diff --git a/kernel/power/hibernate.c b/kernel/power/hibernate.c
index da5288e..2e245d9 100644
--- a/kernel/power/hibernate.c
+++ b/kernel/power/hibernate.c
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ static int create_image(int platform_mode)
 	if (error || hibernation_test(TEST_PLATFORM))
 		goto Platform_finish;
 
+	check_free(GFP_NOWAIT);
 	error = disable_nonboot_cpus();
 	if (error || hibernation_test(TEST_CPUS)
 	    || hibernation_testmode(HIBERNATION_TEST))
diff --git a/kernel/power/power.h b/kernel/power/power.h
index 46c5a26..d2178dc 100644
--- a/kernel/power/power.h
+++ b/kernel/power/power.h
@@ -236,3 +236,53 @@ static inline void suspend_thaw_processes(void)
 {
 }
 #endif
+
+/* An empirical check on the number of free pages */
+static inline int check_free_pages(gfp_t gfp_flags, const char *gfp_name, int order)
+{
+	int ret;
+	int count = 0;
+	void *first = NULL;
+	void **p = &first;
+	unsigned long page;
+
+	/* Allocate free pages into a linked list, headed by "first" */
+	while(count < ((PAGES_FOR_IO + SPARE_PAGES) >> order)) {
+		page = __get_free_pages(gfp_flags|__GFP_NOWARN, order);
+		if (!page)
+			break;
+		*p = (void *)page;
+		p = (void **)page;
+		count++;
+	}
+	*p = NULL;
+
+	ret = count;
+	printk(KERN_INFO
+		"%d %s allocations of order %d are possible\n",
+		count, gfp_name, order);
+
+	/* Free the pages again */
+	p = first;
+	while(p) {
+		page = (unsigned long) p;
+		p = *p;
+		free_pages(page, order);
+		count--;
+	}
+	BUG_ON(count != 0);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+static inline void __check_free(gfp_t gfp_flags, const char *gfp_name)
+{
+	int order;
+
+	for (order = 0; order < 3; order++)
+		if (check_free_pages(gfp_flags, gfp_name, order) <= 0)
+			break;
+}
+
+#define check_free(flags) __check_free(flags, #flags)
+
diff --git a/kernel/power/snapshot.c b/kernel/power/snapshot.c
index 36cb168..605b7b7 100644
--- a/kernel/power/snapshot.c
+++ b/kernel/power/snapshot.c
@@ -1261,6 +1261,8 @@ int hibernate_preallocate_memory(void)
 	struct timeval start, stop;
 	int error;
 
+	check_free(GFP_NOWAIT);
+	check_free(GFP_KERNEL);
 	printk(KERN_INFO "PM: Preallocating image memory... ");
 	do_gettimeofday(&start);
 
@@ -1350,7 +1352,10 @@ int hibernate_preallocate_memory(void)
 	 * pages in memory, but we have allocated more.  Release the excessive
 	 * ones now.
 	 */
+	check_free(GFP_NOWAIT);
 	free_unnecessary_pages();
+	check_free(GFP_NOWAIT);
+	check_free(GFP_KERNEL);
 
  out:
 	do_gettimeofday(&stop);