diff --git a/include/types/global.h b/include/types/global.h
index 38b194c2d..8c2893095 100644
--- a/include/types/global.h
+++ b/include/types/global.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ struct global {
 	int gid;
 	int nbproc;
 	int maxconn;
+	int maxpipes;		/* max # of pipes */
 	int maxsock;		/* max # of sockets */
 	int rlimit_nofile;	/* default ulimit-n value : 0=unset */
 	int rlimit_memmax;	/* default ulimit-d in megs value : 0=unset */
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ extern char *progname;          /* program name */
 extern int  pid;                /* current process id */
 extern int  relative_pid;       /* process id starting at 1 */
 extern int  actconn;            /* # of active sessions */
+extern int  usedpipes;          /* # of used pipes */
 extern int listeners;
 extern char trash[BUFSIZE];
 extern const int zero;
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index d41edf7d8..caf259ba3 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -399,6 +399,17 @@ int cfg_parse_global(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int inv)
 		}
 #endif /* SYSTEM_MAXCONN */
 	}
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "maxpipes")) {
+		if (global.maxpipes != 0) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' already specified. Continuing.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (*(args[1]) == 0) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' expects an integer argument.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
+			return -1;
+		}
+		global.maxpipes = atol(args[1]);
+	}
 	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "ulimit-n")) {
 		if (global.rlimit_nofile != 0) {
 			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' already specified. Continuing.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
diff --git a/src/fd.c b/src/fd.c
index 0ee6a723e..c0fb71287 100644
--- a/src/fd.c
+++ b/src/fd.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ struct fdtab *fdtab = NULL;     /* array of all the file descriptors */
 int maxfd;                      /* # of the highest fd + 1 */
 int totalconn;                  /* total # of terminated sessions */
 int actconn;                    /* # of active sessions */
+int usedpipes;                  /* # of pipes in use (2 fds each) */
 
 int cfg_polling_mechanism = 0;  /* POLL_USE_{SELECT|POLL|EPOLL} */
 
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 48b76ba67..d6c18f951 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ void init(int argc, char **argv)
 	 * Initialize the previously static variables.
 	 */
     
-	totalconn = actconn = maxfd = listeners = stopping = 0;
+	usedpipes = totalconn = actconn = maxfd = listeners = stopping = 0;
     
 
 #ifdef HAPROXY_MEMMAX
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ void init(int argc, char **argv)
 		global.maxconn = DEFAULT_MAXCONN;
 
 	global.maxsock += global.maxconn * 2; /* each connection needs two sockets */
+	global.maxsock += global.maxpipes * 2; /* each pipe needs two FDs */
 
 	if (global.tune.maxpollevents <= 0)
 		global.tune.maxpollevents = MAX_POLL_EVENTS;