The paper presents a new spindle speed regulation method to avoid regenerative chatter in turning operations. It is not necessary to analyse complex cutting dynamics to search for stable spindle speeds to eliminate regenerative chatter. The metal removal rate is also greatly improved by using this method. The stability lobe diagram for the stability limit of chip width and chatter frequency versus spindle speed is derived by using the Nyquist stability criterion. It is shown that stable spindle speeds can be automatically obtained when the chatter frequency is found. Computational simulations and experimental cutting tests are performed to illustrate the proposed method.