diff --git a/src/ir/module-splitting.cpp b/src/ir/module-splitting.cpp
index af31ff20b37..735e747938f 100644
--- a/src/ir/module-splitting.cpp
+++ b/src/ir/module-splitting.cpp
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 //      from the IR before splitting.
 //
 #include "ir/module-splitting.h"
+#include "ir/effects.h"
 #include "ir/find_all.h"
 #include "ir/module-utils.h"
 #include "ir/names.h"
@@ -790,6 +791,16 @@ void ModuleSplitter::shareImportableItems() {
     primaryUsed.globals.insert(tableManager.activeBase.global);
   }
 
+  // Trapping globals should stay in the primary module to preserve the trapping
+  // behavior upon instantiation.
+  for (auto& global : primary.globals) {
+    if (global->init &&
+        EffectAnalyzer(config.passOptions, primary, global->init)
+          .hasUnremovableSideEffects()) {
+      primaryUsed.globals.insert(global->name);
+    }
+  }
+
   // Compute the transitive closure of globals referenced in other globals'
   // initializers. Since globals can reference other globals, we must ensure
   // that if a global is used in a module, all its dependencies are also marked
diff --git a/src/ir/module-splitting.h b/src/ir/module-splitting.h
index 8260feb6b8d..fd21d052061 100644
--- a/src/ir/module-splitting.h
+++ b/src/ir/module-splitting.h
@@ -44,11 +44,14 @@
 #ifndef wasm_ir_module_splitting_h
 #define wasm_ir_module_splitting_h
 
+#include "pass.h"
 #include "wasm.h"
 
 namespace wasm::ModuleSplitting {
 
 struct Config {
+  // Pass options to use for effects analysis
+  PassOptions passOptions;
   // A vector of set of functions to split into that secondary. Each function
   // set belongs to a single secondary module. All others are kept in the
   // primary module. Must not include the start function if it exists. May or
diff --git a/src/tools/wasm-split/split-options.cpp b/src/tools/wasm-split/split-options.cpp
index dcea3bcf227..d62d22ad765 100644
--- a/src/tools/wasm-split/split-options.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/wasm-split/split-options.cpp
@@ -358,6 +358,16 @@ WasmSplitOptions::WasmSplitOptions()
          {Mode::Split, Mode::MultiSplit, Mode::Instrument},
          Options::Arguments::Zero,
          [&](Options* o, const std::string& arguments) { stripDebug = true; })
+    .add("--traps-never-happen",
+         "-tnh",
+         "Split under the helpful assumption that no trap is reached at "
+         "runtime (from load, div/mod, etc.)",
+         WasmSplitOption,
+         {Mode::Split, Mode::MultiSplit},
+         Options::Arguments::Zero,
+         [&](Options* o, const std::string& arguments) {
+           passOptions.trapsNeverHappen = true;
+         })
     .add("--output",
          "-o",
          "Output file.",
diff --git a/src/tools/wasm-split/wasm-split.cpp b/src/tools/wasm-split/wasm-split.cpp
index 82a3e9ab860..8faa1bef488 100644
--- a/src/tools/wasm-split/wasm-split.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/wasm-split/wasm-split.cpp
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ void writePlaceholderMap(
 
 void setCommonSplitConfigs(ModuleSplitting::Config& config,
                            const WasmSplitOptions& options) {
+  config.passOptions = options.passOptions;
   config.usePlaceholders = options.usePlaceholders;
   config.minimizeNewExportNames = !options.passOptions.debugInfo;
   if (options.importNamespace) {
diff --git a/test/lit/help/wasm-split.test b/test/lit/help/wasm-split.test
index 950d3e5cea9..3503a46675d 100644
--- a/test/lit/help/wasm-split.test
+++ b/test/lit/help/wasm-split.test
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:   --strip-debug                        [split, multi-split, instrument] Strip
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:                                        debug info (including the names section)
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:
+;; CHECK-NEXT:   --traps-never-happen,-tnh            [split, multi-split] Split under the
+;; CHECK-NEXT:                                        helpful assumption that no trap is
+;; CHECK-NEXT:                                        reached at runtime (from load, div/mod,
+;; CHECK-NEXT:                                        etc.)
+;; CHECK-NEXT:
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:   --output,-o                          [instrument, merge-profiles, multi-split]
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:                                        Output file.
 ;; CHECK-NEXT:
diff --git a/test/lit/wasm-split/trapping-global.wast b/test/lit/wasm-split/trapping-global.wast
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..388973d835d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lit/wasm-split/trapping-global.wast
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+;; RUN: wasm-split %s -all -g -o1 %t.1.wasm -o2 %t.2.wasm --split-funcs=split
+;; RUN: wasm-dis -all %t.1.wasm | filecheck %s --check-prefix PRIMARY
+;; RUN: wasm-split %s -all -g -o1 %t.tnh.1.wasm -o2 %t.tnh.2.wasm --split-funcs=split --traps-never-happen
+;; RUN: wasm-dis -all %t.tnh.1.wasm | filecheck %s --check-prefix PRIMARY-TNH
+
+;; This unused global should NOT be removed by wasm-split because its
+;; initializer contains a side effect (a trap due to a null descriptor).
+;; However, if we pass --traps-never-happen, we assume traps never occur, so the
+;; global will be considered to have no side effects and will be removed.
+(module
+ (rec
+  (type $struct (descriptor $desc) (struct))
+  (type $desc (describes $struct) (struct))
+ )
+ ;; PRIMARY:         (global $trap (ref $struct)
+ ;; PRIMARY-TNH-NOT: (global $trap (ref $struct)
+ (global $trap (ref $struct)
+  (struct.new_desc $struct
+   (ref.null none)
+  )
+ )
+
+ (func $split)
+)