diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ea55e28..f13638c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -314,6 +314,8 @@ endif ()
 check_c_source_compiles ("int main() { unsigned long val; __sync_bool_compare_and_swap(&val, 0, 1); return 0; } " HAVE_SYNC_BUILTINS)
 check_c_source_compiles ("int main() { char l; unsigned long v; __atomic_test_and_set(&l, __ATOMIC_RELAXED); __atomic_store_n(&v, 1, __ATOMIC_RELEASE); __atomic_load_n(&v, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE); return 0; }" HAVE_ATOMIC_BUILTINS)
 
+set (JANSSON_INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER 3 CACHE STRING "Number of buckets new object hashtables contain is 2 raised to this power. The default is 3, so empty hashtables contain 2^3 = 8 buckets.")
+
 # Create pkg-conf file.
 # (We use the same files as ./configure does, so we
 #  have to defined the same variables used there).
diff --git a/cmake/jansson_private_config.h.cmake b/cmake/jansson_private_config.h.cmake
index 16e7eb7..ee1078f 100644
--- a/cmake/jansson_private_config.h.cmake
+++ b/cmake/jansson_private_config.h.cmake
@@ -57,3 +57,5 @@
 
 #cmakedefine USE_URANDOM 1
 #cmakedefine USE_WINDOWS_CRYPTOAPI 1
+
+#define INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER @JANSSON_INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 433b499..8c9adcd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ AC_DEFINE([USE_WINDOWS_CRYPTOAPI], [1],
   [Define to 1 if CryptGenRandom should be used for seeding the hash function])
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([initial-hashtable-order],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-initial-hashtable-order=VAL],
+    [Number of buckets new object hashtables contain is 2 raised to this power. The default is 3, so empty hashtables contain 2^3 = 8 buckets.])],
+  [initial_hashtable_order=$enableval], [initial_hashtable_order=3])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER], [$initial_hashtable_order],
+  [Number of buckets new object hashtables contain is 2 raised to this power. E.g. 3 -> 2^3 = 8.])
+
 if test x$GCC = xyes; then
     AM_CFLAGS="-Wall -Wextra -Wdeclaration-after-statement"
 fi
diff --git a/src/hashtable.c b/src/hashtable.c
index 4c4b565..966adb7 100644
--- a/src/hashtable.c
+++ b/src/hashtable.c
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 #include "jansson_private.h"  /* for container_of() */
 #include "hashtable.h"
 
+#ifndef INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER
+#define INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER 3
+#endif
+
 typedef struct hashtable_list list_t;
 typedef struct hashtable_pair pair_t;
 typedef struct hashtable_bucket bucket_t;
@@ -184,7 +188,7 @@ int hashtable_init(hashtable_t *hashtable)
     size_t i;
 
     hashtable->size = 0;
-    hashtable->order = 3;
+    hashtable->order = INITIAL_HASHTABLE_ORDER;
     hashtable->buckets = jsonp_malloc(hashsize(hashtable->order) * sizeof(bucket_t));
     if(!hashtable->buckets)
         return -1;