diff --git a/loopy/options.py b/loopy/options.py
index 9b27f111e2fb93b09090b35278a3753f9f1a3f82..694b271a65db4cfef3bb504047ad154fb3f19e34 100644
--- a/loopy/options.py
+++ b/loopy/options.py
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ class Options(Record):
 
         A :class:`bool`. Whether to allow colors in terminal output
 
+    .. rubric:: Features
+
+    .. attribute:: disable_global_barriers
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -134,8 +137,10 @@ class Options(Record):
             write_wrapper=False, highlight_wrapper=False,
             write_cl=False, highlight_cl=False,
             edit_cl=False, cl_build_options=[],
-            allow_terminal_colors=True
+            allow_terminal_colors=True,
+            disable_global_barriers=False,
             ):
+
         Record.__init__(
                 self,
 
@@ -149,6 +154,7 @@ class Options(Record):
                 write_cl=write_cl, highlight_cl=highlight_cl,
                 edit_cl=edit_cl, cl_build_options=cl_build_options,
                 allow_terminal_colors=allow_terminal_colors,
+                disable_global_barriers=disable_global_barriers,
                 )
 
     def update(self, other):
diff --git a/loopy/schedule/__init__.py b/loopy/schedule/__init__.py
index 2027b0873402e7e321f5d32b81d38aba53a9b31a..806d2b90fc6983d29b5feeb141014d16f1261ecd 100644
--- a/loopy/schedule/__init__.py
+++ b/loopy/schedule/__init__.py
@@ -1481,10 +1481,11 @@ def generate_loop_schedules(kernel, debug_args={}):
                 gsize, lsize = kernel.get_grid_size_upper_bounds()
 
                 if gsize or lsize:
-                    logger.info("%s: barrier insertion: global" % kernel.name)
+                    if not kernel.options.disable_global_barriers:
+                        logger.info("%s: barrier insertion: global" % kernel.name)
 
-                    gen_sched = insert_barriers(kernel, gen_sched,
-                            reverse=False, kind="global")
+                        gen_sched = insert_barriers(kernel, gen_sched,
+                                reverse=False, kind="global")
 
                     logger.info("%s: barrier insertion: local" % kernel.name)
 
diff --git a/loopy/version.py b/loopy/version.py
index 7a2a1b4b252cd2c137c64a4100cd72ed89e38c6a..317919cd14d44952a3da2ab8d9ed977a12d6255e 100644
--- a/loopy/version.py
+++ b/loopy/version.py
@@ -32,4 +32,4 @@ except ImportError:
 else:
     _islpy_version = islpy.version.VERSION_TEXT
 
-DATA_MODEL_VERSION = "v38-islpy%s" % _islpy_version
+DATA_MODEL_VERSION = "v39-islpy%s" % _islpy_version