diff --git a/lib/constants.py b/lib/constants.py
index 4addd97aed00c75a9d6685d9ea9c711a71bb7952..51a628653fbcbd99d08c8dd8b106752b18d0add0 100644
--- a/lib/constants.py
+++ b/lib/constants.py
@@ -429,6 +429,7 @@ HV_USE_LOCALTIME = "use_localtime"
 HV_DISK_CACHE = "disk_cache"
 HV_SECURITY_MODEL = "security_model"
 HV_SECURITY_DOMAIN = "security_domain"
+HV_KVM_FLAG = "kvm_flag"
 
 HVS_PARAMETER_TYPES = {
   HV_BOOT_ORDER: VTYPE_STRING,
@@ -458,6 +459,7 @@ HVS_PARAMETER_TYPES = {
   HV_DISK_CACHE: VTYPE_STRING,
   HV_SECURITY_MODEL: VTYPE_STRING,
   HV_SECURITY_DOMAIN: VTYPE_STRING,
+  HV_KVM_FLAG: VTYPE_STRING,
   }
 
 HVS_PARAMETERS = frozenset(HVS_PARAMETER_TYPES.keys())
@@ -566,6 +568,12 @@ HT_SM_POOL = "pool"
 
 HT_KVM_VALID_SM_TYPES = frozenset([HT_SM_NONE, HT_SM_USER, HT_SM_POOL])
 
+# Kvm flag values
+HT_KVM_ENABLED = "enabled"
+HT_KVM_DISABLED = "disabled"
+
+HT_KVM_FLAG_VALUES = frozenset([HT_KVM_ENABLED, HT_KVM_DISABLED])
+
 # Cluster Verify steps
 VERIFY_NPLUSONE_MEM = 'nplusone_mem'
 VERIFY_OPTIONAL_CHECKS = frozenset([VERIFY_NPLUSONE_MEM])
@@ -712,6 +720,7 @@ HVC_DEFAULTS = {
     HV_DISK_CACHE: HT_CACHE_DEFAULT,
     HV_SECURITY_MODEL: HT_SM_NONE,
     HV_SECURITY_DOMAIN: '',
+    HV_KVM_FLAG: "",
     },
   HT_FAKE: {
     },
diff --git a/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py b/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py
index a8a5c3868371a8d4d046561089335ca85ad33bbb..fd36efeb248569781266c838452b74f77cd7db4c 100644
--- a/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py
+++ b/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ class KVMHypervisor(hv_base.BaseHypervisor):
     constants.HV_SECURITY_MODEL:
       hv_base.ParamInSet(True, constants.HT_KVM_VALID_SM_TYPES),
     constants.HV_SECURITY_DOMAIN: hv_base.NO_CHECK,
+    constants.HV_KVM_FLAG:
+      hv_base.ParamInSet(False, constants.HT_KVM_FLAG_VALUES),
     }
 
   _MIGRATION_STATUS_RE = re.compile('Migration\s+status:\s+(\w+)',
@@ -366,6 +368,11 @@ class KVMHypervisor(hv_base.BaseHypervisor):
     boot_cdrom = hvp[constants.HV_BOOT_ORDER] == constants.HT_BO_CDROM
     boot_network = hvp[constants.HV_BOOT_ORDER] == constants.HT_BO_NETWORK
 
+    if hvp[constants.HV_KVM_FLAG] == constants.HT_KVM_ENABLED:
+      kvm_cmd.extend(["-enable-kvm"])
+    elif hvp[constants.HV_KVM_FLAG] == constants.HT_KVM_DISABLED:
+      kvm_cmd.extend(["-disable-kvm"])
+
     if boot_network:
       kvm_cmd.extend(['-boot', 'n'])
 
diff --git a/man/gnt-instance.sgml b/man/gnt-instance.sgml
index 178a3596fd6d7cb6b06e5df8a848b82e15c0844a..a1217b4f0cf8ad3d9cdae059e80994c5778309e0 100644
--- a/man/gnt-instance.sgml
+++ b/man/gnt-instance.sgml
@@ -644,6 +644,20 @@
               </listitem>
             </varlistentry>
 
+            <varlistentry>
+              <term>kvm_flag</term>
+              <listitem>
+                <simpara>Valid for the KVM hypervisor.</simpara>
+
+                <simpara>If <quote>enabled</quote> the -enable-kvm flag is
+                passed to kvm. If <quote>disabled</quote> -disable-kvm is
+                passed. If unset no flag is passed, and the default running
+                mode for your kvm binary will be used.
+                </simpara>
+
+              </listitem>
+            </varlistentry>
+
           </variablelist>
 
         </para>