diff --git a/handler/ha_innodb.cc b/handler/ha_innodb.cc
index e1c5c6fc38e..384ee4407ed 100644
--- a/handler/ha_innodb.cc
+++ b/handler/ha_innodb.cc
@@ -9583,6 +9583,11 @@ static MYSQL_SYSVAR_STR(version, innodb_version_str,
   PLUGIN_VAR_NOCMDOPT | PLUGIN_VAR_READONLY,
   "InnoDB version", NULL, NULL, INNODB_VERSION_STR);
 
+static MYSQL_SYSVAR_BOOL(use_sys_malloc, srv_use_sys_malloc,
+  PLUGIN_VAR_NOCMDARG | PLUGIN_VAR_READONLY,
+  "Use OS memory allocator instead of InnoDB's internal memory allocator",
+  NULL, NULL, FALSE);
+
 static struct st_mysql_sys_var* innobase_system_variables[]= {
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(additional_mem_pool_size),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(autoextend_increment),
@@ -9629,6 +9634,7 @@ static struct st_mysql_sys_var* innobase_system_variables[]= {
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(thread_sleep_delay),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(autoinc_lock_mode),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(version),
+  MYSQL_SYSVAR(use_sys_malloc),
   NULL
 };
 
diff --git a/include/srv0srv.h b/include/srv0srv.h
index 878afa0feb3..4a0609be4dc 100644
--- a/include/srv0srv.h
+++ b/include/srv0srv.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ extern ulong	srv_flush_log_at_trx_commit;
 /* The sort order table of the MySQL latin1_swedish_ci character set
 collation */
 extern const byte*	srv_latin1_ordering;
+extern my_bool	srv_use_sys_malloc;
 extern ulint	srv_buf_pool_size;	/* requested size in bytes */
 extern ulint	srv_buf_pool_old_size;	/* previously requested size */
 extern ulint	srv_buf_pool_curr_size;	/* current size in bytes */
diff --git a/mem/mem0pool.c b/mem/mem0pool.c
index d3bf4d04853..4f26ec560bf 100644
--- a/mem/mem0pool.c
+++ b/mem/mem0pool.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Created 5/12/1997 Heikki Tuuri
 #include "mem0pool.ic"
 #endif
 
+#include "srv0srv.h"
 #include "sync0sync.h"
 #include "ut0mem.h"
 #include "ut0lst.h"
@@ -336,6 +337,12 @@ mem_area_alloc(
 	ulint		n;
 	ibool		ret;
 
+	/* If we are using os allocator just make a simple call
+	to malloc */
+	if (srv_use_sys_malloc) {
+		return(malloc(*psize));
+	}
+
 	size = *psize;
 	n = ut_2_log(ut_max(size + MEM_AREA_EXTRA_SIZE, MEM_AREA_MIN_SIZE));
 
@@ -470,6 +477,10 @@ mem_area_free(
 	ulint		size;
 	ulint		n;
 
+	if (srv_use_sys_malloc) {
+		return(free(ptr));
+	}
+
 	/* It may be that the area was really allocated from the OS with
 	regular malloc: check if ptr points within our memory pool */
 
diff --git a/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc-master.opt b/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc-master.opt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..889834add01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc-master.opt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+--innodb-use-sys-malloc=true
+--innodb-use-sys-malloc=true
diff --git a/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc.result b/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc.result
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2ec4c7c8130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc.result
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+@@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc
+1
+1 Expected
+SET @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc=0;
+ERROR HY000: Variable 'innodb_use_sys_malloc' is a read only variable
+Expected error 'Read only variable'
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+@@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc
+1
+1 Expected
+drop table if exists t1;
+create table t1(a int not null) engine=innodb DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
+insert into t1 values (1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7);
+select * from t1;
+a
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+drop table t1;
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+@@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc
+1
+1 Expected
+SET @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc=0;
+ERROR HY000: Variable 'innodb_use_sys_malloc' is a read only variable
+Expected error 'Read only variable'
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+@@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc
+1
+1 Expected
+drop table if exists t1;
+create table t1(a int not null) engine=innodb DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
+insert into t1 values (1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7);
+select * from t1;
+a
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+drop table t1;
diff --git a/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc.test b/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc.test
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..325dd19d086
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/innodb-use-sys-malloc.test
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+--source include/have_innodb.inc
+
+#display current value of innodb_use_sys_malloc
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+--echo 1 Expected
+
+#try changing it. Should fail.
+--error ER_INCORRECT_GLOBAL_LOCAL_VAR
+SET @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc=0;
+--echo Expected error 'Read only variable'
+
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+--echo 1 Expected
+
+
+#do some stuff to see if it works.
+--disable_warnings
+drop table if exists t1;
+--enable_warnings
+
+create table t1(a int not null) engine=innodb DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
+insert into t1 values (1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7);
+select * from t1;
+drop table t1;
+--source include/have_innodb.inc
+
+#display current value of innodb_use_sys_malloc
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+--echo 1 Expected
+
+#try changing it. Should fail.
+--error ER_INCORRECT_GLOBAL_LOCAL_VAR
+SET @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc=0;
+--echo Expected error 'Read only variable'
+
+SELECT @@GLOBAL.innodb_use_sys_malloc;
+--echo 1 Expected
+
+
+#do some stuff to see if it works.
+--disable_warnings
+drop table if exists t1;
+--enable_warnings
+
+create table t1(a int not null) engine=innodb DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
+insert into t1 values (1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7);
+select * from t1;
+drop table t1;
diff --git a/srv/srv0srv.c b/srv/srv0srv.c
index d75269e96d5..84a053dc7b6 100644
--- a/srv/srv0srv.c
+++ b/srv/srv0srv.c
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ UNIV_INTERN ulong	srv_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 1;
 collation */
 UNIV_INTERN const byte*	srv_latin1_ordering;
 
+/* use os/external memory allocator */
+UNIV_INTERN my_bool	srv_use_sys_malloc	= FALSE;
 /* requested size in kilobytes */
 UNIV_INTERN ulint	srv_buf_pool_size	= ULINT_MAX;
 /* previously requested size */
diff --git a/srv/srv0start.c b/srv/srv0start.c
index 1e8c10c13bb..d484e728cff 100644
--- a/srv/srv0start.c
+++ b/srv/srv0start.c
@@ -1047,6 +1047,11 @@ innobase_start_or_create_for_mysql(void)
 		"InnoDB: !!!!!!!! UNIV_MEM_DEBUG switched on !!!!!!!!!\n");
 #endif
 
+	if (srv_use_sys_malloc) {
+		fprintf(stderr,
+			"InnoDB: The InnoDB memory heap is disabled\n");
+	}
+
 	/* Since InnoDB does not currently clean up all its internal data
 	structures in MySQL Embedded Server Library server_end(), we
 	print an error message if someone tries to start up InnoDB a