diff --git a/db/db.cpp b/db/db.cpp
index 273d463038d..0f3e3a280aa 100644
--- a/db/db.cpp
+++ b/db/db.cpp
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ sendmore:
         acquirePathLock();
         remove_all( dbpath + "/_tmp/" );
 
-        theFileAllocator().start();
+        FileAllocator::get()->start();
 
         BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION( clearTmpFiles() );
 
diff --git a/db/instance.cpp b/db/instance.cpp
index ad3062ce63e..ca2d8658bd2 100644
--- a/db/instance.cpp
+++ b/db/instance.cpp
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ namespace mongo {
         // we would only hang here if the file_allocator code generates a
         // synchronous signal, which we don't expect
         log() << "shutdown: waiting for fs preallocator..." << endl;
-        theFileAllocator().waitUntilFinished();
+        FileAllocator::get()->waitUntilFinished();
 
         log() << "shutdown: closing all files..." << endl;
         if( cmdLine.dur ) {
diff --git a/db/pdfile.cpp b/db/pdfile.cpp
index d78a4161a2e..ee826446827 100644
--- a/db/pdfile.cpp
+++ b/db/pdfile.cpp
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
         if ( preallocateOnly ) {
             if ( cmdLine.prealloc ) {
-                theFileAllocator().requestAllocation( filename, size );
+                FileAllocator::get()->requestAllocation( filename, size );
             }
             return;
         }
@@ -1948,7 +1948,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
     void _applyOpToDataFiles( const char *database, FileOp &fo, bool afterAllocator, const string& path ) {
         if ( afterAllocator )
-            theFileAllocator().waitUntilFinished();
+            FileAllocator::get()->waitUntilFinished();
         string c = database;
         c += '.';
         boost::filesystem::path p(path);
diff --git a/dbtests/framework.cpp b/dbtests/framework.cpp
index e2e73d37948..2dbb810a665 100644
--- a/dbtests/framework.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/framework.cpp
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ namespace mongo {
             printSysInfo();
             log() << "random seed: " << seed << endl;
 
-            theFileAllocator().start();
+            FileAllocator::get()->start();
 
             vector<string> suites;
             if (params.count("suites")) {
diff --git a/dbtests/perf/perftest.cpp b/dbtests/perf/perftest.cpp
index e233f5c3d21..ef035518ce9 100644
--- a/dbtests/perf/perftest.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/perf/perftest.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public:
              << "}" << endl;
     }
     ~Runner() {
-        theFileAllocator().waitUntilFinished();
+        FileAllocator::get()->waitUntilFinished();
         client_->dropDatabase( testDb< T >().c_str() );
     }
 };
diff --git a/tools/tool.cpp b/tools/tool.cpp
index 0491012b880..dfa5bb01211 100644
--- a/tools/tool.cpp
+++ b/tools/tool.cpp
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ namespace mongo {
                 return -1;
             }
 
-            theFileAllocator().start();
+            FileAllocator::get()->start();
         }
 
         if ( _params.count( "db" ) )
diff --git a/util/file_allocator.cpp b/util/file_allocator.cpp
index fe2b616ddee..163d4945d93 100644
--- a/util/file_allocator.cpp
+++ b/util/file_allocator.cpp
@@ -258,8 +258,12 @@ namespace mongo {
 
 #endif
 
-    // The mutex contained in this object may be held on shutdown.
-    FileAllocator &theFileAllocator_ = *(new FileAllocator());
-    FileAllocator &theFileAllocator() { return theFileAllocator_; }
+    FileAllocator* FileAllocator::_instance = 0;
+
+    FileAllocator* FileAllocator::get(){
+        if ( ! _instance )
+            _instance = new FileAllocator();
+        return _instance;
+    }
 
 } // namespace mongo
diff --git a/util/file_allocator.h b/util/file_allocator.h
index c2688dc8bb7..c6fd927206b 100644
--- a/util/file_allocator.h
+++ b/util/file_allocator.h
@@ -22,16 +22,15 @@ namespace mongo {
     /*
      * Handles allocation of contiguous files on disk.  Allocation may be
      * requested asynchronously or synchronously.
+     * singleton
      */
-    class FileAllocator {
+    class FileAllocator : boost::noncopyable {
         /*
          * The public functions may not be called concurrently.  The allocation
          * functions may be called multiple times per file, but only the first
          * size specified per file will be used.
         */
     public:
-        FileAllocator();
-
         void start();
 
         /**
@@ -51,7 +50,13 @@ namespace mongo {
 
         static void ensureLength(int fd , long size);
 
+        /** @return the singletone */
+        static FileAllocator * get();
+
     private:
+
+        FileAllocator();
+
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
         void checkFailure();
 
@@ -73,7 +78,9 @@ namespace mongo {
 
         bool _failed;
 #endif
+        
+        static FileAllocator* _instance;
+
     };
 
-    FileAllocator &theFileAllocator();
 } // namespace mongo
diff --git a/util/mmap_posix.cpp b/util/mmap_posix.cpp
index b6ce1661d81..4229fbebebb 100644
--- a/util/mmap_posix.cpp
+++ b/util/mmap_posix.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ namespace mongo {
     void* MemoryMappedFile::map(const char *filename, unsigned long long &length, int options) {
         // length may be updated by callee.
         setFilename(filename);
-        theFileAllocator().allocateAsap( filename, length );
+        FileAllocator::get()->allocateAsap( filename, length );
         len = length;
 
         massert( 10446 , str::stream() << "mmap: can't map area of size 0 file: " << filename, length > 0 );