diff --git a/Documentation/sysctl/kernel.txt b/Documentation/sysctl/kernel.txt
index 1f2463671a1a4d..6d8cd8b2c30d9d 100644
--- a/Documentation/sysctl/kernel.txt
+++ b/Documentation/sysctl/kernel.txt
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ show up in /proc/sys/kernel:
 - panic
 - panic_on_oops
 - panic_on_unrecovered_nmi
+- panic_on_stackoverflow
 - pid_max
 - powersave-nap               [ PPC only ]
 - printk
@@ -393,6 +394,19 @@ Controls the kernel's behaviour when an oops or BUG is encountered.
 
 ==============================================================
 
+panic_on_stackoverflow:
+
+Controls the kernel's behavior when detecting the overflows of
+kernel, IRQ and exception stacks except a user stack.
+This file shows up if CONFIG_DEBUG_STACKOVERFLOW is enabled.
+
+0: try to continue operation.
+
+1: panic immediately.
+
+==============================================================
+
+
 pid_max:
 
 PID allocation wrap value.  When the kernel's next PID value
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/irq_32.c b/arch/x86/kernel/irq_32.c
index 72090705a656a6..e16e99ebd7ad3b 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/irq_32.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/irq_32.c
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ static void print_stack_overflow(void)
 {
 	printk(KERN_WARNING "low stack detected by irq handler\n");
 	dump_stack();
+	if (sysctl_panic_on_stackoverflow)
+		panic("low stack detected by irq handler - check messages\n");
 }
 
 #else
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/irq_64.c b/arch/x86/kernel/irq_64.c
index 928a7e909619c6..42552b0dce6a95 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/irq_64.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/irq_64.c
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ EXPORT_PER_CPU_SYMBOL(irq_stat);
 DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct pt_regs *, irq_regs);
 EXPORT_PER_CPU_SYMBOL(irq_regs);
 
+int sysctl_panic_on_stackoverflow;
+
 /*
  * Probabilistic stack overflow check:
  *
@@ -65,6 +67,9 @@ static inline void stack_overflow_check(struct pt_regs *regs)
 		current->comm, curbase, regs->sp,
 		irq_stack_top, irq_stack_bottom,
 		estack_top, estack_bottom);
+
+	if (sysctl_panic_on_stackoverflow)
+		panic("low stack detected by irq handler - check messages\n");
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/kernel.h b/include/linux/kernel.h
index e8b1597b5cf259..ff83683c0b9d44 100644
--- a/include/linux/kernel.h
+++ b/include/linux/kernel.h
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ extern int panic_timeout;
 extern int panic_on_oops;
 extern int panic_on_unrecovered_nmi;
 extern int panic_on_io_nmi;
+extern int sysctl_panic_on_stackoverflow;
 extern const char *print_tainted(void);
 extern void add_taint(unsigned flag);
 extern int test_taint(unsigned flag);
diff --git a/kernel/sysctl.c b/kernel/sysctl.c
index ae271964385413..f487f257e05e4f 100644
--- a/kernel/sysctl.c
+++ b/kernel/sysctl.c
@@ -803,6 +803,15 @@ static struct ctl_table kern_table[] = {
 		.mode		= 0644,
 		.proc_handler	= proc_dointvec,
 	},
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_STACKOVERFLOW
+	{
+		.procname	= "panic_on_stackoverflow",
+		.data		= &sysctl_panic_on_stackoverflow,
+		.maxlen		= sizeof(int),
+		.mode		= 0644,
+		.proc_handler	= proc_dointvec,
+	},
+#endif
 	{
 		.procname	= "bootloader_type",
 		.data		= &bootloader_type,