diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py b/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py
index 19822e410c71aa993e2d90a92c57c3522023ad81..db556913384785e1f11ba05dcc524ef1f1de92ab 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/layer_helper.py
@@ -147,8 +147,10 @@ class LayerHelper(LayerHelperBase):
 
         if 'use_cudnn' in self.kwargs and self.kwargs.get('use_cudnn'):
             act['use_cudnn'] = self.kwargs.get('use_cudnn')
-        if 'use_mkldnn' in self.kwargs:
-            act['use_mkldnn'] = self.kwargs.get('use_mkldnn')
+        use_mkldnn = self.kwargs.get(
+            'use_mkldnn', core.globals().get("FLAGS_use_mkldnn", False))
+        if use_mkldnn:
+            act['use_mkldnn'] = use_mkldnn
         act_type = act.pop('type')
 
         tmp = self.create_variable_for_type_inference(dtype=input_var.dtype)
diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_mnist.py b/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_mnist.py
index 1ef3bd1bf150056816283c83fa3ff6af1e589732..bd600d2f2dbd6341ff7a83d6636047d01cae7859 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_mnist.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_mnist.py
@@ -154,6 +154,18 @@ class TestMNISTWithToStatic(TestMNIST):
             msg='dygraph is {}\n static_res is \n{}'.format(dygraph_loss,
                                                             static_loss))
 
+    def test_mnist_declarative_cpu_vs_mkldnn(self):
+        dygraph_loss_cpu = self.train_dygraph()
+        fluid.set_flags({'FLAGS_use_mkldnn': True})
+        try:
+            dygraph_loss_mkldnn = self.train_dygraph()
+        finally:
+            fluid.set_flags({'FLAGS_use_mkldnn': False})
+        self.assertTrue(
+            np.allclose(dygraph_loss_cpu, dygraph_loss_mkldnn),
+            msg='cpu dygraph is {}\n mkldnn dygraph is \n{}'.format(
+                dygraph_loss_cpu, dygraph_loss_mkldnn))
+
     def train(self, to_static=False):
         prog_trans = ProgramTranslator()
         prog_trans.enable(to_static)
diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_resnet.py b/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_resnet.py
index 6556b2f03bd5304e290792d07d1d969ab255bfdc..203c8ddb3488c0fef9a0a590378505e5b61233cf 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_resnet.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/tests/unittests/dygraph_to_static/test_resnet.py
@@ -346,6 +346,13 @@ class TestResnet(unittest.TestCase):
                                                              dygraph_loss))
         self.verify_predict()
 
+    def test_in_static_mode_mkldnn(self):
+        fluid.set_flags({'FLAGS_use_mkldnn': True})
+        try:
+            train(to_static=True)
+        finally:
+            fluid.set_flags({'FLAGS_use_mkldnn': False})
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()