diff --git a/cfg.y b/cfg.y
index f125a8f9ff3..b37a28e716e 100644
--- a/cfg.y
+++ b/cfg.y
@@ -829,6 +829,10 @@ assign_stm: DEBUG EQUAL snumber
 			udp_workers_no=$3; }
 		| CHILDREN EQUAL error { yyerror("number expected"); }
 		| UDP_WORKERS EQUAL NUMBER { IFOR(); udp_workers_no=$3; }
+		| UDP_WORKERS EQUAL NUMBER USE_AUTO_SCALING_PROFILE ID { IFOR();
+				udp_workers_no=$3;
+				udp_auto_scaling_profile=$5;
+		}
 		| UDP_WORKERS EQUAL error { yyerror("number expected"); }
 		| TIMER_WORKERS EQUAL NUMBER { IFOR();
 				timer_workers_no=$3;
diff --git a/globals.h b/globals.h
index 1e5f2c146a9..118537c669d 100644
--- a/globals.h
+++ b/globals.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ extern int auto_aliases;
 
 extern unsigned int maxbuffer;
 extern int udp_workers_no;
+extern char *udp_auto_scaling_profile;
 extern enum poll_types io_poll_method;
 extern int auto_scaling_enabled;
 extern int auto_scaling_cycle;
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 384277ec008..f3128061d27 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ unsigned int maxbuffer = MAX_RECV_BUFFER_SIZE; /* maximum buffer size we do
 												  be re-configured */
 /* number of UDP workers processing requests */
 int udp_workers_no = UDP_WORKERS_NO;
+/* the global UDP auto scaling profile */
+char *udp_auto_scaling_profile = NULL;
 /* if the auto-scaling engine is enabled or not - this is autodetected */
 int auto_scaling_enabled = 0;
 /* auto-scaling sampling and checking time cycle is 1 sec by default */
diff --git a/socket_info.c b/socket_info.c
index ce73e26a625..fb7ed63a4b6 100644
--- a/socket_info.c
+++ b/socket_info.c
@@ -178,6 +178,14 @@ static struct socket_info* new_sock_info( struct socket_id *sid)
 			} else {
 				auto_scaling_enabled = 1;
 			}
+		} else if (udp_auto_scaling_profile) {
+			si->s_profile = get_scaling_profile(udp_auto_scaling_profile);
+			if (si->s_profile==NULL) {
+				LM_WARN("scaling profile <%s> in udp_workers not defined "
+					"-> ignoring it...\n", udp_auto_scaling_profile);
+			} else {
+				auto_scaling_enabled = 1;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return si;