diff --git a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
index cdd5b934f43e..654d630f6751 100644
--- a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
@@ -689,6 +689,12 @@ and is between 256 and 4096 characters. It is defined in the file
 	floppy=		[HW]
 			See Documentation/floppy.txt.
 
+	force_pal_cache_flush
+			[IA-64] Avoid check_sal_cache_flush which may hang on
+			buggy SAL_CACHE_FLUSH implementations. Using this
+			parameter will force ia64_sal_cache_flush to call
+			ia64_pal_cache_flush instead of SAL_CACHE_FLUSH.
+
 	gamecon.map[2|3]=
 			[HW,JOY] Multisystem joystick and NES/SNES/PSX pad
 			support via parallel port (up to 5 devices per port)
diff --git a/arch/ia64/kernel/sal.c b/arch/ia64/kernel/sal.c
index a3022dc48ef8..7e0259709c04 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/kernel/sal.c
+++ b/arch/ia64/kernel/sal.c
@@ -229,6 +229,14 @@ static void __init sal_desc_ap_wakeup(void *p) { }
  */
 static int sal_cache_flush_drops_interrupts;
 
+static int __init
+force_pal_cache_flush(char *str)
+{
+	sal_cache_flush_drops_interrupts = 1;
+	return 0;
+}
+early_param("force_pal_cache_flush", force_pal_cache_flush);
+
 void __init
 check_sal_cache_flush (void)
 {
@@ -237,6 +245,9 @@ check_sal_cache_flush (void)
 	u64 vector, cache_type = 3;
 	struct ia64_sal_retval isrv;
 
+	if (sal_cache_flush_drops_interrupts)
+		return;
+
 	cpu = get_cpu();
 	local_irq_save(flags);