diff --git a/examples/utils/generator/makefile b/examples/utils/generator/makefile
index ed3da088..c5937c78 100644
--- a/examples/utils/generator/makefile
+++ b/examples/utils/generator/makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 DPTC="../../../dptc"
 
 build:
-	$(DPTC) generator.dpt -o build
+	$(DPTC) --port 130@40 --recirc_port 196 generator.dpt -o build
 assemble:
 	cd build && make
 sim:
diff --git a/src/bin/Compiler.ml b/src/bin/Compiler.ml
index 75154878..98355a29 100644
--- a/src/bin/Compiler.ml
+++ b/src/bin/Compiler.ml
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ let profile_for_tofino target_filename portspec build_dir profile_cmd =
 ;;
 
 let compile_to_tofino dptfn =
-  let portspec = ParsePortSpec.parse Cmdline.cfg.portspec in
+  (* use the command line port arguments if there is no spec file *)
+  let portspec = if (Cmdline.cfg.portspec = None) 
+    then ParsePortSpec.create (Cmdline.cfg.ports) (Cmdline.cfg.recirc_port)
+    else ParsePortSpec.parse Cmdline.cfg.portspec
+  in
   report
   @@ "Starting P4-Tofino compilation. Using switch port configuration: ";
   print_endline (ParsePortSpec.string_of_portconfig portspec);
diff --git a/src/lib/backend/tofino/p4/TofinoCoreToP4.ml b/src/lib/backend/tofino/p4/TofinoCoreToP4.ml
index f88f7e17..0bcc60a1 100644
--- a/src/lib/backend/tofino/p4/TofinoCoreToP4.ml
+++ b/src/lib/backend/tofino/p4/TofinoCoreToP4.ml
@@ -1870,7 +1870,7 @@ let prog_to_p4_prog (prog : prog) : p4_prog =
     {globals; ingress=ingress_pipe; control_config; egress=egress_pipe;}
   ;;
 
-(* derive the port declarations from the spec *)
+(* read port initialization declarations from config *)
 let port_decls portspec = 
   let open ParsePortSpec in
   let all_ports = portspec.external_ports@portspec.internal_ports in
diff --git a/src/lib/backend/tofino/util/ParsePortSpec.ml b/src/lib/backend/tofino/util/ParsePortSpec.ml
index 662d646e..072f8c4a 100644
--- a/src/lib/backend/tofino/util/ParsePortSpec.ml
+++ b/src/lib/backend/tofino/util/ParsePortSpec.ml
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ let p dpid speed = {dpid; speed}
 
 type port_config = {
   recirc_dpid : int;
-  internal_ports : port list;
+  (* All of the config below is depreciated. 
+     They are only used by a complicated (and unnecessary) 
+     tofino-specific pass that generates a parser based on a port spec.*)
+  internal_ports : port list; 
   external_ports : port list;
   port_events  : (int * string) list;
 }
@@ -52,6 +55,12 @@ let check recirc_dpid internal_dpids external_dpids (bound_dpids : int list) =
   not (Caml.List.exists (fun dpid -> Caml.List.mem dpid all_dpids) bound_dpids)
 ;;
 
+(* new simpler method. Should be called on vals from command line --port and --recirc_port *)
+let create front_panel_ports recirc_dpid = 
+  let external_ports = Caml.List.map (fun (dpid, speed) -> p dpid speed) front_panel_ports in
+  {recirc_dpid; internal_ports = []; external_ports; port_events = []}
+;;
+
 let parse fn_opt =
   match fn_opt with 
   | None -> default_port_config
diff --git a/src/lib/frontend/Cmdline.ml b/src/lib/frontend/Cmdline.ml
index 9aeb806e..d84d9ffd 100644
--- a/src/lib/frontend/Cmdline.ml
+++ b/src/lib/frontend/Cmdline.ml
@@ -25,9 +25,13 @@ type config =
   ; mutable interactive : bool
       (** Run interpreter interactively (stdin / stdout) **)
   ; mutable output : string
-  ; mutable json : bool (* tofino backend *) (** Print json outputs **)
+  ; mutable json : bool  (** Print json outputs **)
+  (* tofino backend config *)
   ; mutable builddir : string (* build directory where p4 + other code goes *)
   ; mutable portspec : string option (* path to port specification json *)
+  (* portspec is depreciated and not necessary. Just use ports and recirc_ports flags *)
+  ; mutable ports : (int * int) list (* list of port ids and speeds *)
+  ; mutable recirc_port : int (* port id for recirculation *)
   ; mutable profile_cmd :
       string option (* something with profiling -- probably depreciated *)
   ; mutable ctl_fn : string option (* path to optional python control program *)
@@ -65,6 +69,8 @@ let default () =
   ; json = false
   ; builddir = "lucid_tofino_build"
   ; portspec = None
+  ; ports = [(128, 10); (129, 10); (130, 10); (131, 10)]
+  ; recirc_port = 196 (* default for tofino1 *)
   ; profile_cmd = None
   ; ctl_fn = None
   ; serverlib = false
@@ -217,6 +223,19 @@ let parse_tofino () =
       ; ( "--ports"
         , Arg.String set_portspec
         , "Path to the ports specification file" )
+      ; ( "--port"
+        , Arg.String
+            (fun s ->
+              let (id, speed) =
+                match String.split_on_char '@' s with
+                | [id; speed] -> (int_of_string id, int_of_string speed)
+                | _ -> failwith "Invalid port specification"
+              in
+              cfg.ports <- (id, speed) :: cfg.ports)
+        , "--port <dpid>@<speed> Specify a port to be brought up automatically in the generated control plane. Can be used multiple times." )
+      ; ( "--recirc_port"
+        , Arg.Int (fun i -> cfg.recirc_port <- i)
+        , "Port id for recirculation" )
       ; ( "-p"
         , Arg.String set_profile_cmd
         , "Profile program instead of compiling." )