diff --git a/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.h b/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.h
--- a/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.h
+++ b/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.h
@@ -79,9 +79,11 @@
 	}
 }
 
+extern int e1000_use_pause_delay;
+
 static inline void
 safe_pause_us(int x) {
-	if (cold) {
+	if (!e1000_use_pause_delay) {
 		DELAY(x);
 	} else {
 		pause("e1000_delay", max(1,  x/(1000000/hz)));
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@
 
 static inline void
 safe_pause_ms(int x) {
-	if (cold) {
+	if (!e1000_use_pause_delay) {
 		DELAY(x*1000);
 	} else {
 		pause("e1000_delay", ms_scale(x));
diff --git a/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.c b/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.c
--- a/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.c
+++ b/sys/dev/e1000/e1000_osdep.c
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@
 
 #include "e1000_api.h"
 
+int e1000_use_pause_delay = 0;
+
+static void
+e1000_enable_pause_delay(void *use_pause_delay)
+{
+	*((int *)use_pause_delay) = 1;
+}
+
+SYSINIT(enable_pause_delay, SI_SUB_CLOCKS, SI_ORDER_ANY, e1000_enable_pause_delay, &e1000_use_pause_delay);
+
 /*
  * NOTE: the following routines using the e1000 
  * 	naming style are provided to the shared