diff --git a/core/spooler.c b/core/spooler.c
index e3d0cd43..f47100dc 100644
--- a/core/spooler.c
+++ b/core/spooler.c
@@ -15,22 +15,25 @@ static uint64_t wakeup = 0;
 // function to allow waking up the spooler if blocked in event_wait
 void spooler_wakeup() { wakeup++; }
 
-void uwsgi_opt_add_spooler(char *opt, char *directory, void *none) {
+void uwsgi_opt_add_spooler(char *opt, char *directory, void *mode) {
 
 	int i;
+	struct uwsgi_spooler *us;
 
         if (access(directory, R_OK | W_OK | X_OK)) {
-                uwsgi_error("[spooler directory] access()");
-                exit(1);
+               	uwsgi_error("[spooler directory] access()");
+               	exit(1);
         }
 
 	if (uwsgi.spooler_numproc > 0) {
 		for(i=0;i<uwsgi.spooler_numproc;i++) {
-			uwsgi_new_spooler(directory);
+			us = uwsgi_new_spooler(directory);
+			if (mode) us->mode = (long) mode;
 		}
 	}
 	else {
-        	uwsgi_new_spooler(directory);
+        	us = uwsgi_new_spooler(directory);
+		if (mode) us->mode = (long) mode;
 	}
 
 }
@@ -41,13 +44,13 @@ struct uwsgi_spooler *uwsgi_new_spooler(char *dir) {
         struct uwsgi_spooler *uspool = uwsgi.spoolers;
 
         if (!uspool) {
-                uwsgi.spoolers = uwsgi_malloc_shared(sizeof(struct uwsgi_spooler));
+                uwsgi.spoolers = uwsgi_calloc_shared(sizeof(struct uwsgi_spooler));
                 uspool = uwsgi.spoolers;
         }
         else {
                 while(uspool) {
                         if (uspool->next == NULL) {
-                                uspool->next = uwsgi_malloc_shared(sizeof(struct uwsgi_spooler));
+                                uspool->next = uwsgi_calloc_shared(sizeof(struct uwsgi_spooler));
                                 uspool = uspool->next;
                                 break;
                         }
diff --git a/core/uwsgi.c b/core/uwsgi.c
index f0c5408c..678940d0 100644
--- a/core/uwsgi.c
+++ b/core/uwsgi.c
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ static struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_base_options[] = {
 	{"no-harakiri-arh", no_argument, 0, "do not enable harakiri during after-request-hook", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.harakiri_no_arh, 0},
 	{"no-harakiri-after-req-hook", no_argument, 0, "do not enable harakiri during after-request-hook", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.harakiri_no_arh, 0},
 	{"backtrace-depth", no_argument, 0, "set backtrace depth", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.backtrace_depth, 0},
-	{"spooler-harakiri", required_argument, 0, "set harakiri timeout for spooler tasks", uwsgi_opt_set_dyn, (void *) UWSGI_OPTION_SPOOLER_HARAKIRI, 0},
 	{"mule-harakiri", required_argument, 0, "set harakiri timeout for mule tasks", uwsgi_opt_set_dyn, (void *) UWSGI_OPTION_MULE_HARAKIRI, 0},
 #ifdef UWSGI_XML
 	{"xmlconfig", required_argument, 'x', "load config from xml file", uwsgi_opt_load_xml, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_IMMEDIATE},
@@ -186,11 +185,13 @@ static struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_base_options[] = {
 
 #ifdef UWSGI_SPOOLER
 	{"spooler", required_argument, 'Q', "run a spooler on the specified directory", uwsgi_opt_add_spooler, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_MASTER},
+	{"spooler-external", required_argument, 0, "map spoolers requests to a spooler directory managed by an external instance", uwsgi_opt_add_spooler, (void *) UWSGI_SPOOLER_EXTERNAL, UWSGI_OPT_MASTER},
 	{"spooler-ordered", no_argument, 0, "try to order the execution of spooler tasks", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.spooler_ordered, 0},
 	{"spooler-chdir", required_argument, 0, "chdir() to specified directory before each spooler task", uwsgi_opt_set_str, &uwsgi.spooler_chdir, 0},
 	{"spooler-processes", required_argument, 0, "set the number of processes for spoolers", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.spooler_numproc, 0},
 	{"spooler-quiet", no_argument, 0, "do not be verbose with spooler tasks", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.spooler_quiet, 0},
 	{"spooler-max-tasks", required_argument, 0, "set the maximum number of tasks to run before recycling a spooler", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.spooler_max_tasks, 0},
+	{"spooler-harakiri", required_argument, 0, "set harakiri timeout for spooler tasks", uwsgi_opt_set_dyn, (void *) UWSGI_OPTION_SPOOLER_HARAKIRI, 0},
 #endif
 	{"mule", optional_argument, 0, "add a mule", uwsgi_opt_add_mule, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_MASTER},
 	{"mules", required_argument, 0, "add the specified number of mules", uwsgi_opt_add_mules, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_MASTER},
@@ -2459,9 +2460,12 @@ int uwsgi_start(void *v_argv) {
 		create_signal_pipe(uwsgi.shared->spooler_signal_pipe);
 		struct uwsgi_spooler *uspool = uwsgi.spoolers;
 		while (uspool) {
-			create_signal_pipe(uspool->signal_pipe);
+			// lock is required even in EXTERNAL mode
 			uspool->lock = uwsgi_lock_init(uwsgi_concat2("spooler on ", uspool->dir));
+			if (uspool->mode == UWSGI_SPOOLER_EXTERNAL) goto next;
+			create_signal_pipe(uspool->signal_pipe);
 			uspool->pid = spooler_start(uspool);
+next:
 			uspool = uspool->next;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/uwsgi.h b/uwsgi.h
index ac7f21a7..2ef40c79 100644
--- a/uwsgi.h
+++ b/uwsgi.h
@@ -553,6 +553,8 @@ struct uwsgi_opt {
 #define UWSGI_OPTION_SPOOLER_HARAKIRI   17
 #define UWSGI_OPTION_MULE_HARAKIRI	18
 
+#define UWSGI_SPOOLER_EXTERNAL	1
+
 #define UWSGI_MODIFIER_ADMIN_REQUEST		10
 #define UWSGI_MODIFIER_SPOOL_REQUEST		17
 #define UWSGI_MODIFIER_EVAL			22
@@ -769,6 +771,8 @@ struct uwsgi_spooler {
 	struct uwsgi_lock_item *lock;
 	time_t harakiri;
 
+	int mode;
+
 	int running;
 
 	int signal_pipe[2];