diff --git a/Lib/ftplib.py b/Lib/ftplib.py
--- a/Lib/ftplib.py
+++ b/Lib/ftplib.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import socket
+import select
 from socket import _GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
 
 __all__ = ["FTP","Netrc"]
@@ -455,7 +456,8 @@
                 callback(line)
         return self.voidresp()
 
-    def storbinary(self, cmd, fp, blocksize=8192, callback=None, rest=None):
+    def storbinary(self, cmd, fp, blocksize=8192, callback=None, rest=None,
+                         use_sendfile=False):
         """Store a file in binary mode.  A new port is created for you.
 
         Args:
@@ -472,11 +474,25 @@
         """
         self.voidcmd('TYPE I')
         with self.transfercmd(cmd, rest) as conn:
-            while 1:
-                buf = fp.read(blocksize)
-                if not buf: break
-                conn.sendall(buf)
-                if callback: callback(buf)
+            if use_sendfile:
+                if callback:
+                    raise ValueError("can't use callback arg with sendfile")
+                offset = 0
+                sockno = conn.fileno()
+                fileno = fp.fileno()
+                while 1:
+                    # block until socket is writable
+                    select.select([], [sockno], [])
+                    sent = os.sendfile(sockno, fileno, offset, blocksize)
+                    if sent == 0:
+                        break
+                    offset += sent
+            else:
+                while 1:
+                    buf = fp.read(blocksize)
+                    if not buf: break
+                    conn.sendall(buf)
+                    if callback: callback(buf)
         return self.voidresp()
 
     def storlines(self, cmd, fp, callback=None):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_ftplib.py b/Lib/test/test_ftplib.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_ftplib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_ftplib.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import errno
 import os
 import time
+import unittest
 try:
     import ssl
 except ImportError:
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
 
 from unittest import TestCase
 from test import support
-from test.support import HOST
+from test.support import HOST, TESTFN
 threading = support.import_module('threading')
 
 # the dummy data returned by server over the data channel when
@@ -577,6 +578,17 @@
             self.client.storbinary('stor', f, rest=r)
             self.assertEqual(self.server.handler_instance.rest, str(r))
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(os, 'sendfile'), 'os.sendfile() not available')
+    def test_storbinary_sendfile(self):
+        with open(TESTFN, 'wb+') as f:
+            test_data = 'abcde12345\r\n' * 100000
+            f.write(test_data.encode('ascii'))
+            f = open(TESTFN, 'rb')
+            f.seek(0)
+            self.client.storbinary('stor', f, use_sendfile=1)
+            self.assertEqual(self.server.handler_instance.last_received_data,
+                             test_data)
+
     def test_storlines(self):
         f = io.BytesIO(RETR_DATA.replace('\r\n', '\n').encode('ascii'))
         self.client.storlines('stor', f)
@@ -802,6 +814,9 @@
         self.client.auth()
         self.client.prot_p()
 
+    def test_storbinary_sendfile(self):
+        pass
+
 
 class TestTLS_FTPClass(TestCase):
     """Specific TLS_FTP class tests."""
@@ -995,6 +1010,7 @@
         support.run_unittest(*tests)
     finally:
         support.threading_cleanup(*thread_info)
+        support.unlink(TESTFN)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':