diff --git a/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py b/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py
index ea88fd879c..7ab24bc118 100644
--- a/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py
+++ b/src/mem/AbstractMemory.py
@@ -74,3 +74,5 @@ class AbstractMemory(ClockedObject):
     image_file = Param.String(
         "", "Image to load into memory as its initial contents"
     )
+
+    writeable = Param.Bool(True, "Allow writes to this memory")
diff --git a/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc b/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc
index 03f2557d63..9340f7e96f 100644
--- a/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc
+++ b/src/mem/abstract_mem.cc
@@ -59,10 +59,11 @@ namespace memory
 AbstractMemory::AbstractMemory(const Params &p) :
     ClockedObject(p), range(p.range), pmemAddr(NULL),
     backdoor(params().range, nullptr,
-             (MemBackdoor::Flags)(MemBackdoor::Readable |
-                                  MemBackdoor::Writeable)),
+             (MemBackdoor::Flags)(p.writeable ?
+                 MemBackdoor::Readable | MemBackdoor::Writeable :
+                 MemBackdoor::Readable)),
     confTableReported(p.conf_table_reported), inAddrMap(p.in_addr_map),
-    kvmMap(p.kvm_map), _system(NULL),
+    kvmMap(p.kvm_map), writeable(p.writeable), _system(NULL),
     stats(*this)
 {
     panic_if(!range.valid() || !range.size(),
diff --git a/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh b/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh
index 53b794012d..7f12487421 100644
--- a/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh
+++ b/src/mem/abstract_mem.hh
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ class AbstractMemory : public ClockedObject
     // Should KVM map this memory for the guest
     const bool kvmMap;
 
+    // Are writes allowed to this memory
+    const bool writeable;
+
     std::list<LockedAddr> lockedAddrList;
 
     // helper function for checkLockedAddrs(): we really want to
@@ -149,8 +152,12 @@ class AbstractMemory : public ClockedObject
     // requesting execution context), 'true' otherwise.  Note that
     // this method must be called on *all* stores since even
     // non-conditional stores must clear any matching lock addresses.
-    bool writeOK(PacketPtr pkt) {
+    bool
+    writeOK(PacketPtr pkt)
+    {
         const RequestPtr &req = pkt->req;
+        if (!writeable)
+            return false;
         if (lockedAddrList.empty()) {
             // no locked addrs: nothing to check, store_conditional fails
             bool isLLSC = pkt->isLLSC();