diff --git a/libraries/AP_Common/MultiHeap.cpp b/libraries/AP_Common/MultiHeap.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..75033db1a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Common/MultiHeap.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+/*
+  multiple heap interface, allowing for an allocator that uses
+  multiple underlying heaps to cope with multiple memory regions on
+  STM32 boards
+ */
+
+#include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
+#include <AP_HAL/Util.h>
+#include <AP_Math/AP_Math.h>
+
+#include "MultiHeap.h"
+
+/*
+  on ChibiOS allow up to 4 heaps. On other HALs only allow a single
+  heap. This is needed as hal.util->heap_realloc() needs to have the
+  property that heap_realloc(heap, ptr, 0) must not care if ptr comes
+  from the given heap. This is true on ChibiOS, but is not true on
+  other HALs
+ */
+#ifndef MAX_HEAPS
+#if CONFIG_HAL_BOARD == HAL_BOARD_CHIBIOS
+#define MAX_HEAPS 4
+#else
+#define MAX_HEAPS 1
+#endif
+#endif
+
+extern const AP_HAL::HAL &hal;
+
+/*
+  create heaps with a total memory size, splitting over at most
+  max_heaps
+ */
+bool MultiHeap::create(uint32_t total_size, uint8_t max_heaps)
+{
+    max_heaps = MIN(MAX_HEAPS, max_heaps);
+    if (heaps != nullptr) {
+        // don't allow double allocation
+        return false;
+    }
+    heaps = new void*[max_heaps];
+    if (heaps == nullptr) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    num_heaps = max_heaps;
+    for (uint8_t i=0; i<max_heaps; i++) {
+        uint32_t alloc_size = total_size;
+        while (alloc_size > 0) {
+            heaps[i] = hal.util->allocate_heap_memory(alloc_size);
+            if (heaps[i] != nullptr) {
+                total_size -= alloc_size;
+                break;
+            }
+            alloc_size *= 0.9;
+        }
+        if (total_size == 0) {
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    if (total_size != 0) {
+        destroy();
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+// destroy heap
+void MultiHeap::destroy(void)
+{
+    if (!available()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    for (uint8_t i=0; i<num_heaps; i++) {
+        if (heaps[i] != nullptr) {
+            free(heaps[i]);
+            heaps[i] = nullptr;
+        }
+    }
+    delete[] heaps;
+    heaps = nullptr;
+    num_heaps = 0;
+}
+
+// return true if heap is available for operations
+bool MultiHeap::available(void) const
+{
+    return heaps != nullptr && heaps[0] != nullptr;
+}
+
+/*
+  allocate memory from a heap
+ */
+void *MultiHeap::allocate(uint32_t size)
+{
+    if (!available()) {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+    for (uint8_t i=0; i<num_heaps; i++) {
+        if (heaps[i] == nullptr) {
+            break;
+        }
+        void *newptr = hal.util->heap_realloc(heaps[i], nullptr, 0, size);
+        if (newptr != nullptr) {
+            return newptr;
+        }
+    }
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+/*
+  free memory from a heap
+ */
+void MultiHeap::deallocate(void *ptr)
+{
+    if (!available()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    // NOTE! this relies on either there being a single heap or heap_realloc()
+    // not using the first argument when size is zero.
+    hal.util->heap_realloc(heaps[0], ptr, 0, 0);
+}
+
+/*
+  change size of an allocation
+ */
+void *MultiHeap::change_size(void *ptr, uint32_t old_size, uint32_t new_size)
+{
+    if (new_size == 0) {
+        deallocate(ptr);
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+    if (old_size == 0 || ptr == nullptr) {
+        return allocate(new_size);
+    }
+    /*
+      we cannot know which heap this came from, so we rely on the fact
+      that on ChibiOS the underlying call doesn't use the heap
+      argument and on other HALs we only have one heap. We pass
+      through old_size and new_size so that we can validate the lua
+      old_size value
+    */
+    return hal.util->heap_realloc(heaps[0], ptr, old_size, new_size);
+}
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Common/MultiHeap.h b/libraries/AP_Common/MultiHeap.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e7aaff15b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Common/MultiHeap.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+  multiple heap interface, allowing for an allocator that uses
+  multiple underlying heaps to cope with multiple memory regions on
+  STM32 boards
+ */
+
+class MultiHeap {
+public:
+    /*
+      allocate/deallocate heaps
+     */
+    bool create(uint32_t total_size, uint8_t max_heaps);
+    void destroy(void);
+
+    // return true if the heap is available for operations
+    bool available(void) const;
+
+    // allocate memory within heaps
+    void *allocate(uint32_t size);
+    void deallocate(void *ptr);
+
+    // change allocated size of a pointer - this requires the old
+    // size, unlike realloc()
+    void *change_size(void *ptr, uint32_t old_size, uint32_t new_size);
+
+private:
+    uint8_t num_heaps;
+    void **heaps;
+};