diff --git a/Documentation/criu.txt b/Documentation/criu.txt
index 28913a7fb..2729bc95a 100644
--- a/Documentation/criu.txt
+++ b/Documentation/criu.txt
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ In addition, *page-server* options may be specified.
     Turn on memory changes tracker in the kernel. If the option is
     not passed the memory tracker get turned on implicitly.
 
+*--pre-dump-mode*='mode'::
+    There are two 'mode' to operate pre-dump algorithm. The 'splice' mode
+    is parasite based, whereas 'read' mode is based on process_vm_readv
+    syscall. The 'read' mode incurs reduced frozen time and reduced
+    memory pressure as compared to 'splice' mode. Default is 'splice' mode.
+
 *dump*
 ~~~~~~
 Performs a checkpoint procedure.
diff --git a/criu/config.c b/criu/config.c
index 2ad2fd43c..e5d42efe4 100644
--- a/criu/config.c
+++ b/criu/config.c
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ void init_opts(void)
 	opts.empty_ns = 0;
 	opts.status_fd = -1;
 	opts.log_level = DEFAULT_LOGLEVEL;
+	opts.pre_dump_mode = PRE_DUMP_SPLICE;
 }
 
 bool deprecated_ok(char *what)
@@ -517,6 +518,7 @@ int parse_options(int argc, char **argv, bool *usage_error,
 		BOOL_OPT("tls", &opts.tls),
 		{"tls-no-cn-verify",		no_argument,		&opts.tls_no_cn_verify, true},
 		{ "cgroup-yard",		required_argument,	0, 1096 },
+		{ "pre-dump-mode",		required_argument,	0, 1097},
 		{ },
 	};
 
@@ -818,6 +820,14 @@ int parse_options(int argc, char **argv, bool *usage_error,
 		case 1096:
 			SET_CHAR_OPTS(cgroup_yard, optarg);
 			break;
+		case 1097:
+			if (!strcmp("read", optarg)) {
+				opts.pre_dump_mode = PRE_DUMP_READ;
+			} else if (strcmp("splice", optarg)) {
+				pr_err("Unable to parse value of --pre-dump-mode\n");
+				return 1;
+			}
+			break;
 		case 'V':
 			pr_msg("Version: %s\n", CRIU_VERSION);
 			if (strcmp(CRIU_GITID, "0"))
diff --git a/criu/cr-service.c b/criu/cr-service.c
index 95ba2e5ce..392e9ac50 100644
--- a/criu/cr-service.c
+++ b/criu/cr-service.c
@@ -473,6 +473,19 @@ static int setup_opts_from_req(int sk, CriuOpts *req)
 		opts.lazy_pages = req->lazy_pages;
 	}
 
+	if (req->has_pre_dump_mode) {
+		switch (req->pre_dump_mode) {
+			case CRIU_PRE_DUMP_MODE__SPLICE:
+				opts.pre_dump_mode = PRE_DUMP_SPLICE;
+				break;
+			case CRIU_PRE_DUMP_MODE__READ:
+				opts.pre_dump_mode = PRE_DUMP_READ;
+				break;
+			default:
+				goto err;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (req->ps) {
 		opts.port = (short)req->ps->port;
 
diff --git a/criu/crtools.c b/criu/crtools.c
index 5740b806d..700fad994 100644
--- a/criu/crtools.c
+++ b/criu/crtools.c
@@ -428,6 +428,8 @@ usage:
 "                        pages images of previous dump\n"
 "                        when used on restore, as soon as page is restored, it\n"
 "                        will be punched from the image\n"
+"  --pre-dump-mode       splice - parasite based pre-dumping (default)\n"
+"                        read   - process_vm_readv syscall based pre-dumping\n"
 "\n"
 "Page/Service server options:\n"
 "  --address ADDR        address of server or service\n"
diff --git a/criu/include/cr_options.h b/criu/include/cr_options.h
index da7c10d69..2c1451e86 100644
--- a/criu/include/cr_options.h
+++ b/criu/include/cr_options.h
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ struct cg_root_opt {
 	char *newroot;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Pre-dump variants
+ */
+#define PRE_DUMP_SPLICE		1		/* Pre-dump using parasite */
+#define PRE_DUMP_READ			2		/* Pre-dump using process_vm_readv syscall */
+
 /*
  * Cgroup management options.
  */
@@ -81,6 +87,7 @@ struct cr_options {
 	int			evasive_devices;
 	int			link_remap_ok;
 	int			log_file_per_pid;
+	int			pre_dump_mode;
 	bool			swrk_restore;
 	char			*output;
 	char			*root;
diff --git a/criu/mem.c b/criu/mem.c
index de66a6210..911b9d21c 100644
--- a/criu/mem.c
+++ b/criu/mem.c
@@ -482,7 +482,18 @@ static int __parasite_dump_pages_seized(struct pstree_item *item,
 	if (mdc->lazy)
 		memcpy(pargs_iovs(args), pp->iovs,
 		       sizeof(struct iovec) * pp->nr_iovs);
-	ret = drain_pages(pp, ctl, args);
+
+	/*
+	 * Faking drain_pages for pre-dump here. Actual drain_pages for pre-dump
+	 * will happen after task unfreezing in cr_pre_dump_finish(). This is
+	 * actual optimization which reduces time for which process was frozen
+	 * during pre-dump.
