diff --git a/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in b/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in
index 4a87b10b..0f63c403 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in
+++ b/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ fi
 turbo=""
 ihk_irq=""
 umask_old=`umask`
+idle_halt=""
 
-while getopts :tk:c:m:o:f:r:q:i:d:e: OPT
+while getopts :tk:c:m:o:f:r:q:i:d:e:h OPT
 do
 	case ${OPT} in
 	f)	facility=${OPTARG}
@@ -70,6 +71,8 @@ do
 		;;
 	i) mon_interval=${OPTARG}
 		;;
+	h) idle_halt="idle_halt"
+		;;
 	*)  echo "invalid option -${OPT}" >&2
 		exit 1
 	esac
@@ -408,7 +411,7 @@ if ! ${SBINDIR}/ihkosctl 0 load ${KERNDIR}/mckernel.img; then
 fi
 
 # Set kernel arguments
-if ! ${SBINDIR}/ihkosctl 0 kargs "hidos $turbo dump_level=${DUMP_LEVEL} $extra_kopts"; then
+if ! ${SBINDIR}/ihkosctl 0 kargs "hidos $turbo $idle_halt dump_level=${DUMP_LEVEL} $extra_kopts"; then
 	echo "error: setting kernel arguments" >&2
 	error_exit "os_created"
 fi
diff --git a/kernel/futex.c b/kernel/futex.c
index 495ee506..ee728d1c 100644
--- a/kernel/futex.c
+++ b/kernel/futex.c
@@ -673,9 +673,11 @@ static uint64_t futex_wait_queue_me(struct futex_hash_bucket *hb, struct futex_q
 	xchg4(&(cpu_local_var(current)->status), PS_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 
 	/* Indicate spin sleep */
-	irqstate = ihk_mc_spinlock_lock(&thread->spin_sleep_lock);
-	thread->spin_sleep = 1;
-	ihk_mc_spinlock_unlock(&thread->spin_sleep_lock, irqstate);
+	if (!idle_halt) {
+		irqstate = ihk_mc_spinlock_lock(&thread->spin_sleep_lock);
+		thread->spin_sleep = 1;
+		ihk_mc_spinlock_unlock(&thread->spin_sleep_lock, irqstate);
+	}
 
 	queue_me(q, hb);
 	
diff --git a/kernel/include/process.h b/kernel/include/process.h
index 432289fe..1bd70e17 100644
--- a/kernel/include/process.h
+++ b/kernel/include/process.h
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ struct resource_set {
 
 extern struct list_head	resource_set_list;
 extern mcs_rwlock_lock_t	resource_set_lock;
+extern int idle_halt;
 
 struct process_hash {
 	struct list_head	list[HASH_SIZE];
diff --git a/kernel/init.c b/kernel/init.c
index 1dfba803..36f58d98 100644
--- a/kernel/init.c
+++ b/kernel/init.c
@@ -144,6 +144,12 @@ static void parse_kargs(void)
 		}
 	}
 	ihk_mc_set_dump_level(dump_level);
+
+	/* idle_halt option */
+	ptr = find_command_line("idle_halt");
+	if (ptr) {
+		idle_halt = 1;
+	}
 }
 
 extern void ihk_mc_get_boot_time(unsigned long *tv_sec, unsigned long *tv_nsec);
diff --git a/kernel/process.c b/kernel/process.c
index 2bfff206..76c5ac1d 100644
--- a/kernel/process.c
+++ b/kernel/process.c
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ extern void perf_reset(struct mc_perf_event *event);
 struct list_head resource_set_list;
 mcs_rwlock_lock_t    resource_set_lock;
 
+int idle_halt = 0;
+
 void
 init_process(struct process *proc, struct process *parent)
 {
@@ -3044,6 +3046,12 @@ void spin_sleep_or_schedule(void)
 	int woken = 0;
 	long irqstate;
 
+	/* Spinning disabled explicitly */
+	if (idle_halt) {
+		dkprintf("%s: idle_halt -> schedule()\n", __FUNCTION__);
+		goto out_schedule;
+	}
+
 	/* Try to spin sleep */
 	irqstate = ihk_mc_spinlock_lock(&thread->spin_sleep_lock);
 	if (thread->spin_sleep == 0) {
@@ -3092,6 +3100,7 @@ void spin_sleep_or_schedule(void)
 		cpu_pause();
 	}
 
+out_schedule:
 	schedule();
 }