--- a/include/mpu/mars/mars_kernel.h
+++ b/include/mpu/mars/mars_kernel.h
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ struct mars_kernel_syscalls {
 	uint32_t (*get_kernel_id)(void);
 	uint16_t (*get_workload_id)(void);
 	uint64_t (*get_workload_ea)(void);
-	struct mars_workload_context *(*get_workload_context)(void);
+	struct mars_workload_context *(*get_workload)(void);
+	struct mars_workload_context *(*get_workload_by_id)
+		(uint16_t workload_id);
 
 	void (*init)(void);
 	void (*exit)(void);
@@ -86,7 +88,8 @@ uint64_t syscall_get_mars_context_ea(voi
 uint32_t syscall_get_kernel_id(void);
 uint16_t syscall_get_workload_id(void);
 uint64_t syscall_get_workload_ea(void);
-struct mars_workload_context *syscall_get_workload_context(void);
+struct mars_workload_context *syscall_get_workload(void);
+struct mars_workload_context *syscall_get_workload_by_id(uint16_t workload_id);
 
 void syscall_setup(void);
 void syscall_init(void);
@@ -107,7 +110,8 @@ void registers_restore(void);
 /* workload specific functions */
 uint16_t workload_get_id(void);
 uint64_t workload_get_ea(void);
-struct mars_workload_context * workload_get_context(void);
+struct mars_workload_context *workload_get(void);
+struct mars_workload_context *workload_get_by_id(uint16_t workload_id);
 
 void workload_exec(void);
 void workload_exit(void);
--- a/include/mpu/mars/mars_syscalls.h
+++ b/include/mpu/mars/mars_syscalls.h
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ uint64_t mars_get_mars_context_ea(void);
 uint32_t mars_get_kernel_id(void);
 uint16_t mars_get_workload_id(void);
 uint64_t mars_get_workload_ea(void);
-struct mars_workload_context *mars_get_workload_context(void);
+struct mars_workload_context *mars_get_workload(void);
+struct mars_workload_context *mars_get_workload_by_id(uint16_t workload_id);
 
 void mars_init(void);
 void mars_exit(void);
--- a/src/mpu/kernel/mars_kernel_syscalls.c
+++ b/src/mpu/kernel/mars_kernel_syscalls.c
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ void syscall_setup(void)
 	kernel_syscalls.get_kernel_id		= syscall_get_kernel_id;
 	kernel_syscalls.get_workload_id		= syscall_get_workload_id;
 	kernel_syscalls.get_workload_ea		= syscall_get_workload_ea;
-	kernel_syscalls.get_workload_context	= syscall_get_workload_context;
+	kernel_syscalls.get_workload		= syscall_get_workload;
+	kernel_syscalls.get_workload_by_id	= syscall_get_workload_by_id;
 	kernel_syscalls.init			= syscall_init;
 	kernel_syscalls.exit			= syscall_exit;
 	kernel_syscalls.yield			= syscall_yield;
@@ -85,9 +86,14 @@ uint64_t syscall_get_workload_ea(void)
 	return workload_get_ea();
 }
 
-struct mars_workload_context *syscall_get_workload_context(void)
+struct mars_workload_context *syscall_get_workload(void)
 {
-	return workload_get_context();
+	return workload_get();
+}
+
+struct mars_workload_context *syscall_get_workload_by_id(uint16_t workload_id)
+{
+	return workload_get_by_id(workload_id);
 }
 
 void syscall_init(void)
--- a/src/mpu/kernel/mars_kernel_workload.c
+++ b/src/mpu/kernel/mars_kernel_workload.c
@@ -55,11 +55,35 @@ uint64_t workload_get_ea(void)
 	return workload_ea;
 }
 
-struct mars_workload_context *workload_get_context(void)
+struct mars_workload_context *workload_get(void)
 {
 	return &workload;
 }
 
+struct mars_workload_context *workload_get_by_id(uint16_t workload_id)
+{
+	MARS_CHECK_RET(workload_id < MARS_WORKLOAD_MAX, NULL);
+
+	static struct mars_workload_context requested_workload;
+	uint64_t requested_workload_ea;
+
+	/* workload id is same as current workload so return local copy */
+	if (workload_id == workload_index)
+		return &workload;
+
+	/* get ea of workload to get */
+	requested_workload_ea = queue_header.context_ea +
+			workload_id * sizeof(struct mars_workload_context);
+
+	/* dma the workload context code into LS from main memory */
+	mars_dma_get_and_wait((void *)&requested_workload,
+				requested_workload_ea,
+				sizeof(struct mars_workload_context),
+				MARS_DMA_TAG);
+
+	return &requested_workload;
+}
+
 void workload_exec(void)
 {
 	/* set current workload state to running */
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_syscalls.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_syscalls.c
@@ -60,9 +60,14 @@ uint64_t mars_get_workload_ea(void)
 	return (*mars_kernel_syscalls->get_workload_ea)();
 }
 
-struct mars_workload_context *mars_get_workload_context(void)
+struct mars_workload_context *mars_get_workload(void)
 {
-	return (*mars_kernel_syscalls->get_workload_context)();
+	return (*mars_kernel_syscalls->get_workload)();
+}
+
+struct mars_workload_context *mars_get_workload_by_id(uint16_t workload_id)
+{
+	return (*mars_kernel_syscalls->get_workload_by_id)(workload_id);
 }
 
 void mars_init(void)
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_task.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_task.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int mars_task_yield(void)
 {
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ int mars_task_wait(struct mars_task_id *
 	int ret;
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ const struct mars_task_id *mars_task_get
 {
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	return &task->id;
 }
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ const char *mars_task_get_name(void)
 {
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	return (const char *)task->id.name;
 }
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_barrier.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_barrier.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ int mars_task_barrier_notify(uint64_t ba
 	int i;
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ int mars_task_barrier_wait(uint64_t barr
 	int i;
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_event_flag.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_event_flag.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ int mars_task_event_flag_wait(uint64_t e
 	int wait = 0;
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_queue.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_queue.c
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static int pop(uint64_t queue_ea, void *
 
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_semaphore.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_semaphore.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ int mars_task_semaphore_acquire(uint64_t
 
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
--- a/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_signal.c
+++ b/src/mpu/lib/mars_task_signal.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ int mars_task_signal_wait(void)
 {
 	struct mars_task_context *task;
 
-	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload_context();
+	task = (struct mars_task_context *)mars_get_workload();
 
 	/* make sure task context has a context save area */
 	MARS_CHECK_RET(task->context_save_size && task->context_save_area,
