diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/addon/properties.py b/intern/cycles/blender/addon/properties.py
index 32b07f47ba8..0b8ca6e0fbe 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/addon/properties.py
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/addon/properties.py
@@ -297,12 +297,6 @@ class CyclesRenderSettings(bpy.types.PropertyGroup):
                 default=False,
                 )
 
-        cls.use_persistent_images = BoolProperty(
-                name="Persistent Images",
-                description="Keep images loaded on the device so they could be reused by next render",
-                default=False,
-                )
-
     @classmethod
     def unregister(cls):
         del bpy.types.Scene.cycles
diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/addon/ui.py b/intern/cycles/blender/addon/ui.py
index 9ecd0d3e252..4a651eb5aab 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/addon/ui.py
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/addon/ui.py
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class CyclesRender_PT_performance(CyclesButtonsPanel, Panel):
 
         sub = col.column(align=True)
         sub.label(text="Final Render:")
-        sub.prop(cscene, "use_persistent_images")
+        sub.prop(rd, "use_persistent_data", text="Persistent Images")
 
 
 class CyclesRender_PT_layers(CyclesButtonsPanel, Panel):
diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_sync.cpp b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_sync.cpp
index ce589f55e60..9ebdcfd04bd 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_sync.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_sync.cpp
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ void BlenderSync::sync_render_layers(BL::SpaceView3D b_v3d, const char *layer)
 
 SceneParams BlenderSync::get_scene_params(BL::Scene b_scene, bool background)
 {
+	BL::RenderSettings r = b_scene.render();
 	SceneParams params;
 	PointerRNA cscene = RNA_pointer_get(&b_scene.ptr, "cycles");
 	int shadingsystem = RNA_enum_get(&cscene, "shading_system");
@@ -301,7 +302,7 @@ SceneParams BlenderSync::get_scene_params(BL::Scene b_scene, bool background)
 	params.use_bvh_spatial_split = RNA_boolean_get(&cscene, "debug_use_spatial_splits");
 	params.use_bvh_cache = (background)? RNA_boolean_get(&cscene, "use_cache"): false;
 
-	params.persistent_images = (background)? RNA_boolean_get(&cscene, "use_persistent_images"): false;
+	params.persistent_images = (background)? r.use_persistent_data(): false;
 
 	return params;
 }
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/render/render_update.c b/source/blender/editors/render/render_update.c
index 0a2ca379518..5155f1001ab 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/render/render_update.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/render/render_update.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include "GPU_material.h"
 
 #include "RE_engine.h"
+#include "RE_pipeline.h"
 
 #include "ED_node.h"
 #include "ED_render.h"
@@ -157,6 +158,8 @@ void ED_render_engine_changed(Main *bmain)
 	for (sc = bmain->screen.first; sc; sc = sc->id.next)
 		for (sa = sc->areabase.first; sa; sa = sa->next)
 			ED_render_engine_area_exit(sa);
+
+	RE_FreePersistentData();
 }
 
 /***************************** Updates ***********************************
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_scene_types.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_scene_types.h
index 1479d5268ed..251e6a7eb4e 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_scene_types.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_scene_types.h
@@ -1187,11 +1187,12 @@ typedef struct Scene {
 		/* Use the same flag for autothreads */
 #define R_FIXED_THREADS		0x80000 
 
-#define R_SPEED			0x100000
-#define R_SSS			0x200000
-#define R_NO_OVERWRITE	0x400000 /* skip existing files */
-#define R_TOUCH			0x800000 /* touch files before rendering */
-#define R_SIMPLIFY		0x1000000
+#define R_SPEED				0x100000
+#define R_SSS				0x200000
+#define R_NO_OVERWRITE		0x400000  /* skip existing files */
+#define R_TOUCH				0x800000  /* touch files before rendering */
+#define R_SIMPLIFY			0x1000000
+#define R_PERSISTENT_DATA	0x2000000 /* keep data around for re-render */
 
