diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0d731774..09977ccd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -230,6 +230,8 @@ smoketest:
 	@$(MD5SUM) test.hex
 	$(TINYGO) build -size short -o test.hex -target=pca10040            examples/mcp3008
 	@$(MD5SUM) test.hex
+	$(TINYGO) build -size short -o test.hex -target=pca10040            examples/memstats
+	@$(MD5SUM) test.hex
 	$(TINYGO) build -size short -o test.hex -target=microbit            examples/microbit-blink
 	@$(MD5SUM) test.hex
 	$(TINYGO) build -size short -o test.hex -target=pca10040            examples/pininterrupt
diff --git a/src/examples/memstats/memstats.go b/src/examples/memstats/memstats.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0224ac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/examples/memstats/memstats.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"runtime"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func main() {
+
+	ms := runtime.MemStats{}
+
+	for {
+		escapesToHeap()
+		runtime.ReadMemStats(&ms)
+		println("Heap before GC. Used: ", ms.HeapInuse, " Free: ", ms.HeapIdle, " Meta: ", ms.GCSys)
+		runtime.GC()
+		runtime.ReadMemStats(&ms)
+		println("Heap after  GC. Used: ", ms.HeapInuse, " Free: ", ms.HeapIdle, " Meta: ", ms.GCSys)
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func escapesToHeap() {
+	n := rand.Intn(100)
+	println("Doing ", n, " iterations")
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		s := make([]byte, i)
+		_ = append(s, 42)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/gc_conservative.go b/src/runtime/gc_conservative.go
index 7638fb0d..e9682592 100644
--- a/src/runtime/gc_conservative.go
+++ b/src/runtime/gc_conservative.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	metadataStart unsafe.Pointer // pointer to the start of the heap
+	metadataStart unsafe.Pointer // pointer to the start of the heap metadata
 	nextAlloc     gcBlock        // the next block that should be tried by the allocator
 	endBlock      gcBlock        // the block just past the end of the available space
 )
diff --git a/src/runtime/mstats.go b/src/runtime/mstats.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2723fe9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/mstats.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// +build gc.conservative
+
+package runtime
+
+// Memory statistics
+
+// Subset of memory statistics from upstream Go.
+// Works with conservative gc only.
+
+// A MemStats records statistics about the memory allocator.
+type MemStats struct {
+	// General statistics.
+
+	// Sys is the total bytes of memory obtained from the OS.
+	//
+	// Sys is the sum of the XSys fields below. Sys measures the
+	// address space reserved by the runtime for the
+	// heap, stacks, and other internal data structures.
+	Sys uint64
+
+	// Heap memory statistics.
+
+	// HeapSys is bytes of heap memory, total.
+	//
+	// In TinyGo unlike upstream Go, we make no distinction between
+	// regular heap blocks used by escaped-to-the-heap variables and
+	// blocks occupied by goroutine stacks,
+	// all such blocks are marked as in-use, see HeapInuse below.
+	HeapSys uint64
+
+	// HeapIdle is bytes in idle (unused) blocks.
+	HeapIdle uint64
+
+	// HeapInuse is bytes in in-use blocks.
+	HeapInuse uint64
+
+	// HeapReleased is bytes of physical memory returned to the OS.
+	HeapReleased uint64
+
+	// Off-heap memory statistics.
+	//
+	// The following statistics measure runtime-internal
+	// structures that are not allocated from heap memory (usually
+	// because they are part of implementing the heap).
+
+	// GCSys is bytes of memory in garbage collection metadata.
+	GCSys uint64
+}
+
+// ReadMemStats populates m with memory statistics.
+//
+// The returned memory statistics are up to date as of the
+// call to ReadMemStats. This would not do GC implicitly for you.
+func ReadMemStats(m *MemStats) {
+	m.HeapIdle = 0
+	m.HeapInuse = 0
+	for block := gcBlock(0); block < endBlock; block++ {
+		bstate := block.state()
+		if bstate == blockStateFree {
+			m.HeapIdle += uint64(bytesPerBlock)
+		} else {
+			m.HeapInuse += uint64(bytesPerBlock)
+		}
+	}
+	m.HeapReleased = 0 // always 0, we don't currently release memory back to the OS.
+	m.HeapSys = m.HeapInuse + m.HeapIdle
+	m.GCSys = uint64(heapEnd - uintptr(metadataStart))
+	m.Sys = uint64(heapEnd - heapStart)
+}