diff --git a/doc/source/deployment_guide.rst b/doc/source/deployment_guide.rst
index e1db05f50d..64755e0851 100644
--- a/doc/source/deployment_guide.rst
+++ b/doc/source/deployment_guide.rst
@@ -425,6 +425,10 @@ bind_ip             0.0.0.0     IP Address for server to bind to
 bind_port           6002        Port for server to bind to
 workers             1           Number of workers to fork
 user                swift       User to run as
+db_preallocation    on          Normally Swift will try to preallocate disk
+                                space for new SQLite databases to decrease
+                                fragmentation (at the cost of disk usage). You
+                                may turn this feature off here.
 ==================  ==========  =============================================
 
 [account-server]
diff --git a/etc/account-server.conf-sample b/etc/account-server.conf-sample
index c521280aba..08a9fe4066 100644
--- a/etc/account-server.conf-sample
+++ b/etc/account-server.conf-sample
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 # log_name = swift
 # log_facility = LOG_LOCAL0
 # log_level = INFO
+# Normally Swift will try to preallocate disk space for new SQLite databases to
+# decrease fragmentation (at the cost of disk usage). You may turn this feature
+# off here.
+# db_preallocation = on
 
 [pipeline:main]
 pipeline = account-server
diff --git a/etc/container-server.conf-sample b/etc/container-server.conf-sample
index 4dda5f38eb..f9f85950cf 100644
--- a/etc/container-server.conf-sample
+++ b/etc/container-server.conf-sample
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 # log_name = swift
 # log_facility = LOG_LOCAL0
 # log_level = INFO
+# Normally Swift will try to preallocate disk space for new SQLite databases to
+# decrease fragmentation (at the cost of disk usage). You may turn this feature
+# off here.
+# db_preallocation = on
 
 [pipeline:main]
 pipeline = container-server
diff --git a/swift/account/auditor.py b/swift/account/auditor.py
index f5f9f3e76a..b9f3172a5a 100644
--- a/swift/account/auditor.py
+++ b/swift/account/auditor.py
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@
 import time
 from random import random
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.account import server as account_server
 from swift.common.db import AccountBroker
-from swift.common.utils import get_logger, audit_location_generator
+from swift.common.utils import get_logger, audit_location_generator, \
+    TRUE_VALUES
 from swift.common.daemon import Daemon
 
 from eventlet import Timeout
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf):
         self.interval = int(conf.get('interval', 1800))
         self.account_passes = 0
         self.account_failures = 0
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
 
     def run_forever(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """Run the account audit until stopped."""
diff --git a/swift/account/reaper.py b/swift/account/reaper.py
index 57c64c3b59..f5096581ad 100644
--- a/swift/account/reaper.py
+++ b/swift/account/reaper.py
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@
 
 from eventlet import GreenPool, sleep, Timeout
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.account.server import DATADIR
 from swift.common.db import AccountBroker
 from swift.common.direct_client import ClientException, \
     direct_delete_container, direct_delete_object, direct_get_container
 from swift.common.ring import Ring
-from swift.common.utils import get_logger, whataremyips
+from swift.common.utils import get_logger, whataremyips, TRUE_VALUES
 from swift.common.daemon import Daemon
 
 
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf):
         self.container_concurrency = self.object_concurrency = \
             sqrt(self.concurrency)
         self.container_pool = GreenPool(size=self.container_concurrency)
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
         self.delay_reaping = int(conf.get('delay_reaping') or 0)
 
     def get_account_ring(self):
diff --git a/swift/account/server.py b/swift/account/server.py
index 800b3c0fa7..b0d73bd172 100644
--- a/swift/account/server.py
+++ b/swift/account/server.py
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@
     HTTPPreconditionFailed, HTTPConflict
 import simplejson
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.common.db import AccountBroker
 from swift.common.utils import get_logger, get_param, hash_path, \
-    normalize_timestamp, split_path, storage_directory
+    normalize_timestamp, split_path, storage_directory, TRUE_VALUES
 from swift.common.constraints import ACCOUNT_LISTING_LIMIT, \
     check_mount, check_float, check_utf8
 from swift.common.db_replicator import ReplicatorRpc
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf):
             self.mount_check, logger=self.logger)
         self.auto_create_account_prefix = \
             conf.get('auto_create_account_prefix') or '.'
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
 
     def _get_account_broker(self, drive, part, account):
         hsh = hash_path(account)
diff --git a/swift/common/db.py b/swift/common/db.py
index 3a09bfa9d2..32f5d104d9 100644
--- a/swift/common/db.py
+++ b/swift/common/db.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 from swift.common.exceptions import LockTimeout
 
