diff --git a/include/speed_select.hpp b/include/speed_select.hpp
index 1c6944f..1cb783d 100644
--- a/include/speed_select.hpp
+++ b/include/speed_select.hpp
@@ -139,6 +139,27 @@
 };
 
 /**
+ * Policy for whether the SST interface should wake up an idle CPU to complete
+ * requested operations. Waking should be used sparingly to avoid excess CPU
+ * power draw, so the policy depends on the context.
+ */
+enum WakePolicy
+{
+    /**
+     * If CPU rejects the request due to being in a low-power state, enable
+     * wake-on-PECI on the CPU and retry. Wake-on-PECI is disabled for the CPU
+     * when the SST interface is destroyed.
+     */
+    wakeAllowed,
+
+    /**
+     * If CPU rejects the request due to being in a low-power state, it results
+     * in a PECIError exception.
+     */
+    dontWake
+};
+
+/**
  * BackendProvider represents a function which may create an SSTInterface given
  * a CPU PECI address, and the CPU Model information. Usually the CPUModel is
  * sufficient to determine if the backend is supported.
@@ -147,7 +168,7 @@
  * arbitrary order until one of them returns a non-null pointer.
  */
 using BackendProvider =
-    std::function<std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface>(uint8_t, CPUModel)>;
+    std::function<std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface>(uint8_t, CPUModel, WakePolicy)>;
 
 /**
  * Backends should use 1 instance of the SSTProviderRegistration macro at file
diff --git a/src/speed_select.cpp b/src/speed_select.cpp
index 3ae89b8..d393e4a 100644
--- a/src/speed_select.cpp
+++ b/src/speed_select.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@
     getProviders().push_back(providerFn);
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface> getInstance(uint8_t address, CPUModel model)
+std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface> getInstance(uint8_t address, CPUModel model,
+                                          WakePolicy wakePolicy)
 {
     DEBUG_PRINT << "Searching for provider for " << address << ", model "
                 << std::hex << model << std::dec << '\n';
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@
     {
         try
         {
-            auto interface = provider(address, model);
+            auto interface = provider(address, model, wakePolicy);
             DEBUG_PRINT << "returned " << interface << '\n';
             if (interface)
             {
@@ -161,12 +162,13 @@
     }
 
   public:
-    CPUConfig(sdbusplus::bus_t& bus_, uint8_t index, CPUModel model) :
+    CPUConfig(sdbusplus::bus_t& bus_, uint8_t index, CPUModel model,
+              unsigned int currentLevel_, bool bfEnabled_) :
         BaseCurrentOperatingConfig(bus_, generatePath(index).c_str(),
                                    action::defer_emit),
         bus(bus_), peciAddress(index + MIN_CLIENT_ADDR),
-        path(generatePath(index)), cpuModel(model), currentLevel(0),
-        bfEnabled(false)
+        path(generatePath(index)), cpuModel(model), currentLevel(currentLevel_),
+        bfEnabled(bfEnabled_)
     {}
 
     //
@@ -179,7 +181,7 @@
         if (hostState != HostState::off)
         {
             // Otherwise, try to read current state
-            auto sst = getInstance(peciAddress, cpuModel);
+            auto sst = getInstance(peciAddress, cpuModel, dontWake);
             if (!sst || !sst->ready())
             {
                 std::cerr << __func__
@@ -206,7 +208,7 @@
         DEBUG_PRINT << "Reading BaseSpeedPriorityEnabled\n";
         if (hostState != HostState::off)
         {
-            auto sst = getInstance(peciAddress, cpuModel);
+            auto sst = getInstance(peciAddress, cpuModel, dontWake);
             if (!sst || !sst->ready())
             {
                 std::cerr << __func__
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@
                 InvalidArgument();
         }
 
