diff --git a/include/linux/damon.h b/include/linux/damon.h
index f56f04b63b1c..b33a5ee94f62 100644
--- a/include/linux/damon.h
+++ b/include/linux/damon.h
@@ -146,6 +146,45 @@ struct damos_quota {
 	unsigned int min_score;
 };
 
+/**
+ * enum damos_wmark_metric - Represents the watermark metric.
+ *
+ * @DAMOS_WMARK_NONE:		Ignore the watermarks of the given scheme.
+ * @DAMOS_WMARK_FREE_MEM_RATE:	Free memory rate of the system in [0,1000].
+ */
+enum damos_wmark_metric {
+	DAMOS_WMARK_NONE,
+	DAMOS_WMARK_FREE_MEM_RATE,
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct damos_watermarks - Controls when a given scheme should be activated.
+ * @metric:	Metric for the watermarks.
+ * @interval:	Watermarks check time interval in microseconds.
+ * @high:	High watermark.
+ * @mid:	Middle watermark.
+ * @low:	Low watermark.
+ *
+ * If &metric is &DAMOS_WMARK_NONE, the scheme is always active.  Being active
+ * means DAMON does monitoring and applying the action of the scheme to
+ * appropriate memory regions.  Else, DAMON checks &metric of the system for at
+ * least every &interval microseconds and works as below.
+ *
+ * If &metric is higher than &high, the scheme is inactivated.  If &metric is
+ * between &mid and &low, the scheme is activated.  If &metric is lower than
+ * &low, the scheme is inactivated.
+ */
+struct damos_watermarks {
+	enum damos_wmark_metric metric;
+	unsigned long interval;
+	unsigned long high;
+	unsigned long mid;
+	unsigned long low;
+
+/* private: */
+	bool activated;
+};
+
 /**
  * struct damos - Represents a Data Access Monitoring-based Operation Scheme.
  * @min_sz_region:	Minimum size of target regions.
@@ -156,6 +195,7 @@ struct damos_quota {
  * @max_age_region:	Maximum age of target regions.
  * @action:		&damo_action to be applied to the target regions.
  * @quota:		Control the aggressiveness of this scheme.
+ * @wmarks:		Watermarks for automated (in)activation of this scheme.
  * @stat_count:		Total number of regions that this scheme is applied.
  * @stat_sz:		Total size of regions that this scheme is applied.
  * @list:		List head for siblings.
@@ -166,6 +206,14 @@ struct damos_quota {
  * those.  To avoid consuming too much CPU time or IO resources for the
  * &action, &quota is used.
  *
+ * To do the work only when needed, schemes can be activated for specific
+ * system situations using &wmarks.  If all schemes that registered to the
+ * monitoring context are inactive, DAMON stops monitoring either, and just
+ * repeatedly checks the watermarks.
+ *
+ * If all schemes that registered to a &struct damon_ctx are inactive, DAMON
+ * stops monitoring and just repeatedly checks the watermarks.
+ *
  * After applying the &action to each region, &stat_count and &stat_sz is
  * updated to reflect the number of regions and total size of regions that the
  * &action is applied.
@@ -179,6 +227,7 @@ struct damos {
 	unsigned int max_age_region;
 	enum damos_action action;
 	struct damos_quota quota;
+	struct damos_watermarks wmarks;
 	unsigned long stat_count;
 	unsigned long stat_sz;
 	struct list_head list;
@@ -412,7 +461,8 @@ struct damos *damon_new_scheme(
 		unsigned long min_sz_region, unsigned long max_sz_region,
 		unsigned int min_nr_accesses, unsigned int max_nr_accesses,
 		unsigned int min_age_region, unsigned int max_age_region,
-		enum damos_action action, struct damos_quota *quota);
+		enum damos_action action, struct damos_quota *quota,
+		struct damos_watermarks *wmarks);
 void damon_add_scheme(struct damon_ctx *ctx, struct damos *s);
 void damon_destroy_scheme(struct damos *s);
 
diff --git a/mm/damon/core.c b/mm/damon/core.c
index 4e8b44fe02a0..5b578f65c109 100644
--- a/mm/damon/core.c
+++ b/mm/damon/core.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <linux/damon.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
 #include <linux/kthread.h>
+#include <linux/mm.h>
 #include <linux/random.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
@@ -90,7 +91,8 @@ struct damos *damon_new_scheme(
 		unsigned long min_sz_region, unsigned long max_sz_region,
 		unsigned int min_nr_accesses, unsigned int max_nr_accesses,
 		unsigned int min_age_region, unsigned int max_age_region,
-		enum damos_action action, struct damos_quota *quota)
+		enum damos_action action, struct damos_quota *quota,
+		struct damos_watermarks *wmarks)
 {
 	struct damos *scheme;
 
@@ -122,6 +124,13 @@ struct damos *damon_new_scheme(
 	scheme->quota.charge_target_from = NULL;
 	scheme->quota.charge_addr_from = 0;
 
+	scheme->wmarks.metric = wmarks->metric;
+	scheme->wmarks.interval = wmarks->interval;
+	scheme->wmarks.high = wmarks->high;
+	scheme->wmarks.mid = wmarks->mid;
+	scheme->wmarks.low = wmarks->low;
+	scheme->wmarks.activated = true;
+
 	return scheme;
 }
 
