diff --git a/fairmq/plugins/config/Config.cxx b/fairmq/plugins/config/Config.cxx
index 99fa3429..5fa15b93 100644
--- a/fairmq/plugins/config/Config.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/plugins/config/Config.cxx
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ Plugin::ProgOptions ConfigPluginProgramOptions()
         ("max-run-time",        po::value<uint64_t      >()->default_value(0),          "Maximum runtime for the Running state handler, after which state will change to Ready (in seconds, 0 for no limit).")
         ("print-channels",      po::value<bool          >()->implicit_value(true),      "Print registered channel endpoints in a machine-readable format (<channel name>:<min num subchannels>:<max num subchannels>)")
         ("shm-segment-size",    po::value<size_t        >()->default_value(2ULL << 30), "Shared memory: size of the shared memory segment (in bytes).")
+        ("shm-mlock-segment",   po::value<bool          >()->default_value(false),      "Shared memory: mlock the shared memory segment after initialization.")
+        ("shm-zero-segment",    po::value<bool          >()->default_value(false),      "Shared memory: zero the shared memory segment memory after initialization.")
         ("shm-throw-bad-alloc", po::value<bool          >()->default_value(true),       "Throw a fair::mq::MessageBadAlloc if cannot allocate a message (retry if false).")
         ("shm-monitor",         po::value<bool          >()->default_value(true),       "Shared memory: run monitor daemon.")
         ("ofi-size-hint",       po::value<size_t        >()->default_value(0),          "EXPERIMENTAL: OFI size hint for the allocator.")
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h b/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h
index 6978ed30..ebf0d7fd 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include <FairMQLogger.h>
 #include <FairMQMessage.h>
+#include <fairmq/ProgOptions.h>
 #include <fairmq/tools/CppSTL.h>
 #include <fairmq/tools/Strings.h>
 
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@
 #include <utility> // pair
 #include <vector>
 
+#include <sys/mman.h> // mlock
+
 namespace fair
 {
 namespace mq
@@ -55,8 +58,8 @@ struct SharedMemoryError : std::runtime_error { using std::runtime_error::runtim
 class Manager
 {
   public:
-    Manager(std::string id, std::string deviceId, size_t size, bool throwOnBadAlloc)
-        : fShmId(std::move(id))
+    Manager(std::string shmId, std::string deviceId, size_t size, const ProgOptions* config)
+        : fShmId(std::move(shmId))
         , fDeviceId(std::move(deviceId))
         , fSegment(boost::interprocess::open_or_create, std::string("fmq_" + fShmId + "_main").c_str(), size)
         , fManagementSegment(boost::interprocess::open_or_create, std::string("fmq_" + fShmId + "_mng").c_str(), 655360)
@@ -70,10 +73,37 @@ class Manager
         , fMsgCounter(0)
         , fHeartbeatThread()
         , fSendHeartbeats(true)
-        , fThrowOnBadAlloc(throwOnBadAlloc)
+        , fThrowOnBadAlloc(true)
     {
         using namespace boost::interprocess;
+
+        bool mlockSegment = false;
+        bool zeroSegment = false;
+        bool autolaunchMonitor = false;
+        if (config) {
+            mlockSegment = config->GetProperty<bool>("shm-mlock-segment", mlockSegment);
+            zeroSegment = config->GetProperty<bool>("shm-zero-segment", zeroSegment);
+            autolaunchMonitor = config->GetProperty<bool>("shm-monitor", autolaunchMonitor);
+            fThrowOnBadAlloc = config->GetProperty<bool>("shm-throw-bad-alloc", fThrowOnBadAlloc);
+        } else {
+            LOG(debug) << "ProgOptions not available! Using defaults.";
+        }
+
+        if (autolaunchMonitor) {
+            StartMonitor(fShmId);
+        }
+
         LOG(debug) << "created/opened shared memory segment '" << "fmq_" << fShmId << "_main" << "' of " << fSegment.get_size() << " bytes. Available are " << fSegment.get_free_memory() << " bytes.";
+        if (mlockSegment) {
+            LOG(debug) << "Locking the memory pages behind the managed segment...";
+            mlock(fSegment.get_address(), fSegment.get_size());
+            LOG(debug) << "Successfully locked the memory pages.";
+        }
+        if (zeroSegment) {
+            LOG(debug) << "Zeroing the free memory of the managed segment...";
+            fSegment.zero_free_memory();
+            LOG(debug) << "Successfully zeroed the free memory of the managed segment";
+        }
 
         fRegionInfos = fManagementSegment.find_or_construct<Uint64RegionInfoMap>(unique_instance)(fShmVoidAlloc);
         // store info about the managed segment as region with id 0
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/TransportFactory.h b/fairmq/shmem/TransportFactory.h
index 3808e6a0..ed69a373 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/TransportFactory.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/TransportFactory.h
@@ -58,14 +58,10 @@ class TransportFactory final : public fair::mq::TransportFactory
         int numIoThreads = 1;
         std::string sessionName = "default";
         size_t segmentSize = 2ULL << 30;
-        bool autolaunchMonitor = false;
-        bool throwOnBadAlloc = true;
         if (config) {
             numIoThreads = config->GetProperty<int>("io-threads", numIoThreads);
             sessionName = config->GetProperty<std::string>("session", sessionName);
             segmentSize = config->GetProperty<size_t>("shm-segment-size", segmentSize);
-            autolaunchMonitor = config->GetProperty<bool>("shm-monitor", autolaunchMonitor);
-            throwOnBadAlloc = config->GetProperty<bool>("shm-throw-bad-alloc", throwOnBadAlloc);
         } else {
             LOG(debug) << "ProgOptions not available! Using defaults.";
         }
@@ -83,11 +79,7 @@ class TransportFactory final : public fair::mq::TransportFactory
                 LOG(error) << "failed configuring context, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
             }
 
-            if (autolaunchMonitor) {
-                Manager::StartMonitor(fShmId);
-            }
-
-            fManager = tools::make_unique<Manager>(fShmId, fDeviceId, segmentSize, throwOnBadAlloc);
+            fManager = tools::make_unique<Manager>(fShmId, fDeviceId, segmentSize, config);
         } catch (boost::interprocess::interprocess_exception& e) {
             LOG(error) << "Could not initialize shared memory transport: " << e.what();
             throw std::runtime_error(tools::ToString("Could not initialize shared memory transport: ", e.what()));