diff --git a/src/cpu/simple/atomic.cc b/src/cpu/simple/atomic.cc
index ec629304b..3cad6e43f 100644
--- a/src/cpu/simple/atomic.cc
+++ b/src/cpu/simple/atomic.cc
@@ -425,10 +425,6 @@ AtomicSimpleCPU::tick()
             fault = curStaticInst->execute(this, traceData);
             postExecute();
 
-            if (traceData) {
-                traceData->finalize();
-            }
-
             if (simulate_stalls) {
                 // This calculation assumes that the icache and dcache
                 // access latencies are always a multiple of the CPU's
diff --git a/src/cpu/simple/base.cc b/src/cpu/simple/base.cc
index 077df8134..18f170449 100644
--- a/src/cpu/simple/base.cc
+++ b/src/cpu/simple/base.cc
@@ -442,6 +442,10 @@ BaseSimpleCPU::postExecute()
     }
 
     traceFunctions(cpuXC->readPC());
+
+    if (traceData) {
+        traceData->finalize();
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/simple/timing.cc b/src/cpu/simple/timing.cc
index d57935ed0..7cdcdafa1 100644
--- a/src/cpu/simple/timing.cc
+++ b/src/cpu/simple/timing.cc
@@ -158,10 +158,11 @@ TimingSimpleCPU::suspendContext(int thread_num)
     assert(thread_num == 0);
     assert(cpuXC);
 
-    panic("TimingSimpleCPU::suspendContext not implemented");
-
     assert(_status == Running);
 
+    // just change status to Idle... if status != Running,
+    // completeInst() will not initiate fetch of next instruction.
+
     notIdleFraction--;
     _status = Idle;
 }
@@ -357,20 +358,15 @@ TimingSimpleCPU::fetch()
             ifetch_pkt = NULL;
         }
     } else {
-        panic("TimingSimpleCPU fetch fault handling not implemented");
+        // fetch fault: advance directly to next instruction (fault handler)
+        advanceInst(fault);
     }
 }
 
 
 void
-TimingSimpleCPU::completeInst(Fault fault)
+TimingSimpleCPU::advanceInst(Fault fault)
 {
-    postExecute();
-
-    if (traceData) {
-        traceData->finalize();
-    }
-
     advancePC(fault);
 
     if (_status == Running) {
@@ -383,23 +379,35 @@ TimingSimpleCPU::completeInst(Fault fault)
 
 
 void
-TimingSimpleCPU::completeIfetch()
+TimingSimpleCPU::completeIfetch(Packet *pkt)
 {
     // received a response from the icache: execute the received
     // instruction
+    assert(pkt->result == Packet::Success);
     assert(_status == IcacheWaitResponse);
     _status = Running;
+
+    delete pkt->req;
+    delete pkt;
+
     preExecute();
-    if (curStaticInst->isMemRef()) {
+    if (curStaticInst->isMemRef() && !curStaticInst->isDataPrefetch()) {
         // load or store: just send to dcache
         Fault fault = curStaticInst->initiateAcc(this, traceData);
-        assert(fault == NoFault);
-        assert(_status == DcacheWaitResponse);
-        // instruction will complete in dcache response callback
+        if (fault == NoFault) {
+            // successfully initiated access: instruction will
+            // complete in dcache response callback
+            assert(_status == DcacheWaitResponse);
+        } else {
+            // fault: complete now to invoke fault handler
+            postExecute();
+            advanceInst(fault);
+        }
     } else {
         // non-memory instruction: execute completely now
         Fault fault = curStaticInst->execute(this, traceData);
-        completeInst(fault);
+        postExecute();
+        advanceInst(fault);
     }
 }
 
@@ -407,7 +415,7 @@ TimingSimpleCPU::completeIfetch()
 bool
 TimingSimpleCPU::IcachePort::recvTiming(Packet *pkt)
 {
-    cpu->completeIfetch();
+    cpu->completeIfetch(pkt);
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -435,7 +443,11 @@ TimingSimpleCPU::completeDataAccess(Packet *pkt)
 
     Fault fault = curStaticInst->completeAcc(pkt, this, traceData);
 
-    completeInst(fault);
+    delete pkt->req;
+    delete pkt;
+
+    postExecute();
+    advanceInst(fault);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/simple/timing.hh b/src/cpu/simple/timing.hh
index 7f38e629a..b46631d5a 100644
--- a/src/cpu/simple/timing.hh
+++ b/src/cpu/simple/timing.hh
@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ class TimingSimpleCPU : public BaseSimpleCPU
     Fault write(T data, Addr addr, unsigned flags, uint64_t *res);
 
     void fetch();
-    void completeInst(Fault fault);
-    void completeIfetch();
+    void completeIfetch(Packet *);
     void completeDataAccess(Packet *);
+    void advanceInst(Fault fault);
 };
 
 #endif // __CPU_SIMPLE_TIMING_HH__