diff --git a/racket/src/configure b/racket/src/configure
index 4056d18e26..cd2a2e7f1d 100755
--- a/racket/src/configure
+++ b/racket/src/configure
@@ -823,6 +823,7 @@ enable_backtrace
 enable_pthread
 enable_stackup
 enable_bigendian
+enable_ffipoll
 enable_gprof
 enable_gcov
 enable_noopt
@@ -1475,6 +1476,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --enable-pthread        link with pthreads (usually auto-enabled if needed)
   --enable-stackup        assume "up" if stack direction cannot be determined
   --enable-bigendian      assume "big" if endianness cannot be determined
+  --enable-ffipoll        only make FFI calls if embedding program explicitly polls
   --enable-gprof          compile for profiling with gprof (gcc only)
   --enable-gcov           compile to gather gcov statistics (gcc3 only)
   --enable-strip          strip debug on install (usually enabled by default)
@@ -2792,6 +2794,11 @@ if test "${enable_bigendian+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_bigendian;
 fi
 
+# Check whether --enable-ffipoll was given.
+if test "${enable_ffipoll+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_ffipoll;
+fi
+
 
 # AC_ARG_ENABLE(oskit,   [  --enable-oskit          compile OSKit-based Racket kernel])
 # AC_ARG_ENABLE(smalloskit, [  --enable-smalloskit     compile small OSKit-based Racket kernel])
@@ -3060,6 +3067,7 @@ show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_extflonum}" "Extflonums"
 show_explicitly_disabled "${enable_extflonum}" "Extflonums"
 
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_pthread}" "pthreads"
+show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_ffipoll}" "ffipoll"
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_oskit}" "OSKit"
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_smalloskit}" "OSKit small mode"
 
@@ -6508,6 +6516,14 @@ $as_echo "#define MZ_USE_FUTURES 1" >>confdefs.h
   enable_mzrt=yes
 fi
 
+############### ffipoll ###################
+
+if test "${enable_ffipoll}" = "yes" ; then
+
+$as_echo "#define MZ_USE_FFIPOLL 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+fi
+
 ############## compare-and-swap ################
 
 if test "${enable_mzrt}" = "yes" ; then
diff --git a/racket/src/foreign/foreign.c b/racket/src/foreign/foreign.c
index b4b6b4125d..90b6e43d2f 100644
--- a/racket/src/foreign/foreign.c
+++ b/racket/src/foreign/foreign.c
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
 
 #include <errno.h>
 
+#ifdef MZ_USE_FFIPOLL
+# define MZ_USE_FFIPOLL_COND 1
+#else
+# define MZ_USE_FFIPOLL_COND 0
+#endif
+
 #ifndef SIZEOF_BOOL
 # define SIZEOF_BOOL 0
 #endif /* SIZEOF_BOOL */
@@ -3505,7 +3511,10 @@ static void ffi_call_in_orig_place(ffi_cif *cif, void *c_func, intptr_t cfoff,
          to handle those anyway, since the call in the original
          place may lead to a callback that should run in
          this place. */
+#     ifdef MZ_USE_FFIPOLL
+#     else
       check_foreign_work(0);
+#     endif
     }
   }
 }
@@ -3580,7 +3589,7 @@ static Scheme_Object *ffi_do_call(int argc, Scheme_Object *argv[], Scheme_Object
   int i;
   intptr_t basetype, offset, *offsets;
 #ifdef MZ_USE_PLACES
-  if (orig_place && (scheme_current_place_id == 0))
+  if (orig_place && ((scheme_current_place_id == 0) && !MZ_USE_FFIPOLL_COND))
     orig_place = 0;
 #endif
   if (!cif) {
@@ -3722,7 +3731,7 @@ static Scheme_Object *foreign_ffi_call(int argc, Scheme_Object *argv[])
   int i, nargs, save_errno;
   Scheme_Object *lock = scheme_false;
 # ifdef MZ_USE_PLACES
-  int orig_place;
+  int orig_place = MZ_USE_FFIPOLL_COND;
 # define FFI_CALL_VEC_SIZE 9
 # else /* MZ_USE_PLACES undefined */
 # define FFI_CALL_VEC_SIZE 8
@@ -3757,7 +3766,7 @@ static Scheme_Object *foreign_ffi_call(int argc, Scheme_Object *argv[])
     }
   } else
     save_errno = 0;
-# ifdef MZ_USE_PLACES
+# if defined(MZ_USE_PLACES) && !defined(MZ_USE_FFIPOLL)
   if (argc > 5) orig_place = SCHEME_TRUEP(argv[5]);
   else orig_place = 0;
 # endif /* MZ_USE_PLACES */
@@ -3899,6 +3908,9 @@ static Scheme_Object *callback_thunk(void *_qc, int argc, Scheme_Object *argv[])
 }
 
