diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 12c28a5d0a2755..5ced5a3db62461 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ bool trace_warnings = false;
 // that is used by lib/module.js
 bool config_preserve_symlinks = false;
 
+bool v8_initialized = false;
+
 // process-relative uptime base, initialized at start-up
 static double prog_start_time;
 static bool debugger_running;
@@ -4490,6 +4492,7 @@ int Start(int argc, char** argv) {
 
   v8_platform.Initialize(v8_thread_pool_size);
   V8::Initialize();
+  v8_initialized = true;
 
   int exit_code = 1;
   {
@@ -4503,6 +4506,7 @@ int Start(int argc, char** argv) {
     StartNodeInstance(&instance_data);
     exit_code = instance_data.exit_code();
   }
+  v8_initialized = false;
   V8::Dispose();
 
   v8_platform.Dispose();
diff --git a/src/node_internals.h b/src/node_internals.h
index a54ead49eeda2a..72888ef36d519e 100644
--- a/src/node_internals.h
+++ b/src/node_internals.h
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ namespace node {
 // that is used by lib/module.js
 extern bool config_preserve_symlinks;
 
+// Tells whether it is safe to call v8::Isolate::GetCurrent().
+extern bool v8_initialized;
+
 // Forward declaration
 class Environment;
 
diff --git a/src/util-inl.h b/src/util-inl.h
index a3d446c2a51655..51adb816926e52 100644
--- a/src/util-inl.h
+++ b/src/util-inl.h
@@ -253,7 +253,15 @@ T* UncheckedRealloc(T* pointer, size_t n) {
     return nullptr;
   }
 
-  return static_cast<T*>(realloc(pointer, full_size));
+  void* allocated = realloc(pointer, full_size);
+
+  if (UNLIKELY(allocated == nullptr)) {
+    // Tell V8 that memory is low and retry.
+    LowMemoryNotification();
+    allocated = realloc(pointer, full_size);
+  }
+
+  return static_cast<T*>(allocated);
 }
 
 // As per spec realloc behaves like malloc if passed nullptr.
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index 14aa68996f56cc..9fb5c3fd2855d3 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -77,4 +77,13 @@ BufferValue::BufferValue(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value) {
   }
 }
 
+void LowMemoryNotification() {
+  if (v8_initialized) {
+    auto isolate = v8::Isolate::GetCurrent();
+    if (isolate != nullptr) {
+      isolate->LowMemoryNotification();
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 }  // namespace node
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 5df9b04b394586..9ddc2201a6f412 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ inline char* Calloc(size_t n) { return Calloc<char>(n); }
 inline char* UncheckedMalloc(size_t n) { return UncheckedMalloc<char>(n); }
 inline char* UncheckedCalloc(size_t n) { return UncheckedCalloc<char>(n); }
 
+// Used by the allocation functions when allocation fails.
+// Thin wrapper around v8::Isolate::LowMemoryNotification() that checks
+// whether V8 is initialized.
+void LowMemoryNotification();
+
 #ifdef __GNUC__
 #define NO_RETURN __attribute__((noreturn))
 #else
diff --git a/test/cctest/util.cc b/test/cctest/util.cc
index f1446ae0345153..434eeba96f8445 100644
--- a/test/cctest/util.cc
+++ b/test/cctest/util.cc
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ TEST(UtilTest, ToLower) {
   EXPECT_EQ('a', ToLower('A'));
 }
 
+namespace node {
+  void LowMemoryNotification() {}
+}
+
 TEST(UtilTest, Malloc) {
   using node::Malloc;
   EXPECT_NE(nullptr, Malloc<char>(0));