diff --git a/src/mem/port.cc b/src/mem/port.cc
index 2111fa4..756eb8b 100644
--- a/src/mem/port.cc
+++ b/src/mem/port.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2012,2015 ARM Limited
+ * Copyright (c) 2012,2015,2017 ARM Limited
  * All rights reserved
  *
  * The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
@@ -184,6 +184,13 @@
 }
 
 bool
+MasterPort::tryTiming(PacketPtr pkt) const
+{
+  assert(pkt->isRequest());
+  return _slavePort->tryTiming(pkt);
+}
+
+bool
 MasterPort::sendTimingSnoopResp(PacketPtr pkt)
 {
     assert(pkt->isResponse());
diff --git a/src/mem/port.hh b/src/mem/port.hh
index 0d88441..39f6dea 100644
--- a/src/mem/port.hh
+++ b/src/mem/port.hh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2011-2012,2015 ARM Limited
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2012,2015,2017 ARM Limited
  * All rights reserved
  *
  * The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
@@ -224,6 +224,19 @@
     bool sendTimingReq(PacketPtr pkt);
 
     /**
+     * Check if the slave can handle a timing request.
+     *
+     * If the send cannot be handled at the moment, as indicated by
+     * the return value, then the sender will receive a recvReqRetry
+     * at which point it can re-issue a sendTimingReq.
+     *
+     * @param pkt Packet to send.
+     *
+     * @return If the send was succesful or not.
+     */
+    bool tryTiming(PacketPtr pkt) const;
+
+    /**
      * Attempt to send a timing snoop response packet to the slave
      * port by calling its corresponding receive function. If the send
      * does not succeed, as indicated by the return value, then the
@@ -452,6 +465,13 @@
     virtual bool recvTimingReq(PacketPtr pkt) = 0;
 
     /**
+     * Availability request from the master port.
+     */
+    virtual bool tryTiming(PacketPtr pkt) {
+        panic("%s was not expecting a %s\n", name(), __func__);
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Receive a timing snoop response from the master port.
      */
     virtual bool recvTimingSnoopResp(PacketPtr pkt)