diff --git a/servers/slapd/daemon.c b/servers/slapd/daemon.c
index ce75795f47a06080e8ca87719d68a72e28d77f33..decb92978cacefe20e5319ac5bf0233232ab986a 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/daemon.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/daemon.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include "slap.h"
 #include "ldap_pvt_thread.h"
+#include "lber_types.h"
 #include "lutil.h"
 
 #include "ldap_rq.h"
@@ -1830,7 +1831,7 @@ static int sockdestroy(void);
 static int daemon_inited = 0;
 
 int
-slapd_daemon_init( const char *urls )
+slapd_daemon_init( const char *urls, ber_socket_t maxConns )
 {
 	int i, j, n, rc;
 	char **u;
@@ -1863,6 +1864,10 @@ slapd_daemon_init( const char *urls )
 	dtblsize = FD_SETSIZE;
 #endif /* ! HAVE_SYSCONF && ! HAVE_GETDTABLESIZE */
 
+	if (maxConns > 0 && dtblsize > maxConns) {
+		dtblsize = maxConns;
+	}
+
 	SETUP_CLOSE();
 
 	/* open a pipe (or something equivalent connected to itself).
diff --git a/servers/slapd/main.c b/servers/slapd/main.c
index 739c32e6d9f44deb5ff45d1e5700d7522c5f232a..b3e191d61a4cfcbc130f1c24f1bcf9abb98b4353 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/main.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/main.c
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ usage( char *name )
 		"\t-d level\tDebug level" "\n"
 		"\t-f filename\tConfiguration file\n"
 		"\t-F dir\tConfiguration directory\n"
+		"\t-x num\tMaximum number of connections\n"
 #if defined(HAVE_SETUID) && defined(HAVE_SETGID)
 		"\t-g group\tGroup (id or name) to run as\n"
 #endif
@@ -358,6 +359,7 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 	int		i, no_detach = 0;
 	int		rc = 1;
 	char *urls = NULL;
+	ber_socket_t maxConns = -1;
 #if defined(HAVE_SETUID) && defined(HAVE_SETGID)
 	char *username = NULL;
 	char *groupname = NULL;
@@ -465,7 +467,7 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 #endif
 
 	while ( (i = getopt( argc, argv,
-			     "c:d:f:F:h:n:o:s:tT:V"
+			     "c:d:f:F:x:h:n:o:s:tT:V"
 #ifdef LDAP_PF_INET6
 				"46"
 #endif
@@ -644,6 +646,10 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 			version++;
 			break;
 
+		case 'x':
+			maxConns = (int) strtol(optarg, NULL, 10);
+			break;
+
 		case 'T':
 			if ( firstopt == 0 ) {
 				fprintf( stderr, "warning: \"-T %s\" "
@@ -744,7 +750,7 @@ unhandled_option:;
 	global_host = ldap_pvt_get_fqdn( NULL );
 	ber_str2bv( global_host, 0, 0, &global_host_bv );
 
-	if( check == CHECK_NONE && slapd_daemon_init( urls ) != 0 ) {
+	if( check == CHECK_NONE && slapd_daemon_init( urls, maxConns ) != 0 ) {
 		rc = 1;
 		SERVICE_EXIT( ERROR_SERVICE_SPECIFIC_ERROR, 16 );
 		goto stop;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
index acedf1659b028a4774d68f858274ea0640ab19fb..e0c6604a15cf44526a95998a6b19bcbddfe83dfc 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #define PROTO_SLAP_H
 
 #include <ldap_cdefs.h>
+#include "lber_types.h"
 #include "ldap_pvt.h"
 
 LDAP_BEGIN_DECL
@@ -877,7 +878,7 @@ LDAP_SLAPD_F (void) slap_queue_csn LDAP_P(( Operation *, struct berval * ));
  * daemon.c
  */
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (void) slapd_add_internal(ber_socket_t s, int isactive);
-LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) slapd_daemon_init( const char *urls );
+LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) slapd_daemon_init( const char *urls, ber_socket_t maxConn );
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) slapd_daemon_resize( int newnum );
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) slapd_daemon_destroy(void);
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) slapd_daemon(void);