diff --git a/DRAMSys/library/src/simulation/Dram.h b/DRAMSys/library/src/simulation/Dram.h
index 50eacc31..e71fb7d1 100644
--- a/DRAMSys/library/src/simulation/Dram.h
+++ b/DRAMSys/library/src/simulation/Dram.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include <array>
 #include <cassert>
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include "../common/DebugManager.h"
 #include "../common/dramExtension.h"
 #include "../controller/Controller.h"
@@ -59,6 +60,8 @@
 #include "../common/third_party/DRAMPower/src/libdrampower/LibDRAMPower.h"
 #include "../error/errormodel.h"
 
+//#define USE_MALLOC
+
 using namespace std;
 using namespace tlm;
 using namespace Data;
@@ -95,9 +98,15 @@ struct Dram : sc_module {
         dramController = NULL;
 
         std::uint64_t memorySize = Configuration::getInstance().getSimMemSizeInBytes();
+#ifdef USE_MALLOC
+        memory = (unsigned char *)malloc(memorySize);
+        if (!memory) {
+            SC_REPORT_FATAL(this->name(), "Memory allocation failed");
+        }
+#else
         // allocate and model storage of one DRAM channel using memory map
-        memory = (unsigned char *)mmap(NULL, memorySize, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
-                                       MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANON | MAP_NORESERVE, -1, 0);
+        memory = (unsigned char *)mmap(NULL, memorySize, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANON | MAP_NORESERVE, -1, 0);
+#endif
 
         tSocket.register_nb_transport_fw(this, &Dram::nb_transport_fw);
         tSocket.register_transport_dbg(this, &Dram::transport_dbg);
@@ -299,6 +308,10 @@ struct Dram : sc_module {
         for (auto e : ememory) {
             delete e;
         }
+
+#ifdef USE_MALLOC
+        free(memory);
+#endif
     }
 
     virtual tlm::tlm_sync_enum nb_transport_fw(tlm::tlm_generic_payload &payload,