diff --git a/kernel/include/page.h b/kernel/include/page.h
index e0290386..efdb928d 100644
--- a/kernel/include/page.h
+++ b/kernel/include/page.h
@@ -66,4 +66,6 @@ static inline int page_is_multi_mapped(struct page *page)
 	return (ihk_atomic_read(&page->count) > 1);
 }
 
+/* Should we take page faults on ANONYMOUS mappings? */
+extern int anon_on_demand;
 #endif
diff --git a/kernel/mem.c b/kernel/mem.c
index e218e099..1ca26f10 100644
--- a/kernel/mem.c
+++ b/kernel/mem.c
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ extern int ihk_mc_pt_print_pte(struct page_table *pt, void *virt);
 
 struct tlb_flush_entry tlb_flush_vector[IHK_TLB_FLUSH_IRQ_VECTOR_SIZE];
 
+int anon_on_demand = 0;
+
 static void reserve_pages(unsigned long start, unsigned long end, int type)
 {
 	if (start < pa_start) {
@@ -681,6 +683,11 @@ void mem_init(void)
 
 	/* Prepare the kernel virtual map space */
 	virtual_allocator_init();
+
+	if (find_command_line("anon_on_demand")) {
+		kprintf("Demand paging on ANONYMOUS mappings enabled.\n");
+		anon_on_demand = 1;
+	}
 }
 
 struct location {
diff --git a/kernel/syscall.c b/kernel/syscall.c
index 0beb8025..20720e2f 100644
--- a/kernel/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/syscall.c
@@ -1078,7 +1078,9 @@ SYSCALL_DECLARE(mmap)
 		}
 #endif
 		else {
-			vrflags |= VR_DEMAND_PAGING;
+			if (anon_on_demand) {
+				vrflags |= VR_DEMAND_PAGING;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	else {