diff -r ae17e9c121f6 -r b2c49b171a8d src/mem/cache/base.cc
--- a/src/mem/cache/base.cc	Thu Dec 06 22:30:16 2012 -0600
+++ b/src/mem/cache/base.cc	Thu Dec 06 22:30:26 2012 -0600
@@ -81,10 +81,6 @@
       addrRanges(p->addr_ranges.begin(), p->addr_ranges.end()),
       system(p->system)
 {
-    // ensure the clock is not running at an unreasonable clock speed
-    if (clock == 1)
-        panic("Cache %s has a cycle time of 1 tick. Specify a clock.\n",
-              name());
 }
 
 void
diff -r ae17e9c121f6 -r b2c49b171a8d src/sim/clocked_object.hh
--- a/src/sim/clocked_object.hh	Thu Dec 06 22:30:16 2012 -0600
+++ b/src/sim/clocked_object.hh	Thu Dec 06 22:30:26 2012 -0600
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #define __SIM_CLOCKED_OBJECT_HH__
 
 #include "base/intmath.hh"
+#include "base/misc.hh"
 #include "params/ClockedObject.hh"
 #include "sim/sim_object.hh"
 
@@ -112,7 +113,11 @@
      */
     ClockedObject(const ClockedObjectParams* p) :
         SimObject(p), tick(0), cycle(0), clock(p->clock)
-    { }
+    {
+        if (clock == 0) {
+            fatal("%s has a clock period of zero\n", name());
+        }
+    }
 
     /**
      * Virtual destructor due to inheritance.