diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/vm.h b/headers/private/kernel/vm.h
index 7fcaab3372..08451dd027 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/vm.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/vm.h
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ struct vm_address_space;
 struct vnode;
 
 
+// area creation flags
+#define CREATE_AREA_DONT_WAIT			0x01
+#define CREATE_AREA_UNMAP_ADDRESS_RANGE	0x02
+
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -48,14 +53,15 @@ void forbid_page_faults(void);
 
 // private kernel only extension (should be moved somewhere else):
 area_id create_area_etc(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
-			uint32 addressSpec, uint32 size, uint32 lock, uint32 protection);
+			uint32 addressSpec, uint32 size, uint32 lock, uint32 protection,
+			uint32 flags);
 
 status_t vm_unreserve_address_range(team_id team, void *address, addr_t size);
 status_t vm_reserve_address_range(team_id team, void **_address,
 			uint32 addressSpec, addr_t size, uint32 flags);
 area_id vm_create_anonymous_area(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
 			uint32 addressSpec, addr_t size, uint32 wiring, uint32 protection,
-			bool unmapAddressRange, bool kernel);
+			uint32 flags, bool kernel);
 area_id vm_map_physical_memory(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
 			uint32 addressSpec, addr_t size, uint32 protection, addr_t phys_addr);
 area_id vm_map_file(team_id aid, const char *name, void **address,
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/vm86.cpp b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/vm86.cpp
index 4af80813db..778472e15e 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/vm86.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/vm86.cpp
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ vm86_prepare(struct vm86_state *state, unsigned int ramSize)
 
 	void *address = (void *)0;
 	state->ram_area = create_area_etc(team->id, "dos", &address,
-		B_EXACT_ADDRESS, ramSize, B_NO_LOCK, B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA);
+		B_EXACT_ADDRESS, ramSize, B_NO_LOCK, B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA, 0);
 	if (state->ram_area < B_OK) {
 		ret = state->ram_area;
 		TRACE("Could not create RAM area\n");
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp b/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp
index b4a46e25ef..4f5e9626e0 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/elf.cpp
@@ -1470,7 +1470,7 @@ elf_load_user_image(const char *path, struct team *team, int flags,
 				regionAddress += fileUpperBound;
 				id = create_area_etc(team->id, regionName,
 					(void **)&regionAddress, B_EXACT_ADDRESS, bssSize,
-					B_NO_LOCK, B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA);
+					B_NO_LOCK, B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA, 0);
 				if (id < B_OK) {
 					dprintf("error allocating bss area: %s!\n", strerror(id));
 					status = B_NOT_AN_EXECUTABLE;
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/team.cpp b/src/system/kernel/team.cpp
index 729f8cf988..f30b079ba0 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/team.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/team.cpp
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ create_team_user_data(struct team* team)
 	void* address = (void*)KERNEL_USER_DATA_BASE;
 	size_t size = 4 * B_PAGE_SIZE;
 	team->user_data_area = create_area_etc(team->id, "user area", &address,
-		B_BASE_ADDRESS, size, B_FULL_LOCK, B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA);
+		B_BASE_ADDRESS, size, B_FULL_LOCK, B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA, 0);
 	if (team->user_data_area < 0)
 		return team->user_data_area;
 
@@ -996,7 +996,7 @@ team_create_thread_start(void *args)
 	sprintf(ustack_name, "%s_main_stack", team->name);
 	t->user_stack_area = create_area_etc(team->id, ustack_name,
 		(void **)&t->user_stack_base, B_EXACT_ADDRESS, sizeLeft, B_NO_LOCK,
-		B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA | B_STACK_AREA);
+		B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA | B_STACK_AREA, 0);
 	if (t->user_stack_area < 0) {
 		dprintf("team_create_thread_start: could not create default user stack region\n");
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp b/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp
index 0bd9834f76..0647ca6c09 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/thread.cpp
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ create_thread(thread_creation_attributes& attributes, bool kernel)
 			thread->user_stack_area = create_area_etc(team->id, stack_name,
 					(void **)&thread->user_stack_base, B_BASE_ADDRESS,
 					thread->user_stack_size + TLS_SIZE, B_NO_LOCK,
-					B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA | B_STACK_AREA);
+					B_READ_AREA | B_WRITE_AREA | B_STACK_AREA, 0);
 			if (thread->user_stack_area < B_OK
 				|| arch_thread_init_tls(thread) < B_OK) {
 				// great, we have a fully running thread without a (usable)
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
index 5e78c7a735..209077e3c8 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
@@ -1628,7 +1628,7 @@ vm_reserve_address_range(team_id team, void **_address, uint32 addressSpec,
 area_id
 vm_create_anonymous_area(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
 	uint32 addressSpec, addr_t size, uint32 wiring, uint32 protection,
-	bool unmapAddressRange, bool kernel)
+	uint32 flags, bool kernel)
 {
 	vm_area *area;
 	vm_cache *cache;
@@ -1712,7 +1712,8 @@ vm_create_anonymous_area(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
 	// won't be able to free anything for us.
 	addr_t reservedMemory = 0;
 	if (doReserveMemory) {
-		if (vm_try_reserve_memory(size, 1000000) != B_OK)
+		bigtime_t timeout = (flags & CREATE_AREA_DONT_WAIT) != 0 ? 0 : 1000000;
+		if (vm_try_reserve_memory(size, timeout) != B_OK)
 			return B_NO_MEMORY;
 		reservedMemory = size;
 		// TODO: We don't reserve the memory for the pages for the page
@@ -1722,18 +1723,28 @@ vm_create_anonymous_area(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
 		// can get the VM into trouble in low memory situations.
 	}
 
