_v1_only": ["@mkl_dnn_v1//:mkl_dnn"],
+        "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkldnn_threadpool": ["@mkl_dnn_v1//:mkl_dnn"],
         "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl:build_with_mkl_ml_only": ["@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob"],
         "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl:build_with_mkl": [
             "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
diff --git a/third_party/mkl_dnn/BUILD b/third_party/mkl_dnn/BUILD
index 774e5b0e2c0..fe558322916 100644
--- a/third_party/mkl_dnn/BUILD
+++ b/third_party/mkl_dnn/BUILD
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ config_setting(
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
 )
 
+config_setting(
+    name = "build_with_mkldnn_threadpool",
+    define_values = {
+        "build_with_mkl": "true",
+        "build_with_mkldnn_threadpool": "true",
+    },
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
 bzl_library(
     name = "build_defs_bzl",
     srcs = ["build_defs.bzl"],
diff --git a/third_party/mkl_dnn/build_defs.bzl b/third_party/mkl_dnn/build_defs.bzl
index af05333c947..bd3b4b94f29 100644
--- a/third_party/mkl_dnn/build_defs.bzl
+++ b/third_party/mkl_dnn/build_defs.bzl
@@ -29,3 +29,19 @@ def if_mkl_v1_open_source_only(if_true, if_false = []):
         "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkl_dnn_v1_only": if_true,
         "//conditions:default": if_false,
     })
+
+def if_mkldnn_threadpool(if_true, if_false = []):
+    """Returns `if_true` if MKL-DNN v1.x is used.
+
+    Shorthand for select()'ing on whether we're building with
+    MKL-DNN v1.x open source library only with user specified threadpool, without depending on MKL binary form.
+
+    Returns a select statement which evaluates to if_true if we're building
+    with MKL-DNN v1.x open source library only with user specified threadpool. Otherwise, the
+    select statement evaluates to if_false.
+
+    """
+    return select({
+        "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkldnn_threadpool": if_true,
+        "//conditions:default": if_false,
+    })
diff --git a/third_party/mkl_dnn/mkldnn_v1.BUILD b/third_party/mkl_dnn/mkldnn_v1.BUILD
index 243ec00a60f..313f81c8108 100644
--- a/third_party/mkl_dnn/mkldnn_v1.BUILD
+++ b/third_party/mkl_dnn/mkldnn_v1.BUILD
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ load(
     "@org_tensorflow//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_defs.bzl",
     "if_mkl_open_source_only",
     "if_mkl_v1_open_source_only",
+    "if_mkldnn_threadpool",
 )
 load(
     "@org_tensorflow//third_party:common.bzl",
@@ -18,15 +19,26 @@ config_setting(
     },
 )
 
+_DNNL_RUNTIME_OMP = {
+    "#cmakedefine DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_OMP",
+    "#cmakedefine DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_OMP",
+    "#cmakedefine DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_NONE",
+}
+
+_DNNL_RUNTIME_THREADPOOL = {
+    "#cmakedefine DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_THREADPOOL",
+    "#cmakedefine DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_THREADPOOL",
+    "#cmakedefine DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_NONE",
+}
+
 template_rule(
     name = "dnnl_config_h",
     src = "include/dnnl_config.h.in",
     out = "include/dnnl_config.h",
-    substitutions = {
-        "#cmakedefine DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_CPU_THREADING_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_OMP",
-        "#cmakedefine DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_CPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_OMP",
-        "#cmakedefine DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_${DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME}": "#define DNNL_GPU_RUNTIME DNNL_RUNTIME_NONE",
-    },
+    substitutions = if_mkldnn_threadpool(
+        _DNNL_RUNTIME_THREADPOOL,
+        if_false = _DNNL_RUNTIME_OMP,
+    ),
 )
 
 # Create the file mkldnn_version.h with MKL-DNN version numbers.
@@ -59,9 +71,10 @@ cc_library(
         "src/cpu/**/*.cpp",
         "src/cpu/**/*.hpp",
         "src/cpu/xbyak/*.h",
-    ]) + if_mkl_v1_open_source_only([
+    ]) + [
         ":dnnl_config_h",
-    ]) + [":dnnl_version_h"],
+        ":dnnl_version_h",
+    ],
     hdrs = glob(["include/*"]),
     copts = [
         "-fexceptions",