diff --git a/docs/environment.rst b/docs/environment.rst
index 4bf89bf774a..dcdf7fe886f 100644
--- a/docs/environment.rst
+++ b/docs/environment.rst
@@ -93,6 +93,24 @@ Larger values will reserve more RAM for python use and prevent the supervisor an
 from large allocations of their own.
 Smaller values will likely grow sooner than large start sizes.
 
+CIRCUITPY_HEAP_SRAM_SIZE (integer)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+On boards where the python heap is normally placed in external PSRAM, allocate the heap's
+*initial* segment (of this many bytes) from internal RAM instead. Later heap growth still
+comes from PSRAM, so allocations made early in a program run at internal-RAM speed while
+the total capacity is unchanged. If the requested size does not fit, the setting is
+ignored and the heap starts in PSRAM as usual. Unset by default.
+
+When this setting is satisfied it fully defines the initial segment and
+``CIRCUITPY_HEAP_START_SIZE`` is not consulted; ``CIRCUITPY_HEAP_START_SIZE`` applies
+only when this setting is unset or its internal-RAM allocation fails.
+
+The internal pool is shared with DMA buffers (displays, audio). Buffers allocated at boot
+coexist with this setting, but *re-allocating* a large buffer later (for example switching
+a framebuffer display to a higher resolution at runtime) may fail, because the freed space
+cannot merge across the live heap segment. With this setting, choose such sizes at boot
+(e.g. via ``CIRCUITPY_DISPLAY_WIDTH``/``HEIGHT``) rather than switching at runtime.
+
 CIRCUITPY_PYSTACK_SIZE (integer)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Sets the size of the python stack. Must be a multiple of 4. The default value is currently 1536.
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 2020cb8c307..f3c8148ac65 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -197,7 +197,25 @@ static void start_mp(safe_mode_t safe_mode) {
 
     #if MICROPY_ENABLE_GC
     size_t heap_size = 0;
-    _heap = _allocate_memory(safe_mode, "CIRCUITPY_HEAP_START_SIZE", CIRCUITPY_HEAP_START_SIZE, &heap_size);
+    // If CIRCUITPY_HEAP_SRAM_SIZE is set, try to place the heap's START segment in the
+    // internal (dma-capable) pool. On boards whose default heap lives in external PSRAM
+    // this puts early/hot allocations in fast RAM, while the heap still grows into PSRAM
+    // via MP_PLAT_ALLOC_HEAP. Unset (the default) keeps the current behavior; if the
+    // requested size does not fit the internal pool, we fall back to it as well.
+    #if CIRCUITPY_SETTINGS_TOML
+    if (safe_mode == SAFE_MODE_NONE) {
+        mp_int_t sram_size;
+        if (settings_get_int("CIRCUITPY_HEAP_SRAM_SIZE", &sram_size) == SETTINGS_OK && sram_size > 0) {
+            _heap = port_malloc((size_t)sram_size, true);
+            if (_heap != NULL) {
+                heap_size = (size_t)sram_size;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    #endif
+    if (_heap == NULL) {
+        _heap = _allocate_memory(safe_mode, "CIRCUITPY_HEAP_START_SIZE", CIRCUITPY_HEAP_START_SIZE, &heap_size);
+    }
     gc_init(_heap, _heap + heap_size);
     #endif
     mp_init();