diff --git a/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IOCompanionPlatform.scala b/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IOCompanionPlatform.scala
index 02278b9874..9a91bd5f53 100644
--- a/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IOCompanionPlatform.scala
+++ b/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IOCompanionPlatform.scala
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ package cats.effect
 
 import cats.effect.std.Console
 import cats.effect.tracing.Tracing
+import cats.effect.unsafe.WorkerThread
+
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 
 import java.time.Instant
 import java.util.concurrent.{CompletableFuture, CompletionStage}
@@ -141,4 +144,15 @@ private[effect] abstract class IOCompanionPlatform { this: IO.type =>
    */
   def readLine: IO[String] =
     Console[IO].readLine
+
+  def delayWithPollingSystem[S, A](f: S => A)(implicit ct: ClassTag[S]): IO[Option[A]] = delay {
+    Thread.currentThread() match {
+      case worker: WorkerThread =>
+        val system = worker.pollingSystem
+        if (ct.runtimeClass.isInstance(system))
+          Some(f(system.asInstanceOf[S]))
+        else None
+      case _ => None
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/unsafe/WorkerThread.scala b/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/unsafe/WorkerThread.scala
index 75d527bc3e..83d136a0c4 100644
--- a/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/unsafe/WorkerThread.scala
+++ b/core/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/unsafe/WorkerThread.scala
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.locks.LockSupport
  * system when compared to a fixed size thread pool whose worker threads all draw tasks from a
  * single global work queue.
  */
-private final class WorkerThread(
+private[effect] final class WorkerThread(
     idx: Int,
     // Local queue instance with exclusive write access.
     private[this] var queue: LocalQueue,
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ private final class WorkerThread(
 
   val nameIndex: Int = pool.blockedWorkerThreadNamingIndex.incrementAndGet()
 
+  def pollingSystem: Any = ??? // stub
+
   // Constructor code.
   {
     // Worker threads are daemon threads.
diff --git a/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala b/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala
index b5d0ee63d2..df31f7393a 100644
--- a/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala
+++ b/kernel/jvm/src/main/scala/cats/effect/kernel/AsyncPlatform.scala
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 
 package cats.effect.kernel
 
+import scala.annotation.nowarn
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
+
 import java.util.concurrent.{CompletableFuture, CompletionException, CompletionStage}
 
 private[kernel] trait AsyncPlatform[F[_]] extends Serializable { this: Async[F] =>
@@ -53,4 +56,14 @@ private[kernel] trait AsyncPlatform[F[_]] extends Serializable { this: Async[F]
         }
       }
     }
+
+  /**
+   * Attempts to retrieve the runtime's polling system, if present and an instance of `S`.
+   *
+   * If successful, it invokes the side-effect `f` with it and returns the result.
+   *
+   * If no polling system of type `S` is available, then `f` is not run and `None` is returned.
+   */
+  @nowarn
+  def delayWithPollingSystem[S: ClassTag, A](f: S => A): F[Option[A]] = pure(None)
 }