diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 81fe49b1..d78a6ca0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ include(GNUInstallDirs)
 find_package(ICU REQUIRED uc)
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
 
+# Switch to jemalloc (http://jemalloc.net) as the malloc/free
+# implementation in renderd.
+# Should address https://github.com/openstreetmap/mod_tile/issues/181
+find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+pkg_check_modules(JEMALLOC jemalloc)
+pkg_search_module(JEMALLOC REQUIRED jemalloc)
+
 find_package(APR REQUIRED)
 find_package(GLIB 2.50 REQUIRED)
 find_package(HTTPD 2.4 REQUIRED)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 046e49ab..220897ec 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -183,7 +183,9 @@ set(renderd_SRCS
   renderd.c
   request_queue.c
 )
+# JEMALLOC libraries should come *before* the GLIB libraries.
 set(renderd_LIBS
+  ${JEMALLOC_LIBRARIES}
   ${ICU_LIBRARIES}
   ${LIBMAPNIK_LIBRARIES}
   ${RENDER_LIBRARIES}