diff --git a/src/rabbit_mirror_queue_sync.erl b/src/rabbit_mirror_queue_sync.erl
index 2d8bdfa8600a..a97a9b50c86a 100644
--- a/src/rabbit_mirror_queue_sync.erl
+++ b/src/rabbit_mirror_queue_sync.erl
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 -include("rabbit.hrl").
 
--export([master_prepare/4, master_go/8, slave/7]).
+-export([master_prepare/4, master_go/8, slave/7, conserve_resources/3]).
 
 -define(SYNC_PROGRESS_INTERVAL, 1000000).
 
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ syncer(Ref, Log, MPid, SPids) ->
         []     -> Log("all slaves already synced", []);
         SPids1 -> MPid ! {ready, self()},
                   Log("mirrors ~p to sync", [[node(SPid) || SPid <- SPids1]]),
-                  syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids1)
+                  syncer_check_resources(Ref, MPid, SPids1)
     end.
 
 await_slaves(Ref, SPids) ->
@@ -217,12 +217,43 @@ await_slaves(Ref, SPids) ->
 %% 'sync_start' and so will not reply. We need to act as though they are
 %% down.
 
+syncer_check_resources(Ref, MPid, SPids) ->
+    rabbit_alarm:register(self(), {?MODULE, conserve_resources, []}),
+    %% Before we ask the master node to send the first batch of messages
+    %% over here, we check if one node is already short on memory. If
+    %% that's the case, we wait for the alarm to be cleared before
+    %% starting the syncer loop.
+    AlarmedNodes = lists:any(
+      fun
+          ({{resource_limit, memory, _}, _}) -> true;
+          ({_, _})                           -> false
+      end, rabbit_alarm:get_alarms()),
+    if
+        not AlarmedNodes ->
+            MPid ! {next, Ref},
+            syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids);
+        true ->
+            case wait_for_resources(Ref, SPids) of
+                cancel -> ok;
+                SPids1 -> MPid ! {next, Ref},
+                          syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids1)
+            end
+    end.
+
 syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids) ->
-    MPid ! {next, Ref},
     receive
+        {conserve_resources, memory, true} ->
+            case wait_for_resources(Ref, SPids) of
+                cancel -> ok;
+                SPids1 -> syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids1)
+            end;
+        {conserve_resources, _, _} ->
+            %% Ignore other alerts.
+            syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids);
         {msgs, Ref, Msgs} ->
             SPids1 = wait_for_credit(SPids),
             broadcast(SPids1, {sync_msgs, Ref, Msgs}),
+            MPid ! {next, Ref},
             syncer_loop(Ref, MPid, SPids1);
         {cancel, Ref} ->
             %% We don't tell the slaves we will die - so when we do
@@ -239,6 +270,10 @@ broadcast(SPids, Msg) ->
          SPid ! Msg
      end || SPid <- SPids].
 
+conserve_resources(Pid, Source, {_, Conserve, _}) ->
+    Pid ! {conserve_resources, Source, Conserve},
+    ok.
+
 wait_for_credit(SPids) ->
     case credit_flow:blocked() of
         true  -> receive
@@ -252,6 +287,24 @@ wait_for_credit(SPids) ->
         false -> SPids
     end.
 
+wait_for_resources(Ref, SPids) ->
+    receive
+        {conserve_resources, memory, false} ->
+            SPids;
+        {conserve_resources, _, _} ->
+            %% Ignore other alerts.
+            wait_for_resources(Ref, SPids);
+        {cancel, Ref} ->
+            %% We don't tell the slaves we will die - so when we do
+            %% they interpret that as a failure, which is what we
+            %% want.
+            cancel;
+        {'DOWN', _, process, SPid, _} ->
+            credit_flow:peer_down(SPid),
+            SPids1 = wait_for_credit(lists:delete(SPid, SPids)),
+            wait_for_resources(Ref, SPids1)
+    end.
+
 %% Syncer
 %% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Slave