diff --git a/runtime/compiler/control/CompilationThread.cpp b/runtime/compiler/control/CompilationThread.cpp
index 150eaee2965..96a2bd84470 100644
--- a/runtime/compiler/control/CompilationThread.cpp
+++ b/runtime/compiler/control/CompilationThread.cpp
@@ -2646,9 +2646,23 @@ void TR::CompilationInfo::prepareForCheckpoint()
    J9JavaVM   *vm       = _jitConfig->javaVM;
    J9VMThread *vmThread = vm->internalVMFunctions->currentVMThread(vm);
 
+   if (TR::Options::getCmdLineOptions()->getVerboseOption(TR_VerboseCheckpointRestore))
+      TR_VerboseLog::writeLineLocked(TR_Vlog_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE, "Preparing for checkpoint");
+
    {
    ReleaseVMAccessAndAcquireMonitor suspendCompThreadsForCheckpoint(vmThread, getCompilationMonitor());
 
+   if (TR::Options::_sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint)
+      {
+      if (TR::Options::getCmdLineOptions()->getVerboseOption(TR_VerboseCheckpointRestore))
+         TR_VerboseLog::writeLineLocked(TR_Vlog_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE, "Sleeping for %d ms", TR::Options::_sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint);
+
+      releaseCompMonitor(vmThread);
+      j9thread_sleep(static_cast<int64_t>(TR::Options::_sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint));
+      acquireCompMonitor(vmThread);
+      }
+
+
    if (shouldCheckpointBeInterrupted())
       return;
 
@@ -2713,10 +2727,14 @@ void TR::CompilationInfo::prepareForCheckpoint()
       }
    }
 
+   if (TR::Options::getCmdLineOptions()->getVerboseOption(TR_VerboseCheckpointRestore))
+      TR_VerboseLog::writeLineLocked(TR_Vlog_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE, "Ready for checkpoint");
    }
 
 void TR::CompilationInfo::prepareForRestore()
    {
+   if (TR::Options::getCmdLineOptions()->getVerboseOption(TR_VerboseCheckpointRestore))
+      TR_VerboseLog::writeLineLocked(TR_Vlog_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE, "Preparing for restore");
 
    {
    OMR::CriticalSection resumeCompThreadsForRestore(getCompilationMonitor());
@@ -2728,6 +2746,8 @@ void TR::CompilationInfo::prepareForRestore()
    resumeCompilationThread();
    }
 
+   if (TR::Options::getCmdLineOptions()->getVerboseOption(TR_VerboseCheckpointRestore))
+      TR_VerboseLog::writeLineLocked(TR_Vlog_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE, "Ready for restore");
    }
 #endif // #if defined(J9VM_OPT_CRIU_SUPPORT)
 
diff --git a/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.cpp b/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.cpp
index d46da272cd6..395da172537 100644
--- a/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.cpp
+++ b/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,10 @@ int32_t J9::Options::_highActiveThreadThreshold = -1;
 int32_t J9::Options::_veryHighActiveThreadThreshold = -1;
 #endif /* defined(J9VM_OPT_JITSERVER) */
 
+#if defined(J9VM_OPT_CRIU_SUPPORT)
+int32_t J9::Options::_sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint = 1000; // 1 second
+#endif
+
 int32_t J9::Options::_interpreterSamplingThreshold = 300;
 int32_t J9::Options::_interpreterSamplingDivisor = TR_DEFAULT_INTERPRETER_SAMPLING_DIVISOR;
 int32_t J9::Options::_interpreterSamplingThresholdInStartupMode = TR_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BCOUNT; // 3000
@@ -991,6 +995,10 @@ TR::OptionTable OMR::Options::_feOptions[] = {
         TR::Options::setStaticNumeric, (intptr_t)&TR::Options::_sharedROMClassCacheNumPartitions, 0, "F%d", NOT_IN_SUBSET},
 #endif /* defined(J9VM_OPT_JITSERVER) */
    {"singleCache", "C\tallow only one code cache and one data cache to be allocated", RESET_JITCONFIG_RUNTIME_FLAG(J9JIT_GROW_CACHES) },
+#if defined(J9VM_OPT_CRIU_SUPPORT)
+   {"sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint=", " O<nnn>\tNumber of milliseconds to sleep before a checkpoint",
+        TR::Options::setStaticNumeric, (intptr_t)&TR::Options::_sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint,  0, "F%d" },
+#endif
    {"smallMethodBytecodeSizeThreshold=", "O<nnn> \tThreshold for determining small methods "
                                          "(measured in number of bytecodes)",
         TR::Options::setStaticNumeric, (intptr_t)&TR::Options::_smallMethodBytecodeSizeThreshold, 0, "F%d", NOT_IN_SUBSET},
diff --git a/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.hpp b/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.hpp
index 2b299b4d41e..ac0b76bf66a 100644
--- a/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.hpp
+++ b/runtime/compiler/control/J9Options.hpp
@@ -279,6 +279,10 @@ class OMR_EXTENSIBLE Options : public OMR::OptionsConnector
    static const uint32_t DEFAULT_JITSERVER_TIMEOUT = 30000; // ms
 #endif /* defined(J9VM_OPT_JITSERVER) */
 
+#if defined(J9VM_OPT_CRIU_SUPPORT)
+   static int32_t _sleepMsBeforeCheckpoint;
+#endif
+
    static int32_t _waitTimeToEnterIdleMode;
    static int32_t _waitTimeToEnterDeepIdleMode;
    static int32_t _waitTimeToExitStartupMode;