diff --git a/app/browser/menu.js b/app/browser/menu.js
index 2141ff48f00..c532c7dd322 100644
--- a/app/browser/menu.js
+++ b/app/browser/menu.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ const settings = require('../../js/constants/settings')
 
 // State
 const {getByTabId} = require('../common/state/tabState')
-const tabState = require('../../app/common/state/tabState')
+const tabState = require('../common/state/tabState')
 const appStore = require('../../js/stores/appStore')
 
 // Actions
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ const createHelpSubmenu = () => {
   return submenu
 }
 
-const createDebugSubmenu = () => {
+const createDebugSubmenu = (state) => {
   return [
     {
       // Makes future renderer processes pause when they are created until a debugger appears.
@@ -533,6 +533,13 @@ const createDebugSubmenu = () => {
         const win = BrowserWindow.getActiveWindow()
         appActions.noReportStateModeClicked(win.id)
       }
+    }, {
+      label: 'Allow manual tab discarding',
+      type: 'checkbox',
+      checked: !!getSetting(settings.DEBUG_ALLOW_MANUAL_TAB_DISCARD),
+      click: function (menuItem, browserWindow, e) {
+        appActions.changeSetting(settings.DEBUG_ALLOW_MANUAL_TAB_DISCARD, menuItem.checked)
+      }
     }
   ]
 }
@@ -570,7 +577,7 @@ const createMenu = (state) => {
   ]
 
   if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development' || process.env.BRAVE_ENABLE_DEBUG_MENU !== undefined) {
-    template.push({ label: 'Debug', submenu: createDebugSubmenu() })
+    template.push({ label: 'Debug', submenu: createDebugSubmenu(state) })
   }
 
   if (isDarwin) {
@@ -661,6 +668,9 @@ const doAction = (state, action) => {
         // Update the checkbox next to "Bookmarks Toolbar" (Bookmarks menu)
         setMenuItemChecked(state, locale.translation('bookmarksToolbar'), action.value)
       }
+      if (action.key === settings.DEBUG_ALLOW_MANUAL_TAB_DISCARD) {
+        setMenuItemChecked(state, 'Allow manual tab discarding', action.value)
+      }
       break
     case windowConstants.WINDOW_UNDO_CLOSED_FRAME:
       {
diff --git a/app/browser/reducers/tabsReducer.js b/app/browser/reducers/tabsReducer.js
index bd37fa3fd7a..b2935dbffba 100644
--- a/app/browser/reducers/tabsReducer.js
+++ b/app/browser/reducers/tabsReducer.js
@@ -119,6 +119,13 @@ const tabsReducer = (state, action, immutableAction) => {
       state = tabs.closeOtherTabs(state, tabId)
       break
     }
+    case appConstants.APP_DISCARD_TAB_REQUESTED: {
+      const tabId = action.get('tabId')
+      setImmediate(() => {
+        tabs.discard(tabId)
+      })
+      break
+    }
     case appConstants.APP_CREATE_TAB_REQUESTED:
       if (action.getIn(['createProperties', 'windowId']) == null) {
         const senderWindowId = action.getIn(['senderWindowId'])
diff --git a/app/browser/tabs.js b/app/browser/tabs.js
index adbe6b25a8a..b5e0da8b6c4 100644
--- a/app/browser/tabs.js
+++ b/app/browser/tabs.js
@@ -770,6 +770,18 @@ const api = {
     }
   },
 
+  discard: (tabId) => {
+    const tab = webContentsCache.getWebContents(tabId)
+    if (tab && !tab.isDestroyed()) {
+      tab.discard()
+    } else {
+      console.error(
+        `Asked for tab ${tabId} to be discarded but ` +
+        (tab ? 'tab was not in cache' : 'tab was discarded')
+      )
+    }
+  },
+
   loadURL: (action) => {
     action = makeImmutable(action)
     const tabId = action.get('tabId')
diff --git a/js/actions/appActions.js b/js/actions/appActions.js
index 72d910fba75..1cde5b5e522 100644
--- a/js/actions/appActions.js
+++ b/js/actions/appActions.js
@@ -221,6 +221,13 @@ const appActions = {
     })
   },
 
+  discardTabRequested: function (tabId) {
+    dispatch({
+      actionType: appConstants.APP_DISCARD_TAB_REQUESTED,
+      tabId
+    })
+  },
+
   /**
    * A request for a new tab has been made with the specified createProperties
    * @param {Object} createProperties
diff --git a/js/constants/appConfig.js b/js/constants/appConfig.js
index 0c554de6885..dd8dadfa0a6 100644
--- a/js/constants/appConfig.js
+++ b/js/constants/appConfig.js
@@ -230,7 +230,8 @@ module.exports = {
     'general.is-default-browser': null,
     'notification-add-funds-timestamp': null,
     'notification-reconcile-soon-timestamp': null,
-
+    // debug
+    'debug.manual-tab-discard.enabled': false,
     // DEPRECATED settings
     // DO NOT REMOVE OR CHANGE THESE VALUES
     // ########################
diff --git a/js/constants/appConstants.js b/js/constants/appConstants.js
index 41e2ed91789..3d303216de0 100644
--- a/js/constants/appConstants.js
+++ b/js/constants/appConstants.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ const appConstants = {
   APP_CLOSE_TABS_TO_LEFT_MENU_ITEM_CLICKED: _,
   APP_CLOSE_TABS_TO_RIGHT_MENU_ITEM_CLICKED: _,
   APP_CLOSE_OTHER_TABS_MENU_ITEM_CLICKED: _,
+  APP_DISCARD_TAB_REQUESTED: _,
   APP_TAB_ATTACHED: _,
   APP_TAB_WILL_ATTACH: _,
   APP_TAB_ACTIVATE_REQUESTED: _,
diff --git a/js/constants/settings.js b/js/constants/settings.js
index e31aade2d5f..60947eb2089 100644
--- a/js/constants/settings.js
+++ b/js/constants/settings.js
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ const settings = {
   PINTEREST_ENABLED: 'extensions.pinterest.enabled',
   METAMASK_ENABLED: 'extensions.metamask.enabled',
   METAMASK_PROMPT_DISMISSED: 'extensions.metamask.promptDismissed',
+  // Debug settings
+  DEBUG_ALLOW_MANUAL_TAB_DISCARD: 'debug.manual-tab-discard.enabled',
 
   // DEPRECATED settings
   // DO NOT REMOVE OR CHANGE THESE VALUES
diff --git a/js/contextMenus.js b/js/contextMenus.js
index 84852bb437b..994e3cc94ea 100644
--- a/js/contextMenus.js
+++ b/js/contextMenus.js
@@ -549,6 +549,19 @@ function tabTemplateInit (frameProps) {
     }
   }, CommonMenu.separatorMenuItem)
 
+  // debug options, only in development
+  if (getSetting(settings.DEBUG_ALLOW_MANUAL_TAB_DISCARD) === true) {
+    template.push(
+      {
+        label: 'Discard',
+        click: (item) => {
+          appActions.discardTabRequested(tabId)
+        }
+      },
+      CommonMenu.separatorMenuItem
+    )
+  }
+
   template.push(Object.assign({},
     CommonMenu.reopenLastClosedTabItem(),
     { enabled: closedFrames ? closedFrames.size > 0 : false }