diff --git a/src/mem/packet.hh b/src/mem/packet.hh
--- a/src/mem/packet.hh
+++ b/src/mem/packet.hh
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@
         IsError,        //!< Error response
         IsPrint,        //!< Print state matching address (for debugging)
         IsFlush,        //!< Flush the address from caches
+        IsAcquire,      //!< Acquire operation
+        IsRelease,      //!< Release operation
         NUM_COMMAND_ATTRIBUTES
     };
 
@@ -216,6 +218,8 @@
     bool isError() const        { return testCmdAttrib(IsError); }
     bool isPrint() const        { return testCmdAttrib(IsPrint); }
     bool isFlush() const        { return testCmdAttrib(IsFlush); }
+    bool isAcquire() const      { return testCmdAttrib(IsAcquire); }
+    bool isRelease() const      { return testCmdAttrib(IsRelease); }
 
     const Command
     responseCommand() const
@@ -507,6 +511,8 @@
     bool isError() const             { return cmd.isError(); }
     bool isPrint() const             { return cmd.isPrint(); }
     bool isFlush() const             { return cmd.isFlush(); }
+    bool isAcquire() const           { return cmd.isAcquire(); }
+    bool isRelease() const           { return cmd.isRelease(); }
 
     // Snoop flags
     void assertMemInhibit()
# Node ID 686de3fd198d0ff0d4c3b75e5489d12dde940ae2
# Parent  359d9b3e8dfe8e22884393eab4a2bfa2e47dfdd5
diff --git a/src/mem/packet.cc b/src/mem/packet.cc
--- a/src/mem/packet.cc
+++ b/src/mem/packet.cc
@@ -171,13 +171,13 @@
     /* IntResp -- for interrupts */
     { SET2(IsWrite, IsResponse), InvalidCmd, "MessageResp" },
     /* ReleaseReq -- for release synchronization */
-    { SET2(IsRequest, NeedsResponse), ReleaseResp, "ReleaseReq" },
+    { SET3(IsRelease, IsRequest, NeedsResponse), ReleaseResp, "ReleaseReq" },
     /* ReleaseResp -- for release synchronization */
-    { SET1(IsResponse), InvalidCmd, "ReleaseResp" },
+    { SET2(IsRelease, IsResponse), InvalidCmd, "ReleaseResp" },
     /* AcquireReq -- for release synchronization */
-    { SET2(IsRequest, NeedsResponse), AcquireResp, "AcquireReq" },
+    { SET3(IsAcquire, IsRequest, NeedsResponse), AcquireResp, "AcquireReq" },
     /* AcquireResp -- for release synchronization */
-    { SET2(IsResponse, NeedsResponse), InvalidCmd, "AcquireResp" },
+    { SET3(IsAcquire, IsResponse, NeedsResponse), InvalidCmd, "AcquireResp" },
     /* InvalidDestError  -- packet dest field invalid */
     { SET2(IsResponse, IsError), InvalidCmd, "InvalidDestError" },
     /* BadAddressError   -- memory address invalid */
diff --git a/src/mem/request.hh b/src/mem/request.hh
--- a/src/mem/request.hh
+++ b/src/mem/request.hh
@@ -154,6 +154,10 @@
         PF_EXCLUSIVE                = 0x02000000,
         /** The request should be marked as LRU. */
         EVICT_NEXT                  = 0x04000000,
+        /** The request should be marked with ACQUIRE. */
+        ACQUIRE                     = 0x00020000,
+        /** The request should be marked with RELEASE. */
+        RELEASE                     = 0x00040000,
 
         /**
          * The request should be handled by the generic IPR code (only
@@ -655,6 +659,13 @@
     bool isMmappedIpr() const { return _flags.isSet(MMAPPED_IPR); }
     bool isSecure() const { return _flags.isSet(SECURE); }
     bool isPTWalk() const { return _flags.isSet(PT_WALK); }
+    bool isAcquire() const { return _flags.isSet(ACQUIRE); }
+    bool isRelease() const { return _flags.isSet(RELEASE); }
+
+    bool isAcquireRelease() const
+    {
+        return _flags.isSet(RELEASE) && _flags.isSet(ACQUIRE);
+    }
 };
 
 #endif // __MEM_REQUEST_HH__