diff --git a/redis.conf b/redis.conf
index 14fb7f8b4..4da7b1696 100644
--- a/redis.conf
+++ b/redis.conf
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ pidfile /var/run/redis.pid
 # If port 0 is specified Redis will not listen on a TCP socket.
 port 6379
 
+# TCP listen() backlog
+backlog 511
+
 # By default Redis listens for connections from all the network interfaces
 # available on the server. It is possible to listen to just one or multiple
 # interfaces using the "bind" configuration directive, followed by one or
diff --git a/src/anet.c b/src/anet.c
index fc585c8d1..2851318e2 100644
--- a/src/anet.c
+++ b/src/anet.c
@@ -361,17 +361,14 @@ int anetWrite(int fd, char *buf, int count)
     return totlen;
 }
 
-static int anetListen(char *err, int s, struct sockaddr *sa, socklen_t len) {
+static int anetListen(char *err, int s, struct sockaddr *sa, socklen_t len, int backlog) {
     if (bind(s,sa,len) == -1) {
         anetSetError(err, "bind: %s", strerror(errno));
         close(s);
         return ANET_ERR;
     }
 
-    /* Use a backlog of 512 entries. We pass 511 to the listen() call because
-     * the kernel does: backlogsize = roundup_pow_of_two(backlogsize + 1);
-     * which will thus give us a backlog of 512 entries */
-    if (listen(s, 511) == -1) {
+    if (listen(s, backlog) == -1) {
         anetSetError(err, "listen: %s", strerror(errno));
         close(s);
         return ANET_ERR;
@@ -389,7 +386,7 @@ static int anetV6Only(char *err, int s) {
     return ANET_OK;
 }
 
-static int _anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int af)
+static int _anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int af, int backlog)
 {
     int s, rv;
     char _port[6];  /* strlen("65535") */
@@ -411,7 +408,7 @@ static int _anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int af)
 
         if (af == AF_INET6 && anetV6Only(err,s) == ANET_ERR) goto error;
         if (anetSetReuseAddr(err,s) == ANET_ERR) goto error;
-        if (anetListen(err,s,p->ai_addr,p->ai_addrlen) == ANET_ERR) goto error;
+        if (anetListen(err,s,p->ai_addr,p->ai_addrlen,backlog) == ANET_ERR) goto error;
         goto end;
     }
     if (p == NULL) {
@@ -426,17 +423,17 @@ end:
     return s;
 }
 
-int anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr)
+int anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int backlog)
 {
-    return _anetTcpServer(err, port, bindaddr, AF_INET);
+    return _anetTcpServer(err, port, bindaddr, AF_INET, backlog);
 }
 
-int anetTcp6Server(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr)
+int anetTcp6Server(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int backlog)
 {
-    return _anetTcpServer(err, port, bindaddr, AF_INET6);
+    return _anetTcpServer(err, port, bindaddr, AF_INET6, backlog);
 }
 
-int anetUnixServer(char *err, char *path, mode_t perm)
+int anetUnixServer(char *err, char *path, mode_t perm, int backlog)
 {
     int s;
     struct sockaddr_un sa;
@@ -447,7 +444,7 @@ int anetUnixServer(char *err, char *path, mode_t perm)
     memset(&sa,0,sizeof(sa));
     sa.sun_family = AF_LOCAL;
     strncpy(sa.sun_path,path,sizeof(sa.sun_path)-1);
-    if (anetListen(err,s,(struct sockaddr*)&sa,sizeof(sa)) == ANET_ERR)
+    if (anetListen(err,s,(struct sockaddr*)&sa,sizeof(sa),backlog) == ANET_ERR)
         return ANET_ERR;
     if (perm)
         chmod(sa.sun_path, perm);
diff --git a/src/anet.h b/src/anet.h
index 2ab9398ad..3f893be2d 100644
--- a/src/anet.h
+++ b/src/anet.h
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ int anetUnixNonBlockConnect(char *err, char *path);
 int anetRead(int fd, char *buf, int count);
 int anetResolve(char *err, char *host, char *ipbuf, size_t ipbuf_len);
 int anetResolveIP(char *err, char *host, char *ipbuf, size_t ipbuf_len);
-int anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr);
-int anetTcp6Server(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr);
-int anetUnixServer(char *err, char *path, mode_t perm);
+int anetTcpServer(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int backlog);
+int anetTcp6Server(char *err, int port, char *bindaddr, int backlog);
+int anetUnixServer(char *err, char *path, mode_t perm, int backlog);
 int anetTcpAccept(char *err, int serversock, char *ip, size_t ip_len, int *port);
 int anetUnixAccept(char *err, int serversock);
 int anetWrite(int fd, char *buf, int count);
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index feef8afc9..6067a63fe 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@ void loadServerConfigFromString(char *config) {
             if (server.port < 0 || server.port > 65535) {
                 err = "Invalid port"; goto loaderr;
             }
+        } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"backlog") && argc == 2) {
+            server.backlog = atoi(argv[1]);
+            if (server.backlog < 0) {
+                err = "Invalid backlog value"; goto loaderr;
+            }
         } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"bind") && argc >= 2) {
             int j, addresses = argc-1;
 