+	 */
+	if (mdc->pre_dump && opts.pre_dump_mode == PRE_DUMP_READ)
+		ret = 0;
+	else
+		ret = drain_pages(pp, ctl, args);
+
 	if (!ret && !mdc->pre_dump)
 		ret = xfer_pages(pp, &xfer);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/images/rpc.proto b/images/rpc.proto
index c402259ac..fc2f1bce2 100644
--- a/images/rpc.proto
+++ b/images/rpc.proto
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ enum criu_cg_mode {
 	DEFAULT = 6;
 };
 
+enum criu_pre_dump_mode {
+	SPLICE = 	1;
+	READ =		2;
+};
+
 message criu_opts {
 	required int32			images_dir_fd	= 1;
 	optional int32			pid		= 2; /* if not set on dump, will dump requesting process */
@@ -121,6 +126,7 @@ message criu_opts {
 	optional bool			tls			= 58;
 	optional bool			tls_no_cn_verify	= 59;
 	optional string			cgroup_yard		= 60;
+	optional criu_pre_dump_mode	pre_dump_mode		= 61 [default = SPLICE];
 /*	optional bool			check_mounts		= 128;	*/
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/c/criu.c b/lib/c/criu.c
index 14ddff26d..fffb9fd9c 100644
--- a/lib/c/criu.c
+++ b/lib/c/criu.c
@@ -336,6 +336,21 @@ int criu_set_parent_images(const char *path)
 	return criu_local_set_parent_images(global_opts, path);
 }
 
+int criu_local_set_pre_dump_mode(criu_opts *opts, enum criu_pre_dump_mode mode)
+{
+	opts->rpc->has_pre_dump_mode = true;
+	if (mode == CRIU_PRE_DUMP_SPLICE || mode == CRIU_PRE_DUMP_READ) {
+		opts->rpc->pre_dump_mode = mode;
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
+int criu_set_pre_dump_mode(enum criu_pre_dump_mode mode)
+{
+	return criu_local_set_pre_dump_mode(global_opts, mode);
+}
+
 void criu_local_set_track_mem(criu_opts *opts, bool track_mem)
 {
 	opts->rpc->has_track_mem = true;
diff --git a/lib/c/criu.h b/lib/c/criu.h
index cb37c5291..22db0fdcf 100644
--- a/lib/c/criu.h
+++ b/lib/c/criu.h
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ enum criu_cg_mode {
 	CRIU_CG_MODE_DEFAULT,
 };
 
+enum criu_pre_dump_mode {
+	CRIU_PRE_DUMP_SPLICE =	1,
+	CRIU_PRE_DUMP_READ =	2
+};
+
 int criu_set_service_address(const char *path);
 void criu_set_service_fd(int fd);
 int criu_set_service_binary(const char *path);
@@ -95,6 +100,7 @@ int criu_add_irmap_path(const char *path);
 int criu_add_inherit_fd(int fd, const char *key);
 int criu_add_external(const char *key);
 int criu_set_page_server_address_port(const char *address, int port);
+int criu_set_pre_dump_mode(enum criu_pre_dump_mode mode);
 
 /*
  * The criu_notify_arg_t na argument is an opaque
@@ -211,6 +217,7 @@ int criu_local_add_cg_yard(criu_opts *opts, const char *path);
 int criu_local_add_inherit_fd(criu_opts *opts, int fd, const char *key);
 int criu_local_add_external(criu_opts *opts, const char *key);
 int criu_local_set_page_server_address_port(criu_opts *opts, const char *address, int port);
+int criu_local_set_pre_dump_mode(criu_opts *opts, enum criu_pre_dump_mode mode);
 
 void criu_local_set_notify_cb(criu_opts *opts, int (*cb)(char *action, criu_notify_arg_t na));
 
diff --git a/test/zdtm.py b/test/zdtm.py
index f0a102413..3c0cee667 100755
--- a/test/zdtm.py
+++ b/test/zdtm.py
@@ -1019,6 +1019,7 @@ class criu:
         self.__tls = self.__tls_options() if opts['tls'] else []
         self.__criu_bin = opts['criu_bin']
         self.__crit_bin = opts['crit_bin']
+        self.__pre_dump_mode = opts['pre_dump_mode']
 
     def fini(self):
         if self.__lazy_migrate:
@@ -1249,6 +1250,8 @@ class criu:
             a_opts += ['--leave-stopped']
         if self.__empty_ns:
             a_opts += ['--empty-ns', 'net']
+        if self.__pre_dump_mode:
+            a_opts += ["--pre-dump-mode", "%s" % self.__pre_dump_mode]
 
         nowait = False
         if self.__lazy_migrate and action == "dump":
@@ -1835,7 +1838,7 @@ class Launcher:
               'sat', 'script', 'rpc', 'lazy_pages', 'join_ns', 'dedup', 'sbs',
               'freezecg', 'user', 'dry_run', 'noauto_dedup',
               'remote_lazy_pages', 'show_stats', 'lazy_migrate',
-              'tls', 'criu_bin', 'crit_bin')
+              'tls', 'criu_bin', 'crit_bin', 'pre_dump_mode')
         arg = repr((name, desc, flavor, {d: self.__opts[d] for d in nd}))
 
         if self.__use_log:
@@ -2482,6 +2485,10 @@ rp.add_argument("--criu-bin",
 rp.add_argument("--crit-bin",
                 help="Path to crit binary",
                 default='../crit/crit')
+rp.add_argument("--pre-dump-mode",
+                help="Use splice or read mode of pre-dumping",
+                choices=['splice', 'read'],
+                default='splice')
 
 lp = sp.add_parser("list", help="List tests")
 lp.set_defaults(action=list_tests)