diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 29d6d65c5b2c..c6dce5058224 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -28,5 +28,17 @@ DEB_SAI_FLAVOR ?= "bcm"
 #	dh_auto_configure -- \
 #	-DCMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH=$(DEB_HOST_MULTIARCH)
 
+ifeq ($(findstring --enable-rpcserver=yes,${CONFIGURE_ARGS}),--enable-rpcserver=yes)
+  saithrift = yes
+else
+  saithrift = no
+endif
+
 override_dh_auto_configure:
 	dh_auto_configure -- --with-sai=$(DEB_SAI_FLAVOR) ${CONFIGURE_ARGS}
+
+override_dh_installinit:
+  ifeq ($(saithrift), yes)
+	sed -i 's/ENABLE_SAITHRIFT=0/ENABLE_SAITHRIFT=1/' debian/syncd.init
+  endif
+	dh_installinit
diff --git a/debian/syncd.init b/debian/syncd.init
index f6662f0d66b2..7bb726b70f87 100644
--- a/debian/syncd.init
+++ b/debian/syncd.init
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ DAEMON_SYNCD=/usr/bin/syncd
 # dsserve: domain socket server for stdio
 DAEMON_DSSERVE=/usr/bin/dsserve
 DAEMON_DSSERVE_ARGS="-d $DAEMON_SYNCD --diag"
+ENABLE_SAITHRIFT=0
 
 if [ -x $DAEMON_DSSERVE ]; then
     DAEMON=$DAEMON_DSSERVE
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ start)
     elif [ "$onie_platform" == "x86_64-mlnx_x86-r5.0.1400" ]; then
         start_mlnx
         DAEMON_ARGS="-p /etc/syncd.d/mlnx_2700.profile -N"
+
+        if [ ${ENABLE_SAITHRIFT} == 1 ]; then
+            DAEMON_ARGS+="-r -m /etc/syncd.d/msn2700_port_map.ini"
+        fi
     fi
 
     start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_ARGS
diff --git a/etc/syncd.d/msn2700_port_map.ini b/etc/syncd.d/msn2700_port_map.ini
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..874a74effba9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/syncd.d/msn2700_port_map.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# alias          lanes
+Ethernet1       0,1,2,3
+Ethernet2       4,5,6,7
+Ethernet3       8,9,10,11
+Ethernet4       12,13,14,15
+Ethernet5       16,17,18,19
+Ethernet6       20,21,22,23
+Ethernet7       24,25,26,27
+Ethernet8       28,29,30,31
+Ethernet9       32,33,34,35
+Ethernet10      36,37,38,39
+Ethernet11      40,41,42,43
+Ethernet12      44,45,46,47
+Ethernet13      48,49,50,51
+Ethernet14      52,53,54,55
+Ethernet15      56,57,58,59
+Ethernet16      60,61,62,63
+Ethernet17      64,65,66,67
+Ethernet18      68,69,70,71
+Ethernet19      72,73,74,75
+Ethernet20      76,77,78,79
+Ethernet21      80,81,82,83
+Ethernet22      84,85,86,87
+Ethernet23      88,89,90,91
+Ethernet24      92,93,94,95
+Ethernet25      96,97,98,99
+Ethernet26      100,101,102,103
+Ethernet27      104,105,106,107
+Ethernet28      108,109,110,111
+Ethernet29      112,113,114,115
+Ethernet30      116,117,118,119
+Ethernet31      120,121,122,123
+Ethernet32      124,125,126,127