+	AddressSpaceWriteLocker locker;
+	vm_address_space *addressSpace;
+	status_t status;
+
 	// For full lock areas reserve the pages before locking the address
 	// space. E.g. block caches can't release their memory while we hold the
 	// address space lock.
 	page_num_t reservedPages = reservedMapPages;
 	if (wiring == B_FULL_LOCK)
 		reservedPages += size / B_PAGE_SIZE;
-	if (reservedPages > 0)
-		vm_page_reserve_pages(reservedPages);
+	if (reservedPages > 0) {
+		if ((flags & CREATE_AREA_DONT_WAIT) != 0) {
+			if (!vm_page_try_reserve_pages(reservedPages)) {
+				reservedPages = 0;
+				status = B_WOULD_BLOCK;
+				goto err0;
+			}
+		} else
+			vm_page_reserve_pages(reservedPages);
+	}
 
-	AddressSpaceWriteLocker locker;
-	vm_address_space *addressSpace;
-	status_t status = locker.SetTo(team);
+	status = locker.SetTo(team);
 	if (status != B_OK)
 		goto err0;
 
@@ -1782,7 +1793,7 @@ vm_create_anonymous_area(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
 
 	status = map_backing_store(addressSpace, cache, address, 0, size,
 		addressSpec, wiring, protection, REGION_NO_PRIVATE_MAP, &area, name,
-		unmapAddressRange, kernel);
+		(flags & CREATE_AREA_UNMAP_ADDRESS_RANGE) != 0, kernel);
 
 	if (status < B_OK) {
 		cache->ReleaseRefAndUnlock();
@@ -2099,8 +2110,10 @@ _vm_map_file(team_id team, const char *name, void **_address, uint32 addressSpec
 		protection |= B_SHARED_AREA;
 
 	if (fd < 0) {
+		uint32 flags = addressSpec == B_EXACT_ADDRESS
+			? CREATE_AREA_UNMAP_ADDRESS_RANGE : 0;
 		return vm_create_anonymous_area(team, name, _address, addressSpec, size,
-			B_NO_LOCK, protection, addressSpec == B_EXACT_ADDRESS, kernel);
+			B_NO_LOCK, protection, flags, kernel);
 	}
 
 	// get the open flags of the FD
@@ -5564,12 +5577,13 @@ clone_area(const char *name, void **_address, uint32 addressSpec,
 
 area_id
 create_area_etc(team_id team, const char *name, void **address,
-	uint32 addressSpec, uint32 size, uint32 lock, uint32 protection)
+	uint32 addressSpec, uint32 size, uint32 lock, uint32 protection,
+	uint32 flags)
 {
 	fix_protection(&protection);
 
 	return vm_create_anonymous_area(team, (char *)name, address, addressSpec,
-		size, lock, protection, false, true);
+		size, lock, protection, flags, true);
 }
 
 
@@ -5580,7 +5594,7 @@ create_area(const char *name, void **_address, uint32 addressSpec, size_t size,
 	fix_protection(&protection);
 
 	return vm_create_anonymous_area(vm_kernel_address_space_id(), (char *)name, _address,
-		addressSpec, size, lock, protection, false, true);
+		addressSpec, size, lock, protection, 0, true);
 }
 
 
@@ -5806,8 +5820,7 @@ _user_create_area(const char *userName, void **userAddress, uint32 addressSpec,
 	fix_protection(&protection);
 
 	area_id area = vm_create_anonymous_area(vm_current_user_address_space_id(),
-		(char *)name, &address, addressSpec, size, lock, protection, false,
-		false);
+		(char *)name, &address, addressSpec, size, lock, protection, 0, false);
 
 	if (area >= B_OK && user_memcpy(userAddress, &address, sizeof(address)) < B_OK) {
 		delete_area(area);