diff --git a/arch/alpha/isa_desc b/arch/alpha/isa_desc
index 94f5d9bc3..fa24e5215 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/isa_desc
+++ b/arch/alpha/isa_desc
@@ -2540,6 +2540,9 @@ decode OPCODE default Unknown::unknown() {
             0x43: m5checkpoint({{
 		AlphaPseudo::m5checkpoint(xc->xcBase());
 	    }}, IsNonSpeculative);
+            0x50: m5readfile({{
+		AlphaPseudo::readfile(xc->xcBase());
+	    }}, IsNonSpeculative);
 	}
     }
 
diff --git a/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.cc b/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.cc
index f4201ab09..e23dc8baa 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.cc
+++ b/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.cc
@@ -26,15 +26,20 @@
  * OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <cstdio>
 #include <string>
 
 #include "arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.hh"
+#include "arch/alpha/vtophys.hh"
+#include "cpu/base_cpu.hh"
 #include "cpu/exec_context.hh"
 #include "sim/param.hh"
 #include "sim/serialize.hh"
 #include "sim/sim_exit.hh"
 #include "sim/stat_control.hh"
 #include "sim/stats.hh"
+#include "sim/system.hh"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace Stats;
@@ -149,6 +154,43 @@ namespace AlphaPseudo
         Checkpoint::setup(when, repeat);
     }
 
+    void
+    readfile(ExecContext *xc)
+    {
+        const string &file = xc->cpu->system->readfile;
+        if (file.empty()) {
+            xc->regs.intRegFile[0] = ULL(0);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        Addr vaddr = xc->regs.intRegFile[16];
+        uint64_t len = xc->regs.intRegFile[17];
+        uint64_t offset = xc->regs.intRegFile[18];
+        uint64_t result = 0;
+
+        int fd = ::open(file.c_str(), O_RDONLY, 0);
+        if (fd < 0)
+            panic("could not open file %s\n", file);
+
+        char *buf = new char[len];
+        char *p = buf;
+        while (len > 0) {
+            int bytes = ::pread(fd, p, len, offset);
+            if (bytes <= 0)
+                break;
+
+            p += bytes;
+            offset += bytes;
+            result += bytes;
+            len -= bytes;
+        }
+
+        close(fd);
+        CopyIn(xc, vaddr, buf, result);
+        delete [] buf;
+        xc->regs.intRegFile[0] = result;
+    }
+
     class Context : public ParamContext
     {
       public:
diff --git a/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.hh b/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.hh
index e59487397..22e5d43ae 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.hh
+++ b/arch/alpha/pseudo_inst.hh
@@ -47,4 +47,5 @@ namespace AlphaPseudo
     void dumpstats(ExecContext *xc);
     void dumpresetstats(ExecContext *xc);
     void m5checkpoint(ExecContext *xc);
+    void readfile(ExecContext *xc);
 }
diff --git a/kern/linux/linux_system.cc b/kern/linux/linux_system.cc
index 6d7324688..e4405b2e5 100644
--- a/kern/linux/linux_system.cc
+++ b/kern/linux/linux_system.cc
@@ -324,6 +324,8 @@ BEGIN_DECLARE_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(LinuxSystem)
     Param<string> boot_osflags;
     VectorParam<string> binned_fns;
 
+    Param<string> readfile;
+
 END_DECLARE_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(LinuxSystem)
 
 BEGIN_INIT_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(LinuxSystem)
@@ -338,7 +340,8 @@ BEGIN_INIT_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(LinuxSystem)
     INIT_PARAM(pal_code, "file that contains palcode"),
     INIT_PARAM_DFLT(boot_osflags, "flags to pass to the kernel during boot",
                                    "a"),
-    INIT_PARAM(binned_fns, "functions to be broken down and binned")
+    INIT_PARAM(binned_fns, "functions to be broken down and binned"),
+    INIT_PARAM_DFLT(readfile, "file to read startup script from", "")
 
 
 END_INIT_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(LinuxSystem)
@@ -349,6 +352,7 @@ CREATE_SIM_OBJECT(LinuxSystem)
                                        physmem, kernel_code, console_code,
                                        pal_code, boot_osflags, bin, binned_fns);
 
+    sys->readfile = readfile;
     return sys;
 }
 
diff --git a/sim/system.hh b/sim/system.hh
index baf82a5b5..da974cfdd 100644
--- a/sim/system.hh
+++ b/sim/system.hh
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ class System : public SimObject
 
     std::vector<ExecContext *> execContexts;
 
+    std::string readfile;
+
     virtual int registerExecContext(ExecContext *xc);
     virtual void replaceExecContext(int xcIndex, ExecContext *xc);