diff --git a/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.cc b/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.cc
index 82f75ab741a4689bbbdc7f5d8c33f27d1da26181..d70a661cf365f0e5bd4a5178ccf7e032563a4a5e 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.cc
+++ b/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.cc
@@ -35,11 +35,26 @@ namespace paddle {
 namespace framework {
 
 struct ExecutorPrepareContext {
-  ExecutorPrepareContext(const framework::ProgramDesc& prog, size_t block_id)
-      : prog_(prog), block_id_(block_id) {}
+  ExecutorPrepareContext(const framework::ProgramDesc* prog, size_t block_id,
+                         bool own_program = true)
+      : block_id_(block_id), own_program_(own_program) {
+    if (own_program_) {
+      prog_ = new ProgramDesc(*prog);
+    } else {
+      // If own_program_ is false, we can avoid a clone of the program.
+      prog_ = prog;
+    }
+  }
+
+  ~ExecutorPrepareContext() {
+    if (own_program_) {
+      delete prog_;
+    }
+  }
 
-  framework::ProgramDesc prog_;
+  const framework::ProgramDesc* prog_;
   size_t block_id_;
+  bool own_program_;
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<OperatorBase>> ops_;
 };
 
@@ -94,7 +109,7 @@ static void CheckTensorNANOrInf(const std::string& name,
 
 void Executor::Run(const ProgramDesc& pdesc, Scope* scope, int block_id,
                    bool create_local_scope, bool create_vars) {
-  auto* ctx = Prepare(pdesc, block_id);
+  auto* ctx = Prepare(pdesc, block_id, false);
   RunPreparedContext(ctx, scope, create_local_scope, create_vars);
   delete ctx;
 }
@@ -267,8 +282,8 @@ void Executor::Run(const ProgramDesc& program, Scope* scope,
 }
 
 ExecutorPrepareContext* Executor::Prepare(const ProgramDesc& program,
-                                          int block_id) {
-  auto* ctx = new ExecutorPrepareContext(program, block_id);
+                                          int block_id, bool own_program) {
+  auto* ctx = new ExecutorPrepareContext(&program, block_id, own_program);
   PADDLE_ENFORCE_LT(static_cast<size_t>(block_id), program.Size());
   auto& block = program.Block(block_id);
   for (auto& op_desc : block.AllOps()) {
@@ -279,7 +294,7 @@ ExecutorPrepareContext* Executor::Prepare(const ProgramDesc& program,
 
 void Executor::RunPreparedContext(ExecutorPrepareContext* ctx, Scope* scope,
                                   bool create_local_scope, bool create_vars) {
-  auto& block = ctx->prog_.Block(ctx->block_id_);
+  auto& block = ctx->prog_->Block(ctx->block_id_);
 
   Scope* local_scope = scope;
   if (create_vars) {
diff --git a/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.h b/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.h
index 28ce3315154cea45412984df4daf7385ce2cf572..2be48bd0061ce2d6860bef3eae86ec3ae7a51fcd 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.h
+++ b/paddle/fluid/framework/executor.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class Executor {
            const std::string& fetch_holder_name = "fetch");
 
   static ExecutorPrepareContext* Prepare(const ProgramDesc& program,
-                                         int block_id);
+                                         int block_id, bool own_program = true);
 
   void RunPreparedContext(ExecutorPrepareContext* ctx, Scope* scope,
                           bool create_local_scope = true,