diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 6f949244a3..4bd4b70be3 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -4835,6 +4835,7 @@ David  13 June 2008
 David  13 June 2008
     - API/runtime system: remove "fraction done update period" stuff.
         This was always 1 second, which is fine.
+        Rom: please back-port.
 
     api/
         boinc_api.C
@@ -4842,3 +4843,15 @@ David  13 June 2008
         app_start.C
     lib/
         app_ipc.C,h
+
+David  13 June 2008
+    - client/API: add "computation_deadline" to APP_INIT_DATA.
+        This supports apps that can do variable amounts of computing;
+        they can boinc_finish() if their deadline is near.
+        Rom: please back-port.
+
+    client/
+        app_start.C
+        client_types.h
+    lib/
+        app_ipc.C,h
diff --git a/client/app_start.C b/client/app_start.C
index ab987b00ab..fd0d9a4a42 100644
--- a/client/app_start.C
+++ b/client/app_start.C
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::write_app_init_file() {
     aid.rsc_fpops_bound = wup->rsc_fpops_bound;
     aid.rsc_memory_bound = wup->rsc_memory_bound;
     aid.rsc_disk_bound = wup->rsc_disk_bound;
+    aid.computation_deadline = result->computation_deadline();
     aid.checkpoint_period = gstate.global_prefs.disk_interval;
     aid.fraction_done_start = 0;
     aid.fraction_done_end = 1;
diff --git a/client/client_types.h b/client/client_types.h
index aa8cd88554..e046b278ae 100644
--- a/client/client_types.h
+++ b/client/client_types.h
@@ -590,8 +590,7 @@ struct RESULT {
         // used to keep cpu scheduler from scheduling a result twice
         // transient; used only within schedule_cpus()
     double computation_deadline();
-        // used by the CPU scheduler to determine if there is a cause for
-        // a pre-emption of running results.
+        // report deadline - prefs.work_buf_min - time slice
     bool rr_sim_misses_deadline;
     bool last_rr_sim_missed_deadline;
 
diff --git a/lib/app_ipc.C b/lib/app_ipc.C
index 1cf065599f..89c012147e 100644
--- a/lib/app_ipc.C
+++ b/lib/app_ipc.C
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ int write_init_data_file(FILE* f, APP_INIT_DATA& ai) {
         "<rsc_fpops_est>%f</rsc_fpops_est>\n"
         "<rsc_fpops_bound>%f</rsc_fpops_bound>\n"
         "<rsc_memory_bound>%f</rsc_memory_bound>\n"
-        "<rsc_disk_bound>%f</rsc_disk_bound>\n",
+        "<rsc_disk_bound>%f</rsc_disk_bound>\n"
+        "<computation_deadline>%f</computation_deadline>\n",
         ai.slot,
         ai.wu_cpu_time,
         ai.user_total_credit,
@@ -156,7 +157,8 @@ int write_init_data_file(FILE* f, APP_INIT_DATA& ai) {
         ai.rsc_fpops_est,
         ai.rsc_fpops_bound,
         ai.rsc_memory_bound,
-        ai.rsc_disk_bound
+        ai.rsc_disk_bound,
+        ai.computation_deadline
     );
     MIOFILE mf;
     mf.init_file(f);
@@ -242,6 +244,7 @@ int parse_init_data_file(FILE* f, APP_INIT_DATA& ai) {
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "rsc_fpops_bound", ai.rsc_fpops_bound)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "rsc_memory_bound", ai.rsc_memory_bound)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "rsc_disk_bound", ai.rsc_disk_bound)) continue;
+        if (xp.parse_double(tag, "computation_deadline", ai.computation_deadline)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "wu_cpu_time", ai.wu_cpu_time)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "checkpoint_period", ai.checkpoint_period)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "fraction_done_start", ai.fraction_done_start)) continue;
diff --git a/lib/app_ipc.h b/lib/app_ipc.h
index d4ff15c36e..d477112a38 100644
--- a/lib/app_ipc.h
+++ b/lib/app_ipc.h
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ struct APP_INIT_DATA {
     double rsc_fpops_bound;
     double rsc_memory_bound;
     double rsc_disk_bound;
+    double computation_deadline;
 
     // the following are used for compound apps,
     // where each stage of the computation is a fixed fraction of the total.