diff --git a/includes/cache.inc b/includes/cache.inc
index 207bf66..8af7fd8 100644
--- a/includes/cache.inc
+++ b/includes/cache.inc
@@ -460,10 +460,25 @@ class DrupalDatabaseCache implements DrupalCacheInterface {
     }
 
     try {
-      db_merge($this->bin)
-        ->key(array('cid' => $cid))
-        ->fields($fields)
-        ->execute();
+      if (function_exists('drupal_mysqli_get_object')) {
+        $mysqli = drupal_mysqli_get_object();
+      }
+      if (empty($mysqli)) {
+        db_merge($this->bin)
+          ->key(array('cid' => $cid))
+          ->fields($fields)
+          ->execute();
+      }
+      else {
+        // Flush the async buffer.
+        @$mysqli->reap_async_query();
+
+        // Run query.
+        $escaped_cid = $mysqli->real_escape_string($cid);
+        $escaped_data = $mysqli->real_escape_string($fields['data']);
+        $query = "INSERT IGNORE INTO {$this->bin} (cid, serialized, created, expire, data) VALUES ('$escaped_cid', '{$fields['serialized']}', '{$fields['created']}', '{$fields['expire']}', '$escaped_data');";
+        $mysqli->query($query, MYSQLI_ASYNC);
+      }
     }
     catch (Exception $e) {
       // The database may not be available, so we'll ignore cache_set requests.
diff --git a/includes/database/mysql/database.inc b/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
index 4907a39..b3dfd4d 100644
--- a/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
+++ b/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
@@ -5,6 +5,61 @@
  * Database interface code for MySQL database servers.
  */
 
+function drupal_mysqli_get_object() {
+  // Bail out if not mysql that is async capable.
+  $db_type = Database::getConnection()->databaseType();
+  if ($db_type !== 'mysql' || !function_exists('mysqli_init') || !defined('MYSQLI_ASYNC')) {
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+
+  $db_connections = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
+  $connection_info = Database::getConnectionInfo();
+
+  $default_name = key($connection_info);
+  if (!isset($db_connections[$default_name])) {
+    if (!isset($GLOBALS['databases'][$default_name]['default'])) {
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+    $default_info = $GLOBALS['databases'][$default_name]['default'];
+
+    if (empty($default_info['port'])) {
+      $default_info['port'] = NULL;
+    }
+    if (empty($default_info['unix_socket'])) {
+      $default_info['unix_socket'] = NULL;
+    }
+    $mysqli = new mysqli($default_info['host'], $default_info['username'], $default_info['password'], $default_info['database'], $default_info['port'], $default_info['unix_socket']);
+
+    if (empty($mysqli) || !empty($mysqli->connect_errno)) {
+      unset($mysqli);
+      $mysqli = FALSE;
+    }
+    if (!empty($mysqli)) {
+      $mysqli->set_charset('utf8');
+
+      if (!isset($default_info['init_commands'])) {
+        $default_info['init_commands'] = array();
+      }
+      $default_info['init_commands'] += array(
+        'sql_mode' => "SET sql_mode = 'ANSI,STRICT_TRANS_TABLES,STRICT_ALL_TABLES,NO_ZERO_IN_DATE,NO_ZERO_DATE,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO,NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER'",
+        'isolation' => "SET SESSION tx_isolation='READ-UNCOMMITTED'",
+      );
+      foreach ($default_info['init_commands'] as $query) {
+        $mysqli->query($query);
+      }
+    }
+    $db_connections[$default_name] = $mysqli;
+    register_shutdown_function('drupal_mysqli_async_flush_buffer');
+  }
+
+  return $db_connections[$default_name];
+}
+
+function drupal_mysqli_async_flush_buffer() {
+  $mysqli = drupal_mysqli_get_object();
+  return @$mysqli->reap_async_query();
+}
+
 /**
  * @addtogroup database
  * @{