diff --git a/pkg/sentry/memmap/memmap.go b/pkg/sentry/memmap/memmap.go
index 5537fd639..adca2d8ef 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/memmap/memmap.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/memmap/memmap.go
@@ -356,9 +356,7 @@ type MMapOpts struct {
 	// downward on guard page faults.
 	GrowsDown bool
 
-	// Precommit is true if the platform should eagerly commit resources to the
-	// mapping (see platform.AddressSpace.MapFile).
-	Precommit bool
+	PlatformEffect MMapPlatformEffect
 
 	// MLockMode specifies the memory locking behavior of the mapping.
 	MLockMode MLockMode
@@ -382,6 +380,25 @@ type MMapOpts struct {
 	SentryOwnedContent bool
 }
 
+// MMapPlatformEffect is the type of MMapOpts.PlatformEffect.
+type MMapPlatformEffect uint8
+
+// Possible values for MMapOpts.PlatformEffect:
+const (
+	// PlatformEffectDefault indicates that no specific behavior is requested
+	// from the platform.
+	PlatformEffectDefault MMapPlatformEffect = iota
+
+	// PlatformEffectPopulate indicates that platform mappings should be
+	// established for all pages in the mapping.
+	PlatformEffectPopulate
+
+	// PlatformEffectCommit is like PlatformEffectPopulate, but also requests
+	// that the platform eagerly commit resources to the mapping, as in
+	// platform.AddressSpace.MapFile(precommit=true).
+	PlatformEffectCommit
+)
+
 // File represents a host file that may be mapped into an platform.AddressSpace.
 type File interface {
 	// All pages in a File are reference-counted.
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/mm/syscalls.go b/pkg/sentry/mm/syscalls.go
index 884964e8c..dceae9c17 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/mm/syscalls.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/mm/syscalls.go
@@ -131,9 +131,9 @@ func (mm *MemoryManager) MMap(ctx context.Context, opts memmap.MMapOpts) (hostar
 	// mm/util.c:vm_mmap_pgoff() => mm/gup.c:__mm_populate() =>
 	// populate_vma_page_range(). Confirm this behavior.
 	switch {
-	case opts.Precommit || opts.MLockMode == memmap.MLockEager:
-		// Get pmas and map with precommit as requested.
-		mm.populateVMAAndUnlock(ctx, vseg, ar, true)
+	case opts.PlatformEffect >= memmap.PlatformEffectPopulate || opts.MLockMode == memmap.MLockEager:
+		// Get pmas and map as requested.
+		mm.populateVMAAndUnlock(ctx, vseg, ar, opts.PlatformEffect == memmap.PlatformEffectCommit)
 
 	case opts.Mappable == nil && length <= privateAllocUnit:
 		// NOTE(b/63077076, b/63360184): Get pmas and map eagerly in the hope
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_mmap.go b/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_mmap.go
index 50ecdcaf2..2da71232f 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_mmap.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_mmap.go
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ func Mmap(t *kernel.Task, sysno uintptr, args arch.SyscallArguments) (uintptr, *
 		},
 		MaxPerms:  hostarch.AnyAccess,
 		GrowsDown: linux.MAP_GROWSDOWN&flags != 0,
-		Precommit: linux.MAP_POPULATE&flags != 0,
+	}
+	if linux.MAP_POPULATE&flags != 0 {
+		opts.PlatformEffect = memmap.PlatformEffectCommit
 	}
 	if linux.MAP_LOCKED&flags != 0 {
 		opts.MLockMode = memmap.MLockEager