 
+#: Whether calls will be made to preallocate disk space for database files.
+DB_PREALLOCATION = True
 #: Timeout for trying to connect to a DB
 BROKER_TIMEOUT = 25
 #: Pickle protocol to use
@@ -508,7 +510,7 @@ def _preallocate(self):
         within 512k of a boundary, it allocates to the next boundary.
         Boundaries are 2m, 5m, 10m, 25m, 50m, then every 50m after.
         """
-        if self.db_file == ':memory:':
+        if not DB_PREALLOCATION or self.db_file == ':memory:':
             return
         MB = (1024 * 1024)
 
diff --git a/swift/container/auditor.py b/swift/container/auditor.py
index 0735c28119..89855e2e73 100644
--- a/swift/container/auditor.py
+++ b/swift/container/auditor.py
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@
 
 from eventlet import Timeout
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.container import server as container_server
 from swift.common.db import ContainerBroker
-from swift.common.utils import get_logger, audit_location_generator
+from swift.common.utils import get_logger, audit_location_generator, \
+    TRUE_VALUES
 from swift.common.daemon import Daemon
 
 
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf):
         swift_dir = conf.get('swift_dir', '/etc/swift')
         self.container_passes = 0
         self.container_failures = 0
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
 
     def run_forever(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """Run the container audit until stopped."""
diff --git a/swift/container/server.py b/swift/container/server.py
index f42dd63580..a3cfd5123f 100644
--- a/swift/container/server.py
+++ b/swift/container/server.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
     HTTPCreated, HTTPInternalServerError, HTTPNoContent, \
     HTTPNotFound, HTTPPreconditionFailed, HTTPMethodNotAllowed
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.common.db import ContainerBroker
 from swift.common.utils import get_logger, get_param, hash_path, \
     normalize_timestamp, storage_directory, split_path, validate_sync_to, \
@@ -65,6 +66,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf):
             conf.get('auto_create_account_prefix') or '.'
         if conf.get('allow_versions', 'f').lower() in TRUE_VALUES:
             self.save_headers.append('x-versions-location')
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
 
     def _get_container_broker(self, drive, part, account, container):
         """
diff --git a/swift/container/sync.py b/swift/container/sync.py
index 6c3ef3ebf1..441951d00f 100644
--- a/swift/container/sync.py
+++ b/swift/container/sync.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 from eventlet import sleep, Timeout
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.container import server as container_server
 from swift.common.client import ClientException, delete_object, put_object, \
     quote
@@ -178,6 +179,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf, container_ring=None, object_ring=None):
         self.object_ring = object_ring or Ring(swift_dir, ring_name='object')
         self._myips = whataremyips()
         self._myport = int(conf.get('bind_port', 6001))
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
 
     def run_forever(self):
         """
diff --git a/swift/container/updater.py b/swift/container/updater.py
index b3fe158a24..6a9fd1294a 100644
--- a/swift/container/updater.py
+++ b/swift/container/updater.py
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@
 
 from eventlet import spawn, patcher, Timeout
 
+import swift.common.db
 from swift.container.server import DATADIR
 from swift.common.bufferedhttp import http_connect
 from swift.common.db import ContainerBroker
 from swift.common.exceptions import ConnectionTimeout
 from swift.common.ring import Ring
-from swift.common.utils import get_logger, whataremyips
+from swift.common.utils import get_logger, whataremyips, TRUE_VALUES
 from swift.common.daemon import Daemon
 
 
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf):
         self.account_suppression_time = \
             float(conf.get('account_suppression_time', 60))
         self.new_account_suppressions = None
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = \
+            conf.get('db_preallocation', 't').lower() in TRUE_VALUES
 
     def get_account_ring(self):
         """Get the account ring.  Load it if it hasn't been yet."""
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_db.py b/test/unit/common/test_db.py
index fcda936af2..f14097d8b1 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_db.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_db.py
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ def setUp(self):
         rmtree(self.testdir, ignore_errors=1)
         os.mkdir(self.testdir)
 
+    def test_DB_PREALLOCATION_setting(self):
+        u = uuid4().hex
+        b = DatabaseBroker(u)
+        self.assertRaises(OSError, b._preallocate)
+        swift.common.db.DB_PREALLOCATION = False
+        b._preallocate()
+
     def tearDown(self):
         rmtree(self.testdir, ignore_errors=1)