diff --git a/pandas/core/arrays/_mask.py b/pandas/core/arrays/_mask.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7b908f519be95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pandas/core/arrays/_mask.py
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import numpy as np
+
+
+class NAMask():
+    """Generic class which can be used to represent missing data.
+
+    Will use bitarray if available; otherwise will use numpy."""
+
+    def __init__(self, mask):
+        """
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        mask : numpy array
+            Mask of missing values.
+        """
+
+        self._has_bitarray = False
+        try:
+            import bitarray
+            globals()['bitarray'] = bitarray
+            self._has_bitarray = True
+            self._data = self._numpy_to_bitarray(mask)
+        except (ImportError, ModuleNotFoundError):
+            self._data = mask.astype(bool, copy=False)
+
+    def _numpy_to_bitarray(self, arr):
+        bit_arr = bitarray()
+        bit_arr.pack(arr.astype(bool, copy=False))
+
+    def _bitarray_to_numpy(self, arr):
+        return np.fromstring(arr.unpack(), dtype=bool)
+
+    def __getitem__(self, item):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data[item]
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, value):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        self._data[key] = value
+
+    def __array__(self):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        for i in range(len(self._data)):
+            yield self._data[i]
+
+    def __invert__(self):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return type(self)(~self._data)
+
+    def __or__(self, other):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data.__or__(other)
+
+    def __ior__(self, other):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data | other
+
+    @property
+    def nbytes(self):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            return self._data.buffer_info()[1]
+
+        return self._data.nbytes
+
+    @property
+    def size(self):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data.size        
+
+    def astype(self, dtype, copy=False):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data.astype(dtype, copy=copy)
+
+    def any(self):
+        return self._data.any()
+
+    def copy(self):
+        return type(self)(self._data.copy())
+
+    def sum(self):
+        if self._has_bitarray:
+            raise NotImplementedError
+
+        return self._data.sum()
diff --git a/pandas/core/arrays/integer.py b/pandas/core/arrays/integer.py
index af2c05bbee7c2..1daf96ab45489 100644
--- a/pandas/core/arrays/integer.py
+++ b/pandas/core/arrays/integer.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 from pandas.core import nanops
 from pandas.core.arrays import ExtensionArray, ExtensionOpsMixin
+from pandas.core.arrays._mask import NAMask
 from pandas.core.tools.numeric import to_numeric
 
 
@@ -247,7 +248,8 @@ def __init__(self, values, mask, copy=False):
                 and is_integer_dtype(values.dtype)):
             raise TypeError("values should be integer numpy array. Use "
                             "the 'integer_array' function instead")
-        if not (isinstance(mask, np.ndarray) and is_bool_dtype(mask.dtype)):
+        if not (isinstance(mask, NAMask) or (
+                isinstance(mask, np.ndarray) and is_bool_dtype(mask.dtype))):
             raise TypeError("mask should be boolean numpy array. Use "
                             "the 'integer_array' function instead")
 
@@ -256,7 +258,7 @@ def __init__(self, values, mask, copy=False):
             mask = mask.copy()
 
         self._data = values
-        self._mask = mask
+        self._mask = NAMask(mask)
 
     @classmethod
     def _from_sequence(cls, scalars, dtype=None, copy=False):
@@ -283,6 +285,7 @@ def __getitem__(self, item):
             if self._mask[item]:
                 return self.dtype.na_value
             return self._data[item]
+
         return type(self)(self._data[item], self._mask[item])
 
     def _coerce_to_ndarray(self):