diff --git a/src/listener.c b/src/listener.c
index 7af9adc9b..22e386e3a 100644
--- a/src/listener.c
+++ b/src/listener.c
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ void listener_accept(int fd)
 {
 	struct listener *l = fdtab[fd].owner;
 	struct proxy *p = l->frontend;
-	int max_accept = l->maxaccept;
+	int max_accept = l->maxaccept ? l->maxaccept : 1;
 	int cfd;
 	int ret;