diff --git a/sched/mqueue/mq_initialize.c b/sched/mqueue/mq_initialize.c
index b0cc3ea5a9..933dd2f23b 100644
--- a/sched/mqueue/mq_initialize.c
+++ b/sched/mqueue/mq_initialize.c
@@ -31,6 +31,21 @@
 #include "mqueue/mqueue.h"
 #include "mqueue/msg.h"
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Private Type Definitions
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+struct msgpool_s
+{
+#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
+  struct mqueue_msg_s mqueue[CONFIG_PREALLOC_MQ_MSGS +
+                             CONFIG_PREALLOC_MQ_IRQ_MSGS];
+#endif
+#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE_SYSV
+  struct msgbuf_s msgbuf[CONFIG_PREALLOC_MQ_MSGS];
+#endif
+};
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Public Data
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -52,6 +67,14 @@ struct list_node g_msgfreeirq;
 
 #endif
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Private Data
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+/* This is a pool of pre-allocated message queue buffers */
+
+static struct msgpool_s g_msgpool;
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Private Functions
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -69,8 +92,8 @@ struct list_node g_msgfreeirq;
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
 static FAR void * mq_msgblockinit(FAR struct list_node *list,
-                                   FAR struct mqueue_msg_s *mqmsgblock,
-                                   uint16_t nmsgs, uint8_t alloc_type)
+                                  FAR struct mqueue_msg_s *mqmsgblock,
+                                  uint16_t nmsgs, uint8_t alloc_type)
 {
   int i;
   for (i = 0; i < nmsgs; i++)
@@ -125,22 +148,10 @@ static FAR void *sysv_msgblockinit(FAR struct list_node *list,
 
 void nxmq_initialize(void)
 {
-  FAR void *msg;
+  FAR void *msg = &g_msgpool;
 
   sched_trace_begin();
 
-  msg = kmm_malloc(
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
-                   sizeof(struct mqueue_msg_s) *
-                   (CONFIG_PREALLOC_MQ_MSGS + CONFIG_PREALLOC_MQ_IRQ_MSGS)
-#endif
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE_SYSV
-                   + sizeof(struct msgbuf_s) * CONFIG_PREALLOC_MQ_MSGS
-#endif
-                   );
-
-  DEBUGASSERT(msg != NULL);
-
   /* Initialize a block of messages for general use */
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE