diff --git a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_common.h b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_common.h
index bdc82618b8..41f67728d9 100644
--- a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_common.h
+++ b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_common.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ DECLARE_bool(destroy_db_initially);
 DECLARE_bool(verbose);
 DECLARE_bool(progress_reports);
 DECLARE_uint64(db_write_buffer_size);
+DECLARE_bool(allow_wbm_stalls);
 DECLARE_int32(write_buffer_size);
 DECLARE_int32(max_write_buffer_number);
 DECLARE_int32(min_write_buffer_number_to_merge);
diff --git a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_gflags.cc b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_gflags.cc
index d615ed234f..78c8da1eb4 100644
--- a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_gflags.cc
+++ b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_gflags.cc
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ DEFINE_uint64(db_write_buffer_size,
               ROCKSDB_NAMESPACE::Options().db_write_buffer_size,
               "Number of bytes to buffer in all memtables before compacting");
 
+DEFINE_bool(allow_wbm_stalls, false, "Enable WBM write stalls and delays");
+
 DEFINE_int32(
     write_buffer_size,
     static_cast<int32_t>(ROCKSDB_NAMESPACE::Options().write_buffer_size),
diff --git a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_test_base.cc b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_test_base.cc
index 2d3b63e7d6..bc9f424a95 100644
--- a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_test_base.cc
+++ b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_test_base.cc
@@ -3178,7 +3178,10 @@ void InitializeOptionsFromFlags(
   block_based_options.num_file_reads_for_auto_readahead =
       FLAGS_num_file_reads_for_auto_readahead;
   options.table_factory.reset(NewBlockBasedTableFactory(block_based_options));
-  options.db_write_buffer_size = FLAGS_db_write_buffer_size;
+  if (FLAGS_db_write_buffer_size > 0) {
+    options.write_buffer_manager.reset(new WriteBufferManager(
+        FLAGS_db_write_buffer_size, {} /* cache */, FLAGS_allow_wbm_stalls));
+  }
   options.write_buffer_size = FLAGS_write_buffer_size;
   options.max_write_buffer_number = FLAGS_max_write_buffer_number;
   options.min_write_buffer_number_to_merge =
diff --git a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_tool.cc b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_tool.cc
index 8cbbde52f9..c52a59972d 100644
--- a/db_stress_tool/db_stress_tool.cc
+++ b/db_stress_tool/db_stress_tool.cc
@@ -367,6 +367,13 @@ int db_stress_tool(int argc, char** argv) {
                                      keys_per_level * (levels - 1));
   }
   std::unique_ptr<ROCKSDB_NAMESPACE::SharedState> shared;
+
+  if ((FLAGS_db_write_buffer_size == 0) && FLAGS_allow_wbm_stalls) {
+    fprintf(stderr,
+            "-allow_wbm_stalls is useless if db_write_buffer_size == 0\n");
+    exit(1);
+  }
+
   std::unique_ptr<ROCKSDB_NAMESPACE::StressTest> stress;
   if (FLAGS_test_cf_consistency) {
     stress.reset(CreateCfConsistencyStressTest());