-        auto sst = getInstance(peciAddress, cpuModel);
+        auto sst = getInstance(peciAddress, cpuModel, wakeAllowed);
         if (!sst)
         {
             std::cerr << __func__ << ": Failed to get SST provider instance\n";
@@ -422,7 +424,8 @@
             continue;
         }
 
-        std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface> sst = getInstance(i, cpuModel);
+        std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface> sst = getInstance(i, cpuModel,
+                                                        wakeAllowed);
 
         if (!sst)
         {
@@ -445,8 +448,10 @@
         }
 
         // Create the per-CPU configuration object
+        unsigned int currentLevel = sst->currentLevel();
         cpuList.emplace_back(
-            std::make_unique<CPUConfig>(conn, cpuIndex, cpuModel));
+            std::make_unique<CPUConfig>(conn, cpuIndex, cpuModel, currentLevel,
+                                        sst->bfEnabled(currentLevel)));
         CPUConfig& cpu = *cpuList.back();
 
         bool foundCurrentLevel = false;
@@ -467,13 +472,13 @@
 
             getSingleConfig(*sst, level, cpu.newConfig(level));
 
-            if (level == sst->currentLevel())
+            if (level == currentLevel)
             {
                 foundCurrentLevel = true;
             }
         }
 
-        DEBUG_PRINT << "current level is " << sst->currentLevel() << '\n';
+        DEBUG_PRINT << "current level is " << currentLevel << '\n';
 
         if (!foundCurrentLevel)
         {
diff --git a/src/sst_mailbox.cpp b/src/sst_mailbox.cpp
index 2627894..b086c55 100644
--- a/src/sst_mailbox.cpp
+++ b/src/sst_mailbox.cpp
@@ -38,9 +38,11 @@
     bool peciWoken;
     CPUModel cpuModel;
     uint8_t mbBus;
+    WakePolicy wakePolicy;
 
-    PECIManager(uint8_t address, CPUModel model) :
-        peciAddress(address), peciWoken(false), cpuModel(model)
+    PECIManager(uint8_t address, CPUModel model, WakePolicy wakePolicy_) :
+        peciAddress(address), peciWoken(false), cpuModel(model),
+        wakePolicy(wakePolicy_)
     {
         mbBus = (model == icx) ? mbBusICX : mbBusOther;
     }
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@
     void wrMailboxReg(uint16_t regAddress, uint32_t data)
     {
         uint8_t completionCode;
-        bool tryWaking = true;
+        bool tryWaking = (wakePolicy == wakeAllowed);
         while (true)
         {
             EPECIStatus libStatus = peci_WrEndPointPCIConfigLocal(
@@ -152,7 +154,7 @@
     {
         uint8_t completionCode;
         uint32_t outputData;
-        bool tryWaking = true;
+        bool tryWaking = (wakePolicy == wakeAllowed);
         while (true)
         {
             EPECIStatus libStatus = peci_RdEndPointConfigPciLocal(
@@ -397,9 +399,9 @@
     static constexpr int mhzPerRatio = 100;
 
   public:
-    SSTMailbox(uint8_t _address, CPUModel _model) :
+    SSTMailbox(uint8_t _address, CPUModel _model, WakePolicy wakePolicy) :
         address(_address), model(_model),
-        pm(static_cast<uint8_t>(address), model)
+        pm(static_cast<uint8_t>(address), model, wakePolicy)
     {}
     ~SSTMailbox() {}
 
@@ -568,8 +570,8 @@
     }
 };
 
-static std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface> createMailbox(uint8_t address,
-                                                   CPUModel model)
+static std::unique_ptr<SSTInterface>
+    createMailbox(uint8_t address, CPUModel model, WakePolicy wakePolicy)
 {
     DEBUG_PRINT << "createMailbox\n";
     switch (model)
@@ -578,7 +580,7 @@
         case icxd:
         case spr:
         case emr:
-            return std::make_unique<SSTMailbox>(address, model);
+            return std::make_unique<SSTMailbox>(address, model, wakePolicy);
         default:
             return nullptr;
     }