diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
index 47b7bd687631..956285c0d5d4 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
@@ -1389,6 +1389,12 @@ struct i915_perf_stream {
 	 * @oa_config: The OA configuration used by the stream.
 	 */
 	struct i915_oa_config *oa_config;
+
+	/**
+	 * @poll_oa_period: The period in nanoseconds at which the OA
+	 * buffer should be checked for available data.
+	 */
+	u64 poll_oa_period;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_perf.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_perf.c
index 4504d4e18633..5ef9164a22a0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_perf.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_perf.c
@@ -254,11 +254,11 @@
  */
 #define OA_TAIL_MARGIN_NSEC	100000ULL
 
-/* frequency for checking whether the OA unit has written new reports to the
- * circular OA buffer...
+/* The default frequency for checking whether the OA unit has written new
+ * reports to the circular OA buffer...
  */
-#define POLL_FREQUENCY 200
-#define POLL_PERIOD (NSEC_PER_SEC / POLL_FREQUENCY)
+#define DEFAULT_POLL_FREQUENCY 200
+#define DEFAULT_POLL_PERIOD (NSEC_PER_SEC / DEFAULT_POLL_FREQUENCY)
 
 /* for sysctl proc_dointvec_minmax of dev.i915.perf_stream_paranoid */
 static int zero;
@@ -335,6 +335,8 @@ static const struct i915_oa_format gen8_plus_oa_formats[I915_OA_FORMAT_MAX] = {
  * @oa_format: An OA unit HW report format
  * @oa_periodic: Whether to enable periodic OA unit sampling
  * @oa_period_exponent: The OA unit sampling period is derived from this
+ * @poll_oa_period: The period at which the CPU will check for OA data
+ * availability
  *
  * As read_properties_unlocked() enumerates and validates the properties given
  * to open a stream of metrics the configuration is built up in the structure
@@ -351,6 +353,7 @@ struct perf_open_properties {
 	int oa_format;
 	bool oa_periodic;
 	int oa_period_exponent;
+	u64 poll_oa_period;
 };
 
 static void free_oa_config(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
@@ -1892,9 +1895,9 @@ static void i915_oa_stream_enable(struct i915_perf_stream *stream)
 
 	dev_priv->perf.oa.ops.oa_enable(stream);
 
-	if (dev_priv->perf.oa.periodic)
+	if (dev_priv->perf.oa.periodic && stream->poll_oa_period)
 		hrtimer_start(&dev_priv->perf.oa.poll_check_timer,
-			      ns_to_ktime(POLL_PERIOD),
+			      ns_to_ktime(stream->poll_oa_period),
 			      HRTIMER_MODE_REL_PINNED);
 }
 
@@ -2258,13 +2261,15 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart oa_poll_check_timer_cb(struct hrtimer *hrtimer)
 	struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv =
 		container_of(hrtimer, typeof(*dev_priv),
 			     perf.oa.poll_check_timer);
+	struct i915_perf_stream *stream = dev_priv->perf.oa.exclusive_stream;
 
 	if (oa_buffer_check_unlocked(dev_priv)) {
 		dev_priv->perf.oa.pollin = true;
 		wake_up(&dev_priv->perf.oa.poll_wq);
 	}
 
-	hrtimer_forward_now(hrtimer, ns_to_ktime(POLL_PERIOD));
+	hrtimer_forward_now(hrtimer,
+			    ns_to_ktime(stream->poll_oa_period));
 
 	return HRTIMER_RESTART;
 }
@@ -2585,6 +2590,7 @@ i915_perf_open_ioctl_locked(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 
 	stream->dev_priv = dev_priv;
 	stream->ctx = specific_ctx;
+	stream->poll_oa_period = props->poll_oa_period;
 
 	ret = i915_oa_stream_init(stream, param, props);
 	if (ret)
@@ -2640,6 +2646,7 @@ static u64 oa_exponent_to_ns(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv, int exponent)
 /**
  * read_properties_unlocked - validate + copy userspace stream open properties
  * @dev_priv: i915 device instance
+ * @open_flags: Flags set by userspace for the opening of the stream
  * @uprops: The array of u64 key value pairs given by userspace
  * @n_props: The number of key value pairs expected in @uprops
  * @props: The stream configuration built up while validating properties
@@ -2653,6 +2660,7 @@ static u64 oa_exponent_to_ns(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv, int exponent)
  * rule out defining new properties with ordering requirements in the future.
  */
 static int read_properties_unlocked(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
+				    u32 open_flags,
 				    u64 __user *uprops,
 				    u32 n_props,
 				    struct perf_open_properties *props)
@@ -2661,6 +2669,7 @@ static int read_properties_unlocked(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 	u32 i;
 
 	memset(props, 0, sizeof(struct perf_open_properties));
+	props->poll_oa_period = DEFAULT_POLL_PERIOD;
 
 	if (!n_props) {
 		DRM_DEBUG("No i915 perf properties given\n");
@@ -2764,6 +2773,14 @@ static int read_properties_unlocked(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 			props->oa_periodic = true;
 			props->oa_period_exponent = value;
 			break;
+		case DRM_I915_PERF_PROP_POLL_OA_DELAY:
+			if (value > 0 && value < 100000 /* 100us */) {
+				DRM_DEBUG("OA availability timer too small (%lluns < 100us)\n",
+					  value);
+				return -EINVAL;
+			}
+			props->poll_oa_period = value;
+			break;
 		case DRM_I915_PERF_PROP_MAX:
 			MISSING_CASE(id);
 			return -EINVAL;
@@ -2772,6 +2789,17 @@ static int read_properties_unlocked(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 		uprop += 2;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Blocking read need to be waken up by some mechanism. If no polling
+	 * of the HEAD/TAIL register is done by the kernel, we'll never be
+	 * able to wake up.
+	 */
+	if ((open_flags & I915_PERF_FLAG_FD_NONBLOCK) == 0 &&
+	    !props->poll_oa_period) {
+		DRM_DEBUG("Requesting a blocking stream with no polling period.\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2822,6 +2850,7 @@ int i915_perf_open_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 	}
 
 	ret = read_properties_unlocked(dev_priv,
+				       param->flags,
 				       u64_to_user_ptr(param->properties_ptr),
 				       param->num_properties,
 				       &props);
diff --git a/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h b/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
index c890b7992d5c..f4e832f6acdd 100644
--- a/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
+++ b/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
@@ -1624,6 +1624,14 @@ enum drm_i915_perf_property_id {
 	 */
 	DRM_I915_PERF_PROP_OA_EXPONENT,
 
+	/**
+	 * Specifying this property sets up a hrtimer in nanoseconds at which
+	 * the i915 driver will check the OA buffer for available data. A
+	 * value of 0 means no hrtimer will be started. Values below 100
+	 * microseconds are not allowed.
+	 */
+	DRM_I915_PERF_PROP_POLL_OA_DELAY,
+
 	DRM_I915_PERF_PROP_MAX /* non-ABI */
 };
 
