diff --git a/src/api/api_lib.c b/src/api/api_lib.c
index ea6a57fa..9b8236c9 100644
--- a/src/api/api_lib.c
+++ b/src/api/api_lib.c
@@ -558,6 +558,32 @@ netconn_recv_data(struct netconn *conn, void **new_buf, u8_t apiflags)
   return ERR_OK;
 }
 
+static err_t
+netconn_tcp_recvd_msg(struct netconn *conn, u16_t len, struct api_msg* msg)
+{
+  LWIP_ERROR("netconn_recv_tcp_pbuf: invalid conn", (conn != NULL) &&
+             NETCONNTYPE_GROUP(netconn_type(conn)) == NETCONN_TCP, return ERR_ARG;);
+
+  msg->conn = conn;
+  msg->msg.r.len = len;
+
+  return netconn_apimsg(lwip_netconn_do_recv, msg);
+}
+
+err_t
+netconn_tcp_recvd(struct netconn *conn, u16_t len)
+{
+  err_t err;
+  API_MSG_VAR_DECLARE(msg);
+  LWIP_ERROR("netconn_recv_tcp_pbuf: invalid conn", (conn != NULL) &&
+             NETCONNTYPE_GROUP(netconn_type(conn)) == NETCONN_TCP, return ERR_ARG;);
+
+  API_MSG_VAR_ALLOC(msg);
+  err = netconn_tcp_recvd_msg(conn, len, &API_VAR_REF(msg));
+  API_MSG_VAR_FREE(msg);
+  return err;
+}
+
 #if LWIP_TCP
 static err_t
 netconn_recv_data_tcp(struct netconn *conn, struct pbuf **new_buf, u8_t apiflags)
@@ -576,23 +602,28 @@ netconn_recv_data_tcp(struct netconn *conn, struct pbuf **new_buf, u8_t apiflags
     return sys_mbox_valid(&conn->acceptmbox) ? ERR_CONN : ERR_CLSD;
   }
 
-  /* need to allocate API message here so empty message pool does not result in event loss
-    * see bug #47512: MPU_COMPATIBLE may fail on empty pool */
-  API_MSG_VAR_ALLOC(msg);
+  if (!(apiflags & NETCONN_NOAUTORCVD)) {
+    /* need to allocate API message here so empty message pool does not result in event loss
+      * see bug #47512: MPU_COMPATIBLE may fail on empty pool */
+    API_MSG_VAR_ALLOC(msg);
+  }
 
   err = netconn_recv_data(conn, (void **)new_buf, apiflags);
   if (err != ERR_OK) {
-    API_MSG_VAR_FREE(msg);
+    if (!(apiflags & NETCONN_NOAUTORCVD)) {
+      API_MSG_VAR_FREE(msg);
+    }
     return err;
   }
   buf = *new_buf;
-  /* Let the stack know that we have taken the data. */
-  API_VAR_REF(msg).conn = conn;
-  API_VAR_REF(msg).msg.r.len = buf ? buf->tot_len : 1;
-  /* don't care for the return value of lwip_netconn_do_recv */
-  /* @todo: this should really be fixed, e.g. by retrying in poll on error */
-  netconn_apimsg(lwip_netconn_do_recv, &API_VAR_REF(msg));
-  API_MSG_VAR_FREE(msg);
+  if (!(apiflags & NETCONN_NOAUTORCVD)) {
+    /* Let the stack know that we have taken the data. */
+    u16_t len = buf ? buf->tot_len : 1;
+    /* don't care for the return value of lwip_netconn_do_recv */
+    /* @todo: this should really be fixed, e.g. by retrying in poll on error */
+    netconn_tcp_recvd_msg(conn, len,  &API_VAR_REF(msg));
+    API_MSG_VAR_FREE(msg);
+  }
 
   /* If we are closed, we indicate that we no longer wish to use the socket */
   if (buf == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/api.h b/src/include/lwip/api.h
index 748efb04..333db681 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/api.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/api.h
@@ -58,11 +58,12 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 
 /* Flags for netconn_write (u8_t) */
-#define NETCONN_NOFLAG    0x00
-#define NETCONN_NOCOPY    0x00 /* Only for source code compatibility */
-#define NETCONN_COPY      0x01
-#define NETCONN_MORE      0x02
-#define NETCONN_DONTBLOCK 0x04
+#define NETCONN_NOFLAG      0x00
+#define NETCONN_NOCOPY      0x00 /* Only for source code compatibility */
+#define NETCONN_COPY        0x01
+#define NETCONN_MORE        0x02
+#define NETCONN_DONTBLOCK   0x04
+#define NETCONN_NOAUTORCVD  0x08 /* prevent netconn_recv_data_tcp() from updating the tcp window - must be done manually via netconn_tcp_recvd() */
 
 /* Flags for struct netconn.flags (u8_t) */
 /** Should this netconn avoid blocking? */
@@ -319,6 +320,7 @@ err_t   netconn_recv_udp_raw_netbuf(struct netconn *conn, struct netbuf **new_bu
 err_t   netconn_recv_udp_raw_netbuf_flags(struct netconn *conn, struct netbuf **new_buf, u8_t apiflags);
 err_t   netconn_recv_tcp_pbuf(struct netconn *conn, struct pbuf **new_buf);
 err_t   netconn_recv_tcp_pbuf_flags(struct netconn *conn, struct pbuf **new_buf, u8_t apiflags);
+err_t   netconn_tcp_recvd(struct netconn *conn, u16_t len);
 err_t   netconn_sendto(struct netconn *conn, struct netbuf *buf,
                              const ip_addr_t *addr, u16_t port);
 err_t   netconn_send(struct netconn *conn, struct netbuf *buf);