diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java
index 8e88f531360..c06c8d12fdc 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.monitor.process.ProcessProbe;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportSettings;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -41,7 +42,6 @@ import java.util.Set;
  * - discovery.zen.minimum_master_nodes
  * - discovery.zen.ping.unicast.hosts is set if we use zen disco
  * - ensure we can write in all data directories
- * - fail if mlockall failed and was configured
  * - fail if vm.max_map_count is under a certain limit (not sure if this works cross platform)
  * - fail if the default cluster.name is used, if this is setup on network a real clustername should be used?
  */
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ final class BootstrapCheck {
      * @param settings the current node settings
      */
     public static void check(final Settings settings) {
-        check(enforceLimits(settings), checks());
+        check(enforceLimits(settings), checks(settings));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -114,10 +114,13 @@ final class BootstrapCheck {
     }
 
     // the list of checks to execute
-    private static List<Check> checks() {
+    private static List<Check> checks(Settings settings) {
+        List<Check> checks = new ArrayList<>();
         FileDescriptorCheck fileDescriptorCheck
                 = Constants.MAC_OS_X ? new OsXFileDescriptorCheck() : new FileDescriptorCheck();
-        return Collections.singletonList(fileDescriptorCheck);
+        checks.add(fileDescriptorCheck);
+        checks.add(new MlockallCheck(BootstrapSettings.MLOCKALL_SETTING.get(settings)));
+        return Collections.unmodifiableList(checks);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -191,4 +194,30 @@ final class BootstrapCheck {
 
     }
 
+    // visible for testing
+    static class MlockallCheck implements Check {
+
+        private final boolean mlockallSet;
+
+        public MlockallCheck(boolean mlockAllSet) {
+            this.mlockallSet = mlockAllSet;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean check() {
+            return mlockallSet && !isMemoryLocked();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String errorMessage() {
+            return "Memory locking requested for elasticsearch process but memory is not locked";
+        }
+
+        // visible for testing
+        boolean isMemoryLocked() {
+            return Natives.isMemoryLocked();
+        }
+
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java
index 23b409cac8b..000ae7b068f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
@@ -83,6 +85,51 @@ public class BootstrapCheckTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("limit must be positive but was"));
     }
 
+    public void testMlockallCheck() {
+        class MlockallCheckTestCase {
+
+            private final boolean mlockallSet;
+            private final boolean isMemoryLocked;
+            private final boolean shouldFail;
+
+            public MlockallCheckTestCase(boolean mlockallSet, boolean isMemoryLocked, boolean shouldFail) {
+                this.mlockallSet = mlockallSet;
+                this.isMemoryLocked = isMemoryLocked;
+                this.shouldFail = shouldFail;
+            }
+
+        }
+
+        final List<MlockallCheckTestCase> testCases = new ArrayList<>();
+        testCases.add(new MlockallCheckTestCase(true, true, false));
+        testCases.add(new MlockallCheckTestCase(true, false, true));
+        testCases.add(new MlockallCheckTestCase(false, true, false));
+        testCases.add(new MlockallCheckTestCase(false, false, false));
+
+        for (final MlockallCheckTestCase testCase : testCases) {
+            final BootstrapCheck.MlockallCheck check = new BootstrapCheck.MlockallCheck(testCase.mlockallSet) {
+                @Override
+                boolean isMemoryLocked() {
+                    return testCase.isMemoryLocked;
+                }
+            };
+
+            if (testCase.shouldFail) {
+                try {
+                    BootstrapCheck.check(true, Collections.singletonList(check));
+                    fail("should have failed due to memory not being locked");
+                } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                    assertThat(
+                            e.getMessage(),
+                            containsString("Memory locking requested for elasticsearch process but memory is not locked"));
+                }
+            } else {
+                // nothing should happen
+                BootstrapCheck.check(true, Collections.singletonList(check));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public void testEnforceLimits() {
         final Set<Setting> enforceSettings = BootstrapCheck.enforceSettings();
         final Setting setting = randomFrom(Arrays.asList(enforceSettings.toArray(new Setting[enforceSettings.size()])));