diff --git a/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.c b/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.c
index efdd27e2935a..8da8a1082810 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ uma_zone_t ata_request_zone;
 uma_zone_t ata_composite_zone;
 int ata_wc = 1;
 int ata_setmax = 0;
+int ata_dma_check_80pin = 1;
 
 /* local vars */
 static int ata_dma = 1;
@@ -85,6 +86,10 @@ SYSCTL_NODE(_hw, OID_AUTO, ata, CTLFLAG_RD, 0, "ATA driver parameters");
 TUNABLE_INT("hw.ata.ata_dma", &ata_dma);
 SYSCTL_INT(_hw_ata, OID_AUTO, ata_dma, CTLFLAG_RDTUN, &ata_dma, 0,
 	   "ATA disk DMA mode control");
+TUNABLE_INT("hw.ata.ata_dma_check_80pin", &ata_dma_check_80pin);
+SYSCTL_INT(_hw_ata, OID_AUTO, ata_dma_check_80pin,
+	   CTLFLAG_RDTUN, &ata_dma_check_80pin, 1,
+	   "Check for 80pin cable before setting ATA DMA mode");
 TUNABLE_INT("hw.ata.atapi_dma", &atapi_dma);
 SYSCTL_INT(_hw_ata, OID_AUTO, atapi_dma, CTLFLAG_RDTUN, &atapi_dma, 0,
 	   "ATAPI device DMA mode control");
diff --git a/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.h b/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.h
index 4bccc4d84c46..b2283b9c01ba 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ata/ata-all.h
@@ -544,7 +544,8 @@ extern struct intr_config_hook *ata_delayed_attach;
 extern devclass_t ata_devclass;
 extern int ata_wc;
 extern int ata_setmax;
- 
+extern int ata_dma_check_80pin;
+
 /* public prototypes */
 /* ata-all.c: */
 int ata_probe(device_t dev);
diff --git a/sys/dev/ata/ata-chipset.c b/sys/dev/ata/ata-chipset.c
index b5b5d00f5ed4..23ed09072a06 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ata/ata-chipset.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ata/ata-chipset.c
@@ -6392,6 +6392,12 @@ ata_check_80pin(device_t dev, int mode)
 {
     struct ata_device *atadev = device_get_softc(dev);
 
+    if (!ata_dma_check_80pin) {
+	if (bootverbose)
+	    device_printf(dev, "Skipping 80pin cable check\n");
+	return mode;
+    }
+
     if (mode > ATA_UDMA2 && !(atadev->param.hwres & ATA_CABLE_ID)) {
 	ata_print_cable(dev, "device");
 	mode = ATA_UDMA2;