@@ -587,6 +596,9 @@ static void damon_do_apply_schemes(struct damon_ctx *c,
 		unsigned long sz = r->ar.end - r->ar.start;
 		struct timespec64 begin, end;
 
+		if (!s->wmarks.activated)
+			continue;
+
 		/* Check the quota */
 		if (quota->esz && quota->charged_sz >= quota->esz)
 			continue;
@@ -689,6 +701,9 @@ static void kdamond_apply_schemes(struct damon_ctx *c)
 		unsigned long cumulated_sz;
 		unsigned int score, max_score = 0;
 
+		if (!s->wmarks.activated)
+			continue;
+
 		if (!quota->ms && !quota->sz)
 			continue;
 
@@ -932,6 +947,83 @@ static bool kdamond_need_stop(struct damon_ctx *ctx)
 	return true;
 }
 
+static unsigned long damos_wmark_metric_value(enum damos_wmark_metric metric)
+{
+	struct sysinfo i;
+
+	switch (metric) {
+	case DAMOS_WMARK_FREE_MEM_RATE:
+		si_meminfo(&i);
+		return i.freeram * 1000 / i.totalram;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+	return -EINVAL;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Returns zero if the scheme is active.  Else, returns time to wait for next
+ * watermark check in micro-seconds.
+ */
+static unsigned long damos_wmark_wait_us(struct damos *scheme)
+{
+	unsigned long metric;
+
+	if (scheme->wmarks.metric == DAMOS_WMARK_NONE)
+		return 0;
+
+	metric = damos_wmark_metric_value(scheme->wmarks.metric);
+	/* higher than high watermark or lower than low watermark */
+	if (metric > scheme->wmarks.high || scheme->wmarks.low > metric) {
+		if (scheme->wmarks.activated)
+			pr_info("inactivate a scheme (%d) for %s wmark\n",
+					scheme->action,
+					metric > scheme->wmarks.high ?
+					"high" : "low");
+		scheme->wmarks.activated = false;
+		return scheme->wmarks.interval;
+	}
+
+	/* inactive and higher than middle watermark */
+	if ((scheme->wmarks.high >= metric && metric >= scheme->wmarks.mid) &&
+			!scheme->wmarks.activated)
+		return scheme->wmarks.interval;
+
+	if (!scheme->wmarks.activated)
+		pr_info("activate a scheme (%d)\n", scheme->action);
+	scheme->wmarks.activated = true;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void kdamond_usleep(unsigned long usecs)
+{
+	if (usecs > 100 * 1000)
+		schedule_timeout_interruptible(usecs_to_jiffies(usecs));
+	else
+		usleep_range(usecs, usecs + 1);
+}
+
+/* Returns negative error code if it's not activated but should return */
+static int kdamond_wait_activation(struct damon_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	struct damos *s;
+	unsigned long wait_time;
+	unsigned long min_wait_time = 0;
+
+	while (!kdamond_need_stop(ctx)) {
+		damon_for_each_scheme(s, ctx) {
+			wait_time = damos_wmark_wait_us(s);
+			if (!min_wait_time || wait_time < min_wait_time)
+				min_wait_time = wait_time;
+		}
+		if (!min_wait_time)
+			return 0;
+
+		kdamond_usleep(min_wait_time);
+	}
+	return -EBUSY;
+}
+
 static void set_kdamond_stop(struct damon_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	mutex_lock(&ctx->kdamond_lock);
@@ -962,6 +1054,9 @@ static int kdamond_fn(void *data)
 	sz_limit = damon_region_sz_limit(ctx);
 
 	while (!kdamond_need_stop(ctx)) {
+		if (kdamond_wait_activation(ctx))
+			continue;
+
 		if (ctx->primitive.prepare_access_checks)
 			ctx->primitive.prepare_access_checks(ctx);
 		if (ctx->callback.after_sampling &&
diff --git a/mm/damon/dbgfs.c b/mm/damon/dbgfs.c
index 93ac15cb5786..2509c0b634b4 100644
--- a/mm/damon/dbgfs.c
+++ b/mm/damon/dbgfs.c
@@ -317,6 +317,9 @@ static struct damos **str_to_schemes(const char *str, ssize_t len,
 	*nr_schemes = 0;
 	while (pos < len && *nr_schemes < max_nr_schemes) {
 		struct damos_quota quota = {};
+		struct damos_watermarks wmarks = {
+			.metric = DAMOS_WMARK_NONE,
+		};
 
 		ret = sscanf(&str[pos],
 				"%lu %lu %u %u %u %u %u %lu %lu %lu %u %u %u%n",
@@ -334,7 +337,7 @@ static struct damos **str_to_schemes(const char *str, ssize_t len,
 
 		pos += parsed;
 		scheme = damon_new_scheme(min_sz, max_sz, min_nr_a, max_nr_a,
-				min_age, max_age, action, &quota);
+				min_age, max_age, action, &quota, &wmarks);
 		if (!scheme)
 			goto fail;
 
