diff --git a/include/MySQL_Thread.h b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
index c69fb53f1..fe959026c 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Thread.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ class MySQL_Threads_Handler
 		int shun_recovery_time_sec;
 		int query_retries_on_failure;
 		bool client_multi_statements;
+		bool connection_warming;
 		int connect_retries_on_failure;
 		int connect_retries_delay;
 		int connection_delay_multiplex_ms;
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index efa51eed3..4179c7e24 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ __thread unsigned int mysql_thread___default_charset;
 __thread unsigned int mysql_thread___handle_unknown_charset;
 __thread int mysql_thread___poll_timeout;
 __thread int mysql_thread___poll_timeout_on_failure;
+__thread bool mysql_thread___connection_warming;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___have_compress;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___have_ssl;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___client_found_rows;
@@ -865,6 +866,7 @@ extern __thread unsigned int  mysql_thread___default_charset;
 extern __thread unsigned int mysql_thread___handle_unknown_charset;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___poll_timeout;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___poll_timeout_on_failure;
+extern __thread bool mysql_thread___connection_warming;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___have_compress;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___have_ssl;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___client_found_rows;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp b/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp
index 38c4fcb62..c6b681287 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp
@@ -2684,7 +2684,15 @@ MySQL_Connection * MySrvConnList::get_random_MyConn(MySQL_Session *sess, bool ff
 	MySQL_Connection * conn=NULL;
 	unsigned int i;
 	unsigned int l=conns_length();
-	if (l && ff==false) {
+	bool needs_warming = false;
+	if (mysql_thread___connection_warming) {
+		unsigned int total_connections = mysrvc->ConnectionsFree->conns_length()+mysrvc->ConnectionsUsed->conns_length();
+		unsigned int expected_warm_connections = mysql_thread___free_connections_pct*mysrvc->max_connections/100;
+		if (total_connections < expected_warm_connections) {
+			needs_warming = true;
+		}
+	}
+	if (l && ff==false && needs_warming==false) {
 		if (l>32768) {
 			i=rand()%l;
 		} else {
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index e97132a0a..90a3fa708 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ static char * mysql_thread_variables_names[]= {
 	(char *)"default_charset",
 	(char *)"handle_unknown_charset",
 	(char *)"free_connections_pct",
+	(char *)"connection_warming",
 #ifdef IDLE_THREADS
 	(char *)"session_idle_ms",
 #endif // IDLE_THREADS
@@ -564,6 +565,7 @@ MySQL_Threads_Handler::MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	variables.wait_timeout=8*3600*1000;
 	variables.throttle_max_bytes_per_second_to_client=0;
 	variables.throttle_ratio_server_to_client=0;
+	variables.connection_warming=false;
 	variables.max_connections=10*1000;
 	variables.max_stmts_per_connection=20;
 	variables.max_stmts_cache=10000;
@@ -983,6 +985,7 @@ int MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_int(const char *name) {
 				if (!strcmp(name,"connect_timeout_server_max")) return (int)variables.connect_timeout_server_max;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"connection_delay_multiplex_ms")) return (int)variables.connection_delay_multiplex_ms;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"connection_max_age_ms")) return (int)variables.connection_max_age_ms;
+				if (!strcmp(name,"connection_warming")) return (int)variables.connection_warming;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"connpoll_reset_queue_length")) return (int)variables.connpoll_reset_queue_length;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -1636,6 +1639,9 @@ char * MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable(char *name) {	// this is the public f
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"forward_autocommit")) {
 		return strdup((variables.forward_autocommit ? "true" : "false"));
 	}
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"connection_warming")) {
+		return strdup((variables.connection_warming ? "true" : "false"));
+	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"enforce_autocommit_on_reads")) {
 		return strdup((variables.enforce_autocommit_on_reads ? "true" : "false"));
 	}
@@ -3145,6 +3151,17 @@ bool MySQL_Threads_Handler::set_variable(char *name, char *value) {	// this is t
 		}
 		return false;
 	}
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"connection_warming")) {
+		if (strcasecmp(value,"true")==0 || strcasecmp(value,"1")==0) {
+			variables.connection_warming=true;
+			return true;
+		}
+		if (strcasecmp(value,"false")==0 || strcasecmp(value,"0")==0) {
+			variables.connection_warming=false;
+			return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
 #ifdef IDLE_THREADS
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"session_idle_show_processlist")) {
 		if (strcasecmp(value,"true")==0 || strcasecmp(value,"1")==0) {
@@ -4797,6 +4814,7 @@ void MySQL_Thread::refresh_variables() {
 	mysql_thread___client_found_rows=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"client_found_rows");
 	mysql_thread___multiplexing=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"multiplexing");
 	mysql_thread___log_unhealthy_connections=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"log_unhealthy_connections");
+	mysql_thread___connection_warming=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char*)"connection_warming");
 	mysql_thread___forward_autocommit=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"forward_autocommit");
 	mysql_thread___enforce_autocommit_on_reads=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"enforce_autocommit_on_reads");
 	mysql_thread___autocommit_false_not_reusable=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"autocommit_false_not_reusable");