diff --git a/doc/variables.xml b/doc/variables.xml
index b55da7b9..a5f2b561 100644
--- a/doc/variables.xml
+++ b/doc/variables.xml
@@ -2032,6 +2032,15 @@
         <listitem>Bar that shows amount of memory in use (including memory used by system buffers and caches)
         <para /></listitem>
     </varlistentry>
+    <varlistentry>
+        <term>
+            <command>
+                <option>memdirty</option>
+            </command>
+        </term>
+        <listitem>Amount of "dirty" memory (linux only)
+        <para /></listitem>
+    </varlistentry>
     <varlistentry>
         <term>
             <command>
diff --git a/src/common.cc b/src/common.cc
index d4fe02e0..98bbf58a 100644
--- a/src/common.cc
+++ b/src/common.cc
@@ -526,6 +526,7 @@ PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(memwithbuffers)
 PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(memeasyfree)
 PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(memfree)
 PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(memmax)
+PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(memdirty)
 PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(swap)
 PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(swapfree)
 PRINT_HR_GENERATOR(swapmax)
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 55f301d5..2fad9776 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ void print_memwithbuffers(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_memeasyfree(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_memfree(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_memmax(struct text_object *, char *, int);
+void print_memdirty(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_swap(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_swapfree(struct text_object *, char *, int);
 void print_swapmax(struct text_object *, char *, int);
diff --git a/src/conky.h b/src/conky.h
index de29d871..b27bab45 100644
--- a/src/conky.h
+++ b/src/conky.h
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ struct information {
 	double uptime;
 
 	/* memory information in kilobytes */
-	unsigned long long mem, memwithbuffers, memeasyfree, memfree, memmax;
+	unsigned long long mem, memwithbuffers, memeasyfree, memfree, memmax, memdirty;
     unsigned long long swap, swapfree, swapmax;
 	unsigned long long bufmem, buffers, cached;
 
diff --git a/src/core.cc b/src/core.cc
index 41b6c094..1ead4200 100644
--- a/src/core.cc
+++ b/src/core.cc
@@ -985,6 +985,10 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(char *s, const char *arg, long
 		obj->callbacks.print = &print_memmax;
 	END OBJ(memperc, &update_meminfo)
 		obj->callbacks.percentage = &mem_percentage;
+#ifdef __linux__
+	END OBJ(memdirty, &update_meminfo)
+		obj->callbacks.print = &print_memdirty;
+#endif
 #ifdef BUILD_X11
 	END OBJ(memgauge, &update_meminfo)
 		scan_gauge(obj, arg, 1);
diff --git a/src/linux.cc b/src/linux.cc
index e0929204..b5ff75a3 100644
--- a/src/linux.cc
+++ b/src/linux.cc
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ int update_meminfo(void)
 	/* unsigned int a; */
 	char buf[256];
 
-	info.mem = info.memwithbuffers = info.memmax = info.swap = info.swapfree = info.swapmax =
+	info.mem = info.memwithbuffers = info.memmax = info.memdirty = info.swap = info.swapfree = info.swapmax =
         info.bufmem = info.buffers = info.cached = info.memfree = info.memeasyfree = 0;
 
 	if (!(meminfo_fp = open_file("/proc/meminfo", &rep))) {
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ int update_meminfo(void)
 			sscanf(buf, "%*s %llu", &info.buffers);
 		} else if (strncmp(buf, "Cached:", 7) == 0) {
 			sscanf(buf, "%*s %llu", &info.cached);
+		} else if (strncmp(buf, "Dirty:", 6) == 0) {
+			sscanf(buf, "%*s %llu", &info.memdirty);
 		}
 	}