diff --git a/doc/api/buffer.md b/doc/api/buffer.md
index ab7fcac31a7765..76cfd8bf155481 100644
--- a/doc/api/buffer.md
+++ b/doc/api/buffer.md
@@ -919,6 +919,54 @@ const buf = Buffer.from(new Foo(), 'utf8');
 A `TypeError` will be thrown if `object` has not mentioned methods or is not of
 other type appropriate for `Buffer.from()` variants.
 
+### Class Method: Buffer.harden([options])
+<!-- YAML
+added: TODO
+-->
+
+> Stability: 1 - Experimental
+
+* `options` {Object}
+  * `zeroFill` {boolean}
+    If `true`, all future `Buffer` instances, even the ones created with
+    `Buffer.allocUnsafe`, will be zero-filled by default.
+    **Default:** `true`.
+  * `disablePool` {boolean}
+    If `true`, all future `Buffer` allocations will not be pooled and their
+    underlying `ArrayBuffer` will have the same size as `Buffer` instance.
+     **Default:** `true`.
+  * `throwOnUnsafe` {boolean}
+    If `true`, unsafe `Buffer(arg)` API will throw instead of showing a
+    deprecation warning.
+    Otherwise, if `false`, first call to unsafe `Buffer(arg)` will trigger a
+    deprecation warning, regardless of whether it was called from inside of
+    `node_modules` directory or not (unlike the default warning).
+    **Default:** `true`.
+  * `freeze` {boolean}
+    If `true`, `Buffer` and `require('buffer')` objects are frozen and can
+    not be monkey-patched.
+    `Buffer.prototype` is not frozen for compatibility reasons.
+    **Default:** `true`.
+
+Calling `Buffer.harden()` enables additional security measures for Buffer API,
+disabling some trade-offs between security and performance/compatibility that
+are present by default.
+
+This method has effect only of subsequent Buffer API usage, Buffer instances
+created before `Buffer.harden()` is called are not affected.
+
+Warning: for ecosystem compatibility and security reasons `Buffer.harden()` can
+be called only once and only from the top-level application code and only before
+the first turn of the event loop. Attempting to call it asynchronously in
+runtime or from a library in `node_modules` will throw.
+
+By default, it enables mandratory zero fill, disables Buffer pooling, disables
+deprecated unsafe Buffer API, freezes `Buffer` and `require('buffer')` objects.
+
+The exact behaviour could be fine-tuned: for example, to still allow unsafe
+Buffer API for compatibility reasons (e.g. if that us required by application
+dependencies), `Buffer.harden({ throwOnUnsafe: false })` could be used.
+
 ### Class Method: Buffer.from(string[, encoding])
 <!-- YAML
 added: v5.10.0
diff --git a/lib/buffer.js b/lib/buffer.js
index 7b656496e53efb..9e9a9e51ed8032 100644
--- a/lib/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/buffer.js
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ const {
 
 const {
   codes: {
+    ERR_ASSERTION,
     ERR_BUFFER_OUT_OF_BOUNDS,
     ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
     ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE,
@@ -109,8 +110,18 @@ let poolSize, poolOffset, allocPool;
 // do not own the ArrayBuffer allocator.  Zero fill is always on in that case.
 const zeroFill = bindingZeroFill || [0];
 
+// Hardening Buffer enables disables unsafe Buffer API, disables pooling,
+// and enables mandratory zero-fill. This is more secure, but has potential
+// performance and compatibility impact, depending on the usecase.
+const hardened = {
+  applied: false,
+  zeroFill: false,
+  disablePool: false,
+  throwOnUnsafe: false,
+};
+
 function createUnsafeBuffer(size) {
-  zeroFill[0] = 0;
+  zeroFill[0] = hardened.zeroFill ? 1 : 0;
   try {
     return new FastBuffer(size);
   } finally {
@@ -140,6 +151,18 @@ const bufferWarning = 'Buffer() is deprecated due to security and usability ' +
                       'Buffer.allocUnsafe(), or Buffer.from() methods instead.';
 
 function showFlaggedDeprecation() {
+  if (hardened.applied) {
+    if (hardened.throwOnUnsafe) {
+      throw new ERR_ASSERTION(
+        'Unsafe Buffer() API is forbidden by Buffer strict hardening opt-in.'
+      );
+    }
+    if (bufferWarningAlreadyEmitted) return;
+    process.emitWarning(bufferWarning, 'DeprecationWarning', 'DEP0005');
+    bufferWarningAlreadyEmitted = true;
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (bufferWarningAlreadyEmitted ||
       ++nodeModulesCheckCounter > 10000 ||
       (!require('internal/options').getOptionValue('--pending-deprecation') &&
@@ -157,6 +180,50 @@ function showFlaggedDeprecation() {
   bufferWarningAlreadyEmitted = true;
 }
 
+// Calling this method does not affect existing buffers, only new ones.
+Buffer.harden = function({
+  zeroFill = true,
+  disablePool = true,
+  throwOnUnsafe = true,
+  freeze = true,
+} = {}) {
+  if (hardened.applied) {
+    // So that params are not changed afterwards
+    throw new ERR_ASSERTION(
+      'Buffer.harden can be called only once'
+    );
+  }
+  if (isInsideNodeModules()) {
+    throw new ERR_ASSERTION(
+      'Buffer.harden() should be called only from the top-level module. ' +
+      'Calling Buffer.harden() from dependencies is not supported.'
+    );
+  }
+  const perf_hooks = require('perf_hooks');
+  const stillSynchronous = perf_hooks.performance.nodeTiming.loopStart < 0;
+  if (!stillSynchronous) throw new ERR_ASSERTION(
+    'Buffer.harden() should be called only in synchronous mode, during app ' +
+    'startup. Calling Buffer.harden() asynchronously is not supported.'
+  );
+  Object.assign(hardened, {
+    applied: true,
+    zeroFill: Boolean(zeroFill),
+    disablePool: Boolean(disablePool),
+    throwOnUnsafe: Boolean(throwOnUnsafe),
+  });
+  if (disablePool) {
+    Object.defineProperty(Buffer, 'poolSize', {
+      enumerable: true,
+      get: () => 0,
+      set: () => {},
+    });
+  }
+  if (freeze) {
+    Object.freeze(Buffer);
+    Object.freeze(module.exports);
+  }
+};
+
 function toInteger(n, defaultVal) {
   n = +n;
   if (!Number.isNaN(n) &&
@@ -365,7 +432,7 @@ function allocate(size) {
   if (size <= 0) {
     return new FastBuffer();
   }
-  if (size < (Buffer.poolSize >>> 1)) {
+  if (size < (Buffer.poolSize >>> 1) && !hardened.disablePool) {
     if (size > (poolSize - poolOffset))
       createPool();
     const b = new FastBuffer(allocPool, poolOffset, size);