diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b4ea875034..86ad9d39d8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ if(CK_USE_CODEGEN)
     add_definitions(-DCK_USE_CODEGEN)
 endif()
 
+option(CK_TIME_KERNEL "Enable kernel time tracking" ON)
+if(CK_TIME_KERNEL)
+    add_definitions(-DCK_TIME_KERNEL=1)
+else()
+    add_definitions(-DCK_TIME_KERNEL=0)
+endif()
+
 include(getopt)
 
 # CK version file to record release version as well as git commit hash
diff --git a/include/ck/ck.hpp b/include/ck/ck.hpp
index db2cd1beaf..d876f8fcb3 100644
--- a/include/ck/ck.hpp
+++ b/include/ck/ck.hpp
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ CK_DECLARE_ENV_VAR_BOOL(CK_LOGGING)
 
 // to do: add various levels of logging with CK_LOG_LEVEL
 
+#ifndef CK_TIME_KERNEL
 #define CK_TIME_KERNEL 1
+#endif
 
 // constant address space for kernel parameter
 // https://llvm.org/docs/AMDGPUUsage.html#address-spaces