diff --git a/dev/ns_gige.cc b/dev/ns_gige.cc
index d67c6cf..dfc4af5 100644
--- a/dev/ns_gige.cc
+++ b/dev/ns_gige.cc
@@ -771,7 +771,9 @@
                 break;
 
               case M5REG:
-                reg = params()->m5reg;
+                reg = 0;
+                if (params()->dedicated)
+                    reg |= M5REG_DEDICATED;
                 break;
 
               default:
@@ -3009,7 +3011,7 @@
     Param<uint32_t> pci_func;
     Param<uint32_t> tx_fifo_size;
     Param<uint32_t> rx_fifo_size;
-    Param<uint32_t> m5reg;
+    Param<bool> dedicated;
     Param<bool> dma_no_allocate;
 
 END_DECLARE_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(NSGigE)
@@ -3043,7 +3045,7 @@
     INIT_PARAM(pci_func, "PCI function code"),
     INIT_PARAM_DFLT(tx_fifo_size, "max size in bytes of txFifo", 131072),
     INIT_PARAM_DFLT(rx_fifo_size, "max size in bytes of rxFifo", 131072),
-    INIT_PARAM(m5reg, "m5 register"),
+    INIT_PARAM(dedicated, "dedicate a kernel thread to the driver"),
     INIT_PARAM_DFLT(dma_no_allocate, "Should DMA reads allocate cache lines", true)
 
 END_INIT_SIM_OBJECT_PARAMS(NSGigE)
@@ -3081,7 +3083,7 @@
     params->eaddr = hardware_address;
     params->tx_fifo_size = tx_fifo_size;
     params->rx_fifo_size = rx_fifo_size;
-    params->m5reg = m5reg;
+    params->dedicated = dedicated;
     params->dma_no_allocate = dma_no_allocate;
     return new NSGigE(params);
 }
diff --git a/dev/ns_gige.hh b/dev/ns_gige.hh
index 1110034..a04b52f 100644
--- a/dev/ns_gige.hh
+++ b/dev/ns_gige.hh
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@
         Net::EthAddr eaddr;
         uint32_t tx_fifo_size;
         uint32_t rx_fifo_size;
-        uint32_t m5reg;
+        bool dedicated;
         bool dma_no_allocate;
     };
 
diff --git a/dev/ns_gige_reg.h b/dev/ns_gige_reg.h
index 54ffb90..f919ff0 100644
--- a/dev/ns_gige_reg.h
+++ b/dev/ns_gige_reg.h
@@ -304,6 +304,10 @@
 #define TANAR_FULL_DUP		0x00000020
 #define TANAR_UNUSED		0x00000E1F
 
+/* M5 control register */
+#define M5REG_RESERVED		0xfffffffe
+#define M5REG_DEDICATED		0x00000001
+
 struct ns_desc32 {
     uint32_t link;    /* link field to next descriptor in linked list */
     uint32_t bufptr;  /* pointer to the first fragment or buffer */
diff --git a/python/m5/objects/Ethernet.py b/python/m5/objects/Ethernet.py
index d3e8c28..00ad479 100644
--- a/python/m5/objects/Ethernet.py
+++ b/python/m5/objects/Ethernet.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
     rx_fifo_size = Param.MemorySize('128kB', "max size in bytes of rxFifo")
     tx_fifo_size = Param.MemorySize('128kB', "max size in bytes of txFifo")
 
-    m5reg = Param.UInt32(0, "Register for m5 usage")
+    dedicated = Param.Bool(False, "dedicated kernel thread for driver")
 
     intr_delay = Param.Latency('0us', "Interrupt Delay in microseconds")
     payload_bus = Param.Bus(NULL, "The IO Bus to attach to for payload")