diff --git a/src/Makefile.test.include b/src/Makefile.test.include
index 0d918f082..62944baff 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.test.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.test.include
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ BITCOIN_TESTS =\
   test/claimtrie_tests.cpp \
   test/claimtriecache_tests.cpp \
   test/claimtriebranching_tests.cpp \
+  test/nameclaim_tests.cpp \
   test/netbase_tests.cpp \
   test/pmt_tests.cpp \
   test/policyestimator_tests.cpp \
diff --git a/src/nameclaim.cpp b/src/nameclaim.cpp
index f3d2978d0..417341540 100644
--- a/src/nameclaim.cpp
+++ b/src/nameclaim.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+#include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 #include "nameclaim.h"
 #include "hash.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
+
 std::vector<unsigned char> uint32_t_to_vch(uint32_t n)
 {
     std::vector<unsigned char> vchN;
@@ -173,3 +175,27 @@ size_t ClaimNameSize(const CScript& scriptIn)
         return vvchParams[0].size();
     }
 }
+
+CAmount CalcMinClaimTrieFee(const CTransaction& tx, const CAmount &minFeePerNameClaimChar)
+{
+    if (minFeePerNameClaimChar == 0)
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    CAmount min_fee = 0;
+    BOOST_FOREACH(const CTxOut& txout, tx.vout)
+    {
+        int op;
+        std::vector<std::vector<unsigned char> > vvchParams;
+        if (DecodeClaimScript(txout.scriptPubKey, op, vvchParams))
+        {
+            if (op == OP_CLAIM_NAME)
+            {
+                int claim_name_size = vvchParams[0].size();
+                min_fee += claim_name_size*minFeePerNameClaimChar;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return min_fee;
+}
diff --git a/src/nameclaim.h b/src/nameclaim.h
index 6821af470..0d9ff2775 100644
--- a/src/nameclaim.h
+++ b/src/nameclaim.h
@@ -1,22 +1,33 @@
 #ifndef BITCOIN_NAMECLAIM_H
 #define BITCOIN_NAMECLAIM_H
 
+#include "amount.h"
 #include "script/script.h"
+#include "primitives/transaction.h"
 #include "uint256.h"
 
 #include <vector>
 
+// This is the minimum claim fee per character in the name of an OP_CLAIM_NAME command that must
+// be attached to transactions for it to be accepted into the memory pool.
+// Rationale: current implementation of the claim trie uses more memory for longer name claims
+// due to the fact that each chracater is assigned a trie node regardless of whether it contains
+// any claims or not. In the future, we can switch to a radix tree implementation where
+// empty nodes do not take up any memory and the minimum fee can be priced on a per claim
+// basis.
+#define MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR 200000
+
 // This is the max claim script size in bytes, not including the script pubkey part of the script.
 // Scripts exceeding this size are rejected in CheckTransaction in main.cpp
 #define MAX_CLAIM_SCRIPT_SIZE 8192
 
-// This is the max claim name size in bytes, for all claim trie transactions. 
+// This is the max claim name size in bytes, for all claim trie transactions.
 // Scripts exceeding this size are rejected in CheckTransaction in main.cpp
 #define MAX_CLAIM_NAME_SIZE 255
 
 CScript ClaimNameScript(std::string name, std::string value);
 CScript SupportClaimScript(std::string name, uint160 claimId);
-CScript UpdateClaimScript(std::string name, uint160 claimId, std::string value); 
+CScript UpdateClaimScript(std::string name, uint160 claimId, std::string value);
 bool DecodeClaimScript(const CScript& scriptIn, int& op, std::vector<std::vector<unsigned char> >& vvchParams);
 bool DecodeClaimScript(const CScript& scriptIn, int& op, std::vector<std::vector<unsigned char> >& vvchParams, CScript::const_iterator& pc);
 CScript StripClaimScriptPrefix(const CScript& scriptIn);
@@ -24,10 +35,11 @@ CScript StripClaimScriptPrefix(const CScript& scriptIn, int& op);
 uint160 ClaimIdHash(const uint256& txhash, uint32_t nOut);
 std::vector<unsigned char> uint32_t_to_vch(uint32_t n);
 uint32_t vch_to_uint32_t(std::vector<unsigned char>& vchN);
-// get size of the claim script, minus the script pubkey part 
+// get size of the claim script, minus the script pubkey part
 size_t ClaimScriptSize(const CScript& scriptIn);
-// get size of the name in a claim script, returns 0 if scriptin is not a claimetrie transaction 
-size_t ClaimNameSize(const CScript& scriptIn); 
-
+// get size of the name in a claim script, returns 0 if scriptin is not a claimetrie transaction
+size_t ClaimNameSize(const CScript& scriptIn);
+// calculate the minimum fee (mempool rule) required for transaction
+CAmount CalcMinClaimTrieFee(const CTransaction& tx, const CAmount &minFeePerNameClaimChar);
 
 #endif // BITCOIN_NAMECLAIM_H
diff --git a/src/test/nameclaim_tests.cpp b/src/test/nameclaim_tests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92735ae14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/nameclaim_tests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include "nameclaim.h"
+#include "primitives/transaction.h"
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
+#include "test/test_bitcoin.h"
+
+//BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_SUITE(nameclaim_tests, BasicTestingSetup)
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(calc_min_claimtrie_fee)
+{
+
+    CMutableTransaction tx;
+    tx.vout.resize(1);
+    tx.vout[0].scriptPubKey = ClaimNameScript("A","test");
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(CalcMinClaimTrieFee(tx, MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR), MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR);
+
+    // check that fee is adjusted based on name length
+    CMutableTransaction tx2;
+    tx2.vout.resize(1);
+    tx2.vout[0].scriptPubKey = ClaimNameScript("ABCDE","test");
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(CalcMinClaimTrieFee(tx2,MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR), MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR*5);
+
+    // check that multiple OP_CLAIM_NAME outputs are counted
+    CMutableTransaction tx3;
+    tx3.vout.resize(2);
+    tx3.vout[0].scriptPubKey = ClaimNameScript("A","test");
+    tx3.vout[1].scriptPubKey = ClaimNameScript("AB","test");
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(CalcMinClaimTrieFee(tx3,MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR), MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR*3);
+
+    // if tx has no claim minimum fee is 0
+    CMutableTransaction tx4;
+    tx4.vout.resize(1);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(CalcMinClaimTrieFee(tx4,MIN_FEE_PER_NAMECLAIM_CHAR), 0);
+
+}
+
+
+
+//BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()