diff --git a/configs/common/Options.py b/configs/common/Options.py
index 4cf1e6c5a..f110f7dfb 100644
--- a/configs/common/Options.py
+++ b/configs/common/Options.py
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ def addCommonOptions(parser):
     parser.add_option("--init-param", action="store", type="int", default=0,
                       help="""Parameter available in simulation with m5
                               initparam""")
+    parser.add_option("--initialize-only", action="store_true", default=False,
+                      help="""Exit after initialization. Do not simulate time.
+                              Useful when gem5 is run as a library.""")
 
     # Simpoint options
     parser.add_option("--simpoint-profile", action="store_true",
diff --git a/configs/common/Simulation.py b/configs/common/Simulation.py
index 72d3d0e97..230701c23 100644
--- a/configs/common/Simulation.py
+++ b/configs/common/Simulation.py
@@ -581,6 +581,13 @@ def run(options, root, testsys, cpu_class):
         cpt_starttick, checkpoint_dir = findCptDir(options, cptdir, testsys)
     m5.instantiate(checkpoint_dir)
 
+    # Initialization is complete.  If we're not in control of simulation
+    # (that is, if we're a slave simulator acting as a component in another
+    #  'master' simulator) then we're done here.  The other simulator will
+    # call simulate() directly. --initialize-only is used to indicate this.
+    if options.initialize_only:
+        return
+
     # Handle the max tick settings now that tick frequency was resolved
     # during system instantiation
     # NOTE: the maxtick variable here is in absolute ticks, so it must