diff --git a/arch/arc/Kconfig b/arch/arc/Kconfig
index ef5ca5969eaf3c2bdb7573e717d7660d60f5d8e4..1b684595e25846fed3a054570b2281e7c92c8451 100644
--- a/arch/arc/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/arc/Kconfig
@@ -384,6 +384,11 @@ config ARC_HAS_RTC
 	default n
 	depends on !SMP
 
+config ARC_HAS_GRTC
+	bool "SMP synchronized 64-bit cycle counter"
+	default y
+	depends on SMP
+
 config ARC_NUMBER_OF_INTERRUPTS
 	int "Number of interrupts"
 	range 8 240
diff --git a/arch/arc/include/asm/mcip.h b/arch/arc/include/asm/mcip.h
index 31f9bac77a279d1e00a47e7cd3f8bc7cc2520709..52c11f0bb0e5b5afbeacda75ef9c014032de4fb4 100644
--- a/arch/arc/include/asm/mcip.h
+++ b/arch/arc/include/asm/mcip.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ struct mcip_cmd {
 #define CMD_DEBUG_SET_MASK		0x34
 #define CMD_DEBUG_SET_SELECT		0x36
 
+#define CMD_GRTC_READ_LO		0x42
+#define CMD_GRTC_READ_HI		0x43
+
 #define CMD_IDU_ENABLE			0x71
 #define CMD_IDU_DISABLE			0x72
 #define CMD_IDU_SET_MODE		0x74
diff --git a/arch/arc/kernel/mcip.c b/arch/arc/kernel/mcip.c
index 35921c3ab3948190bbf4b7b82bf617a3080e5c44..ad7e90b97f6ecab5e793a0cc56721e3a6ae37dc4 100644
--- a/arch/arc/kernel/mcip.c
+++ b/arch/arc/kernel/mcip.c
@@ -154,4 +154,7 @@ void mcip_init_early_smp(void)
 		__mcip_cmd_data(CMD_DEBUG_SET_SELECT, 0, 0xf);
 		__mcip_cmd_data(CMD_DEBUG_SET_MASK, 0xf, 0xf);
 	}
+
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARC_HAS_GRTC) && !mp.grtc)
+		panic("kernel trying to use non-existent GRTC\n");
 }
diff --git a/arch/arc/kernel/time.c b/arch/arc/kernel/time.c
index da495478a40b6d4f204c4043c058e75178d004f6..3364d2bbc515471bba6478b8b34a417251ffde56 100644
--- a/arch/arc/kernel/time.c
+++ b/arch/arc/kernel/time.c
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@
 #include <asm/clk.h>
 #include <asm/mach_desc.h>
 
+#include <asm/mcip.h>
+
 /* Timer related Aux registers */
 #define ARC_REG_TIMER0_LIMIT	0x23	/* timer 0 limit */
 #define ARC_REG_TIMER0_CTRL	0x22	/* timer 0 control */
@@ -60,6 +62,48 @@
 
 /********** Clock Source Device *********/
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARC_HAS_GRTC
+
+static int arc_counter_setup(void)
+{
+	return 1;
+}
+
+static cycle_t arc_counter_read(struct clocksource *cs)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+	union {
+#ifdef CONFIG_CPU_BIG_ENDIAN
+		struct { u32 h, l; };
+#else
+		struct { u32 l, h; };
+#endif
+		cycle_t  full;
+	} stamp;
+
+	local_irq_save(flags);
+
+	__mcip_cmd(CMD_GRTC_READ_LO, 0);
+	stamp.l = read_aux_reg(ARC_REG_MCIP_READBACK);
+
+	__mcip_cmd(CMD_GRTC_READ_HI, 0);
+	stamp.h = read_aux_reg(ARC_REG_MCIP_READBACK);
+
+	local_irq_restore(flags);
+
+	return stamp.full;
+}
+
+static struct clocksource arc_counter = {
+	.name   = "ARConnect GRTC",
+	.rating = 400,
+	.read   = arc_counter_read,
+	.mask   = CLOCKSOURCE_MASK(64),
+	.flags  = CLOCK_SOURCE_IS_CONTINUOUS,
+};
+
+#else
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARC_HAS_RTC
 
 #define AUX_RTC_CTRL	0x103
@@ -134,6 +178,7 @@ static struct clocksource arc_counter = {
 	.flags  = CLOCK_SOURCE_IS_CONTINUOUS,
 };
 
+#endif
 #endif
 
 /********** Clock Event Device *********/