 /* seq_flag */
 #define R_SEQ_GL_PREV 1
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_scene.c b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_scene.c
index b102d463195..5e4eb526b76 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_scene.c
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_scene.c
@@ -1254,6 +1254,12 @@ static void rna_Scene_simplify_update(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, PointerRNA *ptr
 		rna_Scene_use_simplify_update(bmain, scene, ptr);
 }
 
+static void rna_Scene_use_persistent_data_update(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, PointerRNA *UNUSED(ptr))
+{
+	if (!(scene->r.mode & R_PERSISTENT_DATA))
+		RE_FreePersistentData();
+}
+
 static int rna_Scene_use_audio_get(PointerRNA *ptr)
 {
 	Scene *scene = (Scene *)ptr->data;
@@ -4036,6 +4042,12 @@ static void rna_def_scene_render_data(BlenderRNA *brna)
 	RNA_def_property_boolean_sdna(prop, NULL, "simplify_flag", R_SIMPLE_NO_TRIANGULATE);
 	RNA_def_property_ui_text(prop, "Skip Quad to Triangles", "Disable non-planar quads being triangulated");
 
+	/* persistent data */
+	prop = RNA_def_property(srna, "use_persistent_data", PROP_BOOLEAN, PROP_NONE);
+	RNA_def_property_boolean_sdna(prop, NULL, "mode", R_PERSISTENT_DATA);
+	RNA_def_property_ui_text(prop, "Persistent Data", "Keep render data around for faster re-renders");
+	RNA_def_property_update(prop, 0, "rna_Scene_use_persistent_data_update");
+
 	/* Scene API */
 	RNA_api_scene_render(srna);
 }
diff --git a/source/blender/render/extern/include/RE_pipeline.h b/source/blender/render/extern/include/RE_pipeline.h
index 984b1a8e651..ecdd1774221 100644
--- a/source/blender/render/extern/include/RE_pipeline.h
+++ b/source/blender/render/extern/include/RE_pipeline.h
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ void RE_FreeRender (struct Render *re);
 void RE_FreeAllRender (void);
 /* only call on file load */
 void RE_FreeAllRenderResults(void);
+/* for external render engines that can keep persistent data */
+void RE_FreePersistentData(void);
 
 /* get results and statistics */
 void RE_FreeRenderResult(struct RenderResult *rr);
diff --git a/source/blender/render/intern/source/external_engine.c b/source/blender/render/intern/source/external_engine.c
index 736cb5de7c3..d771cf2253d 100644
--- a/source/blender/render/intern/source/external_engine.c
+++ b/source/blender/render/intern/source/external_engine.c
@@ -382,6 +382,11 @@ int RE_engine_render(Render *re, int do_all)
 	if (type->render)
 		type->render(engine, re->scene);
 
+	if(!(re->r.mode & R_PERSISTENT_DATA)) {
+		RE_engine_free(re->engine);
+		re->engine = NULL;
+	}
+
 	if (re->result->do_exr_tile) {
 		BLI_rw_mutex_lock(&re->resultmutex, THREAD_LOCK_WRITE);
 		render_result_exr_file_end(re);
diff --git a/source/blender/render/intern/source/pipeline.c b/source/blender/render/intern/source/pipeline.c
index 369818d37d5..3797430952c 100644
--- a/source/blender/render/intern/source/pipeline.c
+++ b/source/blender/render/intern/source/pipeline.c
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ Render *RE_GetRender(const char *name)
 	return re;
 }
 
+
 /* if you want to know exactly what has been done */
 RenderResult *RE_AcquireResultRead(Render *re)
 {
@@ -424,6 +425,19 @@ void RE_FreeAllRenderResults(void)
 	}
 }
 
+void RE_FreePersistentData()
+{
+	Render *re;
+
+	/* render engines can be kept around for quick re-render, this clears all */
+	for (re = RenderGlobal.renderlist.first; re; re = re->next) {
+		if (re->engine) {
+			RE_engine_free(re);
+			re->engine = NULL;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 /* ********* initialize state ******** */