diff --git modules/node/node.module modules/node/node.module
index e601f22..bbbff33 100644
--- modules/node/node.module
+++ modules/node/node.module
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ define('NODE_BUILD_RSS', 4);
 define('NODE_BUILD_PRINT', 5);
 
 /**
+ * Maximum number of nodes to retain in the node_load static cache
+ */
+define('NODE_LOAD_MAX_CACHE', 20);
+
+/**
  * Implementation of hook_help().
  */
 function node_help($path, $arg) {
@@ -923,10 +928,24 @@ function node_load_multiple($nids = array(), $conditions = array(), $reset = FAL
       $function = $module . '_nodeapi_load';
       $function($queried_nodes, array_keys($typed_nodes));
     }
-    $nodes += $queried_nodes;
+
+    // Add the current nodes that came from the cache to the end of the
+    // nodes so they will get purged after the newly loaded nodes.
+    $nodes+= $queried_nodes;
     // Add nodes to the cache if we're not loading a revision.
     if (!$vid) {
-      $node_cache += $queried_nodes;
+      $node_cache = $nodes + $node_cache;
+      
+      // check if the cache is greater than the max cache size and purge
+      // the nodes at the bottom of the array as they are the least used.
+      if (count($node_cache) > NODE_LOAD_MAX_CACHE) {
+        // TODO: These messages need to be removed before this is committed.
+        drupal_set_message(format_plural(count($node_cache)-NODE_LOAD_MAX_CACHE, 'Purge @count node from static cache', 'Purge @count nodes from static cache'), 'warning');
+        $node_chunks = array_chunk($node_cache, NODE_LOAD_MAX_CACHE, TRUE);
+        $node_cache = $node_chunks[0]; 
+
+        drupal_set_message(format_plural(count($node_cache), '@count node remaining in static cache', '@count nodes remaining static cache'), 'warning');
+      }
     }
   }