diff --git a/lib/moodlelib.php b/lib/moodlelib.php
index 5c274caa1bf..094a6478115 100644
--- a/lib/moodlelib.php
+++ b/lib/moodlelib.php
@@ -6511,6 +6511,31 @@ eval('
 ');
 }
 
+/*
+ * This function expects to called during shutdown
+ * should be set via register_shutdown_function()
+ * in lib/setup.php .
+ * 
+ * Right now we do it only if we are under apache, to
+ * make sure apache children that hog too much mem are
+ * killed.
+ * 
+ */
+function moodle_request_shutdown() {
+
+    // initially, we are only ever called under apache 
+    // but check just in case 
+    if (function_exists('apache_child_terminate') && function_exists('memory_get_usage')) {
+        if (empty($CFG->apachemaxmem)) {
+            $CFG->apachemaxmem = 10000000; // default 10MiB
+        }
+        if (memory_get_usage() > (int)$CFG->apachemaxmem) {
+            trigger_error('Mem usage over $CFG->apachemaxmem: marking child for reaping.');
+            apache_child_terminate();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /**
  * This function will make a complete copy of anything it's given, 
  * regardless of whether it's an object or not.
diff --git a/lib/setup.php b/lib/setup.php
index 3b44e275815..ac700d32d63 100644
--- a/lib/setup.php
+++ b/lib/setup.php
@@ -234,6 +234,10 @@ global $HTTPSPAGEREQUIRED;
         $originaldatabasedebug = -1;
     }
 
+/// For now, only needed under apache (and probably unstable in other contexts)
+    if (function_exists('apache_child_terminate')) {
+        register_shutdown_function('moodle_request_shutdown');
+    }
 
 //// Defining the site
     if ($SITE = get_site()) {