diff --git a/.regression.yml b/.regression.yml
index 8810bef53..70c9fbe77 100644
--- a/.regression.yml
+++ b/.regression.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ time_limit: 180
 
 features:
  - variant=release asserts=production invariant-checks=off debug-iterators=off debug-symbols=on
- - encryption=openssl statistics=on logging=verbose disk-stats=on dht=logging request-log=on
+ - encryption=openssl statistics=on logging=verbose disk-stats=on dht=logging request-log=on allocator=debug
  - ipv6=off dht=off extensions=off logging=none deprecated-functions=off 
 
diff --git a/Jamfile b/Jamfile
index c6a97300f..97fee1e66 100755
--- a/Jamfile
+++ b/Jamfile
@@ -349,9 +349,14 @@ feature.compose <extensions>off : <define>TORRENT_DISABLE_EXTENSION ;
 feature asio-debugging : off on : composite propagated link-incompatible ;
 feature.compose <asio-debugging>on : <define>TORRENT_ASIO_DEBUGGING ;
 
+# deprecated use allocator=pool instead
 feature pool-allocators : on off : composite propagated link-incompatible ;
 feature.compose <pool-allocators>off : <define>TORRENT_DISABLE_POOL_ALLOCATOR ;
 
+feature allocator : pool system debug : composite ;
+feature.compose <allocator>system : <define>TORRENT_DISABLE_POOL_ALLOCATOR ;
+feature.compose <allocator>debug : <define>TORRENT_DISABLE_POOL_ALLOCATOR <define>TORRENT_DEBUG_BUFFERS ;
+
 feature piece-allocator : valloc memalign posix_memalign : composite propagated ;
 feature.compose <piece-allocator>memalign : <define>TORRENT_USE_MEMALIGN=1 ;
 feature.compose <piece-allocator>posix_memalign : <define>TORRENT_USE_POSIX_MEMALIGN=1 ;
diff --git a/docs/building.rst b/docs/building.rst
index 07c713ae0..a8bbf046b 100644
--- a/docs/building.rst
+++ b/docs/building.rst
@@ -298,11 +298,13 @@ Build features:
 |                          |   connections. The shipped public domain SHA-1     |
 |                          |   implementation is used.                          |
 +--------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
-| ``pool-allocators``      | * ``on`` - default, uses pool allocators for send  |
-|                          |   buffers.                                         |
-|                          | * ``off`` - uses ``malloc()`` and ``free()``       |
+| ``allocator``            | * ``pool`` - default, uses pool allocators for     |
+|                          |   send buffers.                                    |
+|                          | * ``system`` - uses ``malloc()`` and ``free()``    |
 |                          |   instead. Might be useful to debug buffer issues  |
 |                          |   with tools like electric fence or libgmalloc.    |
+|                          | * ``debug`` - instruments buffer usage to catch    |
+|                          |   bugs in libtorrent.                              |
 +--------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
 | ``link``                 | * ``static`` - builds libtorrent as a static       |
 |                          |   library (.a / .lib)                              |
diff --git a/src/allocator.cpp b/src/allocator.cpp
index 471726448..0bb7d3383 100644
--- a/src/allocator.cpp
+++ b/src/allocator.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #endif
 
 #ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG_BUFFERS
+#ifndef TORRENT_WINDOWS
 #include <sys/mman.h>
+#endif
 #include "libtorrent/size_type.hpp"
 
 struct alloc_header
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ struct alloc_header
 #endif
 
 #if defined TORRENT_DEBUG_BUFFERS && (defined __linux__ || (defined __APPLE__ && MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED >= 1050))
-	void print_backtrace(char* out, int len);
+	void print_backtrace(char* out, int len, int max_depth = 0);
 #endif
 
 namespace libtorrent
@@ -110,9 +112,19 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		h->magic = 0x1337;
 #if defined __linux__ || (defined __APPLE__ && MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED >= 1050)
 		print_backtrace(h->stack, sizeof(h->stack));
+#endif
+
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+#define mprotect(buf, size, prot) VirtualProtect(buf, size, prot, NULK)
+#define PROT_READ PAGE_READONLY
 #endif
 		mprotect(ret, page, PROT_READ);
 		mprotect(ret + (num_pages-1) * page, page, PROT_READ);
+
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+#undef mprotect
+#undef PROT_READ
+#endif
 //		fprintf(stderr, "malloc: %p head: %p tail: %p size: %d\n", ret + page, ret, ret + page + bytes, int(bytes));
 
 		return ret + page;
@@ -141,6 +153,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 
 #ifdef TORRENT_DEBUG_BUFFERS
+
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+#define mprotect(buf, size, prot) VirtualProtect(buf, size, prot, NULK)
+#define PROT_READ PAGE_READONLY
+#define PROT_WRITE PAGE_READWRITE
+#endif
 		int page = page_size();
 		// make the two surrounding pages non-readable and -writable
 		mprotect(block - page, page, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE);
@@ -151,6 +169,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 //		fprintf(stderr, "free: %p head: %p tail: %p size: %d\n", block, block - page, block + h->size, int(h->size));
 		h->magic = 0;
 
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+#undef mprotect
+#undef PROT_READ
+#undef PROT_WRITE
+#endif
+
 #if defined __linux__ || (defined __APPLE__ && MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED >= 1050)
 		print_backtrace(h->stack, sizeof(h->stack));
 #endif