diff --git a/libraries/metrics/memory.coffee b/libraries/metrics/memory.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b3c8f55ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/metrics/memory.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# record memory usage each minute and run a periodic gc(), keeping cpu
+# usage within allowable range of 1ms per minute. Also, dynamically
+# adjust the period between gc()'s to reach a target of the gc saving
+# 4 megabytes each time.
+
+oneMinute = 60 * 1000
+oneMegaByte = 1024 * 1024
+
+CpuTimeBucket = 100 # current cpu time allowance in milliseconds
+CpuTimeBucketMax = 100 # maximum amount of cpu time allowed in bucket
+CpuTimeBucketRate = 1 # add this many milliseconds per minute
+
+gcInterval = 1 # how many minutes between gc (parameter is dynamically adjusted)
+countSinceLastGc = 0 # how many minutes since last gc
+MemoryChunkSize = 4 * oneMegaByte # how much we need to free to consider gc worth doing
+
+readyToGc = () ->
+	# update allowed cpu time
+	CpuTimeBucket = CpuTimeBucket + CpuTimeBucketRate
+	CpuTimeBucket = if CpuTimeBucket < CpuTimeBucketMax then CpuTimeBucket else CpuTimeBucketMax
+	# update counts since last gc
+	countSinceLastGc = countSinceLastGc + 1
+	# check there is enough time since last gc and we have enough cpu
+	return (countSinceLastGc > gcInterval) && (CpuTimeBucket > 0)
+
+executeAndTime = (fn) ->
+	# time the execution of fn() and subtract from cpu allowance
+	t0 = process.hrtime()
+	fn()
+	dt = process.hrtime(t0)
+	timeTaken = (dt[0] + dt[1]*1e-9) * 1e3 # in milliseconds
+	CpuTimeBucket -= Math.ceil timeTaken
+	return timeTaken
+
+inMegaBytes = (obj) ->
+	# convert process.memoryUsage hash {rss,heapTotal,heapFreed} into megabytes
+	result = {}
+	for k, v of obj
+		result[k] = (v / oneMegaByte).toFixed(2)
+	return result
+
+updateMemoryStats = (oldMem, newMem) ->
+	countSinceLastGc = 0
+	delta = {}
+	for k of newMem
+		delta[k] = (newMem[k] - oldMem[k]).toFixed(2)
+	# take the max of all memory measures
+	savedMemory = Math.max -delta.rss, -delta.heapTotal, -delta.heapUsed
+	delta.megabytesFreed = savedMemory
+	# did it do any good?
+	if savedMemory < MemoryChunkSize
+		gcInterval = gcInterval + 1 # no, so wait longer next time
+	else
+		gcInterval = Math.max gcInterval - 1, 1 # yes, wait less time
+	return delta
+
+module.exports = MemoryMonitor =
+	monitor: (logger) ->
+		# use setTimeout add some randomisation of the start time
+		setTimeout () ->
+			interval = setInterval () ->
+				MemoryMonitor.Check(logger)
+			, oneMinute
+		, Math.floor Math.random()*oneMinute
+		Metrics = require "./metrics"
+		Metrics.registerDestructor () ->
+			clearInterval(interval)
+
+	Check: (logger) ->
+		Metrics = require "./metrics"
+		memBeforeGc = mem = inMegaBytes process.memoryUsage()
+		Metrics.gauge("memory.rss", mem.rss)
+		Metrics.gauge("memory.heaptotal", mem.heapTotal)
+		Metrics.gauge("memory.heapused", mem.heapUsed)
+		Metrics.gauge("memory.gc-interval", gcInterval)
+		Metrics.gauge("memory.cpu-time-bucket", CpuTimeBucket)
+
+		if global.gc? && readyToGc()
+			gcTime = (executeAndTime	global.gc).toFixed(2)
+			memAfterGc = inMegaBytes process.memoryUsage()
+			deltaMem = updateMemoryStats(memBeforeGc, memAfterGc)
+			logger.log {gcTime, memBeforeGc, memAfterGc, deltaMem, gcInterval, CpuTimeBucket}, "global.gc() forced"
+			Metrics.timing("memory.gc-time", gcTime)
+			Metrics.gauge("memory.gc-rss-freed", -deltaMem.rss)
+			Metrics.gauge("memory.gc-heaptotal-freed", -deltaMem.heapTotal)
+			Metrics.gauge("memory.gc-heapused-freed",  -deltaMem.heapUsed)
diff --git a/libraries/metrics/metrics.coffee b/libraries/metrics/metrics.coffee
index a0cd3070fb..e382c8a8cd 100644
--- a/libraries/metrics/metrics.coffee
+++ b/libraries/metrics/metrics.coffee
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ module.exports =
 	http: require "./http"
 	open_sockets: require "./open_sockets"
 	event_loop: require "./event_loop"
+	memory: require "./memory"
 
 	close: () ->
 		for func in destructors