diff --git a/doc/rst/dwalk.1.rst b/doc/rst/dwalk.1.rst
index 0e54f931..9d3f6dbe 100644
--- a/doc/rst/dwalk.1.rst
+++ b/doc/rst/dwalk.1.rst
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ OPTIONS
 
    Print files to the screen.
 
+.. option:: --no-atime
+
+   Must bu used with --lite option. Do not update last file access time.
+
 .. option:: -L, --dereference
 
    Dereference symbolic links and walk the target file or directory
diff --git a/man/dwalk.1 b/man/dwalk.1
index 3f58d2d5..fd36bed0 100644
--- a/man/dwalk.1
+++ b/man/dwalk.1
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ Print files to the screen.
 .UNINDENT
 .INDENT 0.0
 .TP
+.B \-\-no\-atime
+Must be used with the \-\-lite option. Do not update the file last access time.
+.UNINDENT
+.INDENT 0.0
+.TP
 .B \-L, \-\-dereference
 Dereference symbolic links and walk the target file or directory
 that each symbolic link refers to.
diff --git a/src/common/mfu_flist.c b/src/common/mfu_flist.c
index a0071f1e..9b13a3a5 100644
--- a/src/common/mfu_flist.c
+++ b/src/common/mfu_flist.c
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ mfu_walk_opts_t* mfu_walk_opts_new(void)
     /* Don't dereference symbolic links by default */
     opts->dereference = 0;
 
+    /* Don't update the file last access time */
+    opts->no_atime = 0;
+
     return opts;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/mfu_flist_walk.c b/src/common/mfu_flist_walk.c
index 120976e4..ce660a1f 100644
--- a/src/common/mfu_flist_walk.c
+++ b/src/common/mfu_flist_walk.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ static flist_t* CURRENT_LIST;
 static int SET_DIR_PERMS;
 static int REMOVE_FILES;
 static int DEREFERENCE;
+static int NO_ATIME;
 static mfu_file_t** CURRENT_PFILE;
 
 /****************************************
@@ -180,11 +181,15 @@ struct linux_dirent {
 
 static void walk_getdents_process_dir(const char* dir, CIRCLE_handle* handle)
 {
+    int flags = O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY;
     char buf[BUF_SIZE];
 
+    if (NO_ATIME)
+        flags |= O_NOATIME;
+
     /* TODO: may need to try these functions multiple times */
     mfu_file_t* mfu_file = *CURRENT_PFILE;
-    mfu_file_open(dir, O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY, mfu_file);
+    mfu_file_open(dir, flags, mfu_file);
     if (mfu_file->fd == -1) {
         /* print error */
         MFU_LOG(MFU_LOG_ERR, "Failed to open directory for reading: `%s' (errno=%d %s)", dir, errno, strerror(errno));
@@ -605,6 +610,12 @@ void mfu_flist_walk_paths(uint64_t num_paths, const char** paths,
         DEREFERENCE = 1;
     }
 
+    /* if no_atime is set to 1 then set global variable */
+    NO_ATIME = 0;
+    if (walk_opts->no_atime) {
+        NO_ATIME = 1;
+    }
+
     /* convert handle to flist_t */
     flist_t* flist = (flist_t*) bflist;
 
@@ -657,11 +668,15 @@ void mfu_flist_walk_paths(uint64_t num_paths, const char** paths,
         CIRCLE_cb_process(&walk_stat_process);
     }
     else {
-        /* walk directories using file types in readdir */
-        CIRCLE_cb_create(&walk_readdir_create);
-        CIRCLE_cb_process(&walk_readdir_process);
-        //        CIRCLE_cb_create(&walk_getdents_create);
-        //        CIRCLE_cb_process(&walk_getdents_process);
+        if (walk_opts->no_atime) {
+            /* walk directories without updating the file last access time */
+            CIRCLE_cb_create(&walk_getdents_create);
+            CIRCLE_cb_process(&walk_getdents_process);
+        } else {
+            /* walk directories using file types in readdir */
+            CIRCLE_cb_create(&walk_readdir_create);
+            CIRCLE_cb_process(&walk_readdir_process);
+        }
     }
 
     /* prepare callbacks and initialize variables for reductions */
diff --git a/src/common/mfu_param_path.h b/src/common/mfu_param_path.h
index 04b2d51e..f6600463 100644
--- a/src/common/mfu_param_path.h
+++ b/src/common/mfu_param_path.h
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int remove;         /* flag option to remove files during walk */
     int use_stat;       /* flag option on whether or not to stat files during walk */
     int dereference;    /* flag option to dereference symbolic links */
+    int no_atime;       /* flag option to not update the file last acess time */
 } mfu_walk_opts_t;
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/src/dwalk/dwalk.c b/src/dwalk/dwalk.c
index 3676c625..44852b5d 100644
--- a/src/dwalk/dwalk.c
+++ b/src/dwalk/dwalk.c
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ static void print_usage(void)
     printf("  -d, --distribution <field>:<separators> \n                          - print distribution by field\n");
     printf("  -f, --file_histogram    - print default size distribution of items\n");
     printf("  -p, --print             - print files to screen\n");
+    printf("      --no-atime          - use with -l; do not update the file last access time\n");
     printf("  -L, --dereference       - follow symbolic links\n");
     printf("      --progress <N>      - print progress every N seconds\n");
     printf("  -v, --verbose           - verbose output\n");
@@ -390,6 +391,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         {"distribution",   1, 0, 'd'},
         {"file_histogram", 0, 0, 'f'},
         {"print",          0, 0, 'p'},
+        {"no-atime",       0, 0, 'n'},
         {"dereference",    0, 0, 'L'},
         {"progress",       1, 0, 'R'},
         {"verbose",        0, 0, 'v'},
@@ -401,7 +403,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     int usage = 0;
     while (1) {
         int c = getopt_long(
-                    argc, argv, "i:o:tls:d:fpLvqh",
+                    argc, argv, "i:o:tls:d:fpLvqhn",
                     long_options, &option_index
                 );
 
@@ -432,6 +434,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
             case 'p':
                 print = 1;
                 break;
+            case 'n':
+                walk_opts->no_atime = 1;
+                break;
             case 'L':
                 walk_opts->dereference = 1;
                 break;