diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index f3672038c..1fb359a87 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ Win32-MinGW            - ChibiOS/RT simulator and demo into a WIN32 process,
 
 *** 0.8.2 ***
 - FIX: Duplicated sections in the documentation removed.
+- NEW: Added chPoolAllocI() and chPoolFreeI() APIs in order to allow the use
+  of memory pools from interrupt handlers and timer callbacks.
 
 *** 0.8.1 ***
 - FIX: Fixed a regression in version 0.8.0, the configuration switch
diff --git a/src/chmempools.c b/src/chmempools.c
index ae97648a4..dad37aeb4 100644
--- a/src/chmempools.c
+++ b/src/chmempools.c
@@ -46,16 +46,28 @@ void chPoolInit(MemoryPool *mp, size_t size) {
  * @return The pointer to the allocated object.
  * @retval NULL if pool is empty.
  */
-void *chPoolAlloc(MemoryPool *mp) {
+void *chPoolAllocI(MemoryPool *mp) {
   void *objp;
 
-  chDbgAssert(mp != NULL, "chpools.c, chPoolAlloc()");
-
-  chSysLock();
+  chDbgAssert(mp != NULL, "chmempools.c, chPoolAllocI()");
 
   if ((objp = mp->mp_next) != NULL)
     mp->mp_next = mp->mp_next->ph_next;
 
+  return objp;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Allocates an object from a memory pool.
+ * @param mp pointer to a \p MemoryPool structure
+ * @return The pointer to the allocated object.
+ * @retval NULL if pool is empty.
+ */
+void *chPoolAlloc(MemoryPool *mp) {
+  void *objp;
+
+  chSysLock();
+  objp = chPoolAllocI(mp);
   chSysUnlock();
   return objp;
 }
@@ -67,17 +79,27 @@ void *chPoolAlloc(MemoryPool *mp) {
  * @note the object is assumed to be of the right size for the specified
  *       memory pool.
  */
-void chPoolFree(MemoryPool *mp, void *objp) {
+void chPoolFreeI(MemoryPool *mp, void *objp) {
   struct pool_header *php = objp;
 
   chDbgAssert((mp != NULL) && (objp != NULL),
-              "chpools.c, chPoolFree()");
-
-  chSysLock();
+              "chmempools.c, chPoolFreeI()");
 
   php->ph_next = mp->mp_next;
   mp->mp_next = php;
+}
 
+/**
+ * Releases (or adds) an object into (to) a memory pool.
+ * @param mp pointer to a \p MemoryPool structure
+ * @param objp the pointer to the object to be released or added
+ * @note the object is assumed to be of the right size for the specified
+ *       memory pool.
+ */
+void chPoolFree(MemoryPool *mp, void *objp) {
+
+  chSysLock();
+  chPoolFreeI(mp, objp);
   chSysUnlock();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/include/mempools.h b/src/include/mempools.h
index 0037bf487..28ddeea35 100644
--- a/src/include/mempools.h
+++ b/src/include/mempools.h
@@ -43,11 +43,10 @@ typedef struct {
 extern "C" {
 #endif
   void chPoolInit(MemoryPool *mp, size_t size);
+  void *chPoolAllocI(MemoryPool *mp);
   void *chPoolAlloc(MemoryPool *mp);
+  void chPoolFreeI(MemoryPool *mp, void *objp);
   void chPoolFree(MemoryPool *mp, void *objp);
-#ifdef CH_USE_HEAP
-  void chPoolRelease(MemoryPool *mp);
-#endif
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif