diff -r 52bd54c907ea -r 80ea5f59f09a src/python/m5/simulate.py
--- a/src/python/m5/simulate.py	Fri Nov 27 14:41:59 2015 +0000
+++ b/src/python/m5/simulate.py	Thu Nov 26 10:03:43 2015 +0000
@@ -308,4 +308,8 @@
     for old_cpu, new_cpu in cpuList:
         new_cpu.takeOverFrom(old_cpu)
 
+def notifyFork(root):
+    for obj in root.descendants():
+        obj.notifyFork()
+
 from internal.core import disableAllListeners
diff -r 52bd54c907ea -r 80ea5f59f09a src/sim/drain.hh
--- a/src/sim/drain.hh	Fri Nov 27 14:41:59 2015 +0000
+++ b/src/sim/drain.hh	Thu Nov 26 10:03:43 2015 +0000
@@ -275,6 +275,20 @@
     /** Return the current drain state of an object. */
     DrainState drainState() const { return _drainState; }
 
+    /**
+     * Notify a child process of a fork.
+     *
+     * When calling fork in gem5, we need to ensure that resources
+     * shared between the parent and the child are consistent. This
+     * method is intended to be overloaded to handle that. For
+     * example, an object could use this method to re-open input files
+     * to get a separate file description with a private file offset.
+     *
+     * This method is only called in the child of the fork. The call
+     * takes place in a drained system.
+     */
+    virtual void notifyFork() {};
+
   private:
     /** DrainManager interface to request a drain operation */
     DrainState dmDrain();