diff --git a/include/types/global.h b/include/types/global.h
index 503d8f988..009814bcb 100644
--- a/include/types/global.h
+++ b/include/types/global.h
@@ -222,6 +222,8 @@ extern volatile unsigned long sleeping_thread_mask;
 extern struct list proc_list; /* list of process in mworker mode */
 extern struct mworker_proc *proc_self; /* process structure of current process */
 extern int master; /* 1 if in master, 0 otherwise */
+extern unsigned int rlim_fd_cur_at_boot;
+extern unsigned int rlim_fd_max_at_boot;
 
 /* bit values to go with "warned" above */
 #define WARN_BLOCK_DEPRECATED       0x00000001
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 59da1fda6..62263e482 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -220,6 +220,8 @@ static char **next_argv = NULL;
 struct list proc_list = LIST_HEAD_INIT(proc_list);
 
 int master = 0; /* 1 if in master, 0 if in child */
+unsigned int rlim_fd_cur_at_boot = 0;
+unsigned int rlim_fd_max_at_boot = 0;
 
 struct mworker_proc *proc_self = NULL;
 
@@ -2748,6 +2750,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
+	/* take a copy of initial limits before we possibly change them */
+	getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &limit);
+	rlim_fd_cur_at_boot = limit.rlim_cur;
+	rlim_fd_max_at_boot = limit.rlim_max;
+
 	/* process all initcalls in order of potential dependency */
 	RUN_INITCALLS(STG_PREPARE);
 	RUN_INITCALLS(STG_LOCK);