 static void check_foreign_work(int check_for_in_original)
+#ifdef MZ_USE_FFIPOLL
+XFORM_SKIP_PROC
+#endif
 {
   GC_CAN_IGNORE Queued_Callback *qc;
   ffi_callback_struct *data;
@@ -3933,7 +3945,7 @@ static void check_foreign_work(int check_for_in_original)
   }
 
 #ifdef MZ_USE_PLACES
-  if (check_for_in_original && (scheme_current_place_id == 0) && orig_place_mutex) {
+  if (check_for_in_original && ((scheme_current_place_id == 0) || MZ_USE_FFIPOLL_COND) && orig_place_mutex) {
     FFI_Orig_Place_Call *todo;
     void *sh;
 
@@ -3967,6 +3979,9 @@ static void check_foreign_work(int check_for_in_original)
 }
 
 void scheme_check_foreign_work(void)
+#ifdef MZ_USE_FFIPOLL
+XFORM_SKIP_PROC
+#endif
 {
   check_foreign_work(1);
 }
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/configure.ac b/racket/src/racket/configure.ac
index 7b1481c1e6..5a4267f531 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/configure.ac
+++ b/racket/src/racket/configure.ac
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(backtrace, [  --enable-backtrace      3m: support GC backtrace dum
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(pthread, [  --enable-pthread        link with pthreads (usually auto-enabled if needed)])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(stackup, [  --enable-stackup        assume "up" if stack direction cannot be determined])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(bigendian, [  --enable-bigendian      assume "big" if endianness cannot be determined])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(ffipoll, [  --enable-ffipoll        only make FFI calls if embedding program explicitly polls])
 
 # AC_ARG_ENABLE(oskit,   [  --enable-oskit          compile OSKit-based Racket kernel])
 # AC_ARG_ENABLE(smalloskit, [  --enable-smalloskit     compile small OSKit-based Racket kernel])
@@ -328,6 +329,7 @@ show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_extflonum}" "Extflonums"
 show_explicitly_disabled "${enable_extflonum}" "Extflonums"
 
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_pthread}" "pthreads"
+show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_ffipoll}" "ffipoll"
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_oskit}" "OSKit"
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_smalloskit}" "OSKit small mode"
 
@@ -1427,6 +1429,12 @@ if test "${enable_futures}" = "yes" ; then
   enable_mzrt=yes
 fi
 
+############### ffipoll ###################
+
+if test "${enable_ffipoll}" = "yes" ; then
+  AC_DEFINE(MZ_USE_FFIPOLL,1,[FFIPoll enabled])
+fi
+
 ############## compare-and-swap ################
 
 if test "${enable_mzrt}" = "yes" ; then
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/mzconfig.h.in b/racket/src/racket/mzconfig.h.in
index 44253e9477..689f0ba334 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/mzconfig.h.in
+++ b/racket/src/racket/mzconfig.h.in
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ typedef unsigned long uintptr_t;
 #undef MZ_USE_PLACES
 #endif
 
+/* Enable FFI polling: */
+#undef MZ_USE_FFIPOLL
+
 /* Whether __sync_bool_compare_and_swap() works: */
 #undef MZ_CAS_AVAILABLE
 
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c b/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c
index 15d360c173..37246c2774 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c
@@ -5010,7 +5010,7 @@ void scheme_thread_block(float sleep_time)
   if (!do_atomic)
     scheme_check_future_work();
 #endif
-#if defined(MZ_USE_MZRT) && !defined(DONT_USE_FOREIGN)
+#if defined(MZ_USE_MZRT) && !defined(DONT_USE_FOREIGN) && !defined(MZ_USE_FFIPOLL)
   if (!do_atomic)
     scheme_check_foreign_work();
 #endif