An approach is provided for reducing command bus traffic between memory controllers and PIM-enabled memory modules using special PIM commands. The term “special PIM command” is used herein to describe embodiments and refers to a PIM command for which the corresponding module-specific command information is provided to memory modules via a non-command bus data path. A memory controller generates and issues a special PIM command to multiple PIM-enabled memory modules via a command bus and provides module-specific command information (e.g., address information) for the special PIM command to the PIM-enabled memory modules via the non-command bus data path that is shared by the PIM-enabled memory modules and the memory controller.