@@ -975,6 +980,7 @@ void configGetCommand(redisClient *c) {
     config_get_numerical_field("slowlog-max-len",
             server.slowlog_max_len);
     config_get_numerical_field("port",server.port);
+    config_get_numerical_field("backlog",server.backlog);
     config_get_numerical_field("databases",server.dbnum);
     config_get_numerical_field("repl-ping-slave-period",server.repl_ping_slave_period);
     config_get_numerical_field("repl-timeout",server.repl_timeout);
@@ -1695,6 +1701,7 @@ int rewriteConfig(char *path) {
     rewriteConfigYesNoOption(state,"daemonize",server.daemonize,0);
     rewriteConfigStringOption(state,"pidfile",server.pidfile,REDIS_DEFAULT_PID_FILE);
     rewriteConfigNumericalOption(state,"port",server.port,REDIS_SERVERPORT);
+    rewriteConfigNumericalOption(state,"backlog",server.backlog,REDIS_BACKLOG);
     rewriteConfigBindOption(state);
     rewriteConfigStringOption(state,"unixsocket",server.unixsocket,NULL);
     rewriteConfigOctalOption(state,"unixsocketperm",server.unixsocketperm,REDIS_DEFAULT_UNIX_SOCKET_PERM);
diff --git a/src/redis.c b/src/redis.c
index ac8072424..80b80dd16 100644
--- a/src/redis.c
+++ b/src/redis.c
@@ -1332,6 +1332,7 @@ void initServerConfig() {
     server.runid[REDIS_RUN_ID_SIZE] = '\0';
     server.arch_bits = (sizeof(long) == 8) ? 64 : 32;
     server.port = REDIS_SERVERPORT;
+    server.backlog = REDIS_BACKLOG;
     server.bindaddr_count = 0;
     server.unixsocket = NULL;
     server.unixsocketperm = REDIS_DEFAULT_UNIX_SOCKET_PERM;
@@ -1540,9 +1541,9 @@ int listenToPort(int port, int *fds, int *count) {
         if (server.bindaddr[j] == NULL) {
             /* Bind * for both IPv6 and IPv4, we enter here only if
              * server.bindaddr_count == 0. */
-            fds[*count] = anetTcp6Server(server.neterr,port,NULL);
+            fds[*count] = anetTcp6Server(server.neterr,port,NULL, server.backlog);
             if (fds[*count] != ANET_ERR) (*count)++;
-            fds[*count] = anetTcpServer(server.neterr,port,NULL);
+            fds[*count] = anetTcpServer(server.neterr,port,NULL, server.backlog);
             if (fds[*count] != ANET_ERR) (*count)++;
             /* Exit the loop if we were able to bind * on IPv4 or IPv6,
              * otherwise fds[*count] will be ANET_ERR and we'll print an
@@ -1550,10 +1551,10 @@ int listenToPort(int port, int *fds, int *count) {
             if (*count) break;
         } else if (strchr(server.bindaddr[j],':')) {
             /* Bind IPv6 address. */
-            fds[*count] = anetTcp6Server(server.neterr,port,server.bindaddr[j]);
+            fds[*count] = anetTcp6Server(server.neterr,port,server.bindaddr[j], server.backlog);
         } else {
             /* Bind IPv4 address. */
-            fds[*count] = anetTcpServer(server.neterr,port,server.bindaddr[j]);
+            fds[*count] = anetTcpServer(server.neterr,port,server.bindaddr[j], server.backlog);
         }
         if (fds[*count] == ANET_ERR) {
             redisLog(REDIS_WARNING,
@@ -1603,7 +1604,7 @@ void initServer() {
     /* Open the listening Unix domain socket. */
     if (server.unixsocket != NULL) {
         unlink(server.unixsocket); /* don't care if this fails */
-        server.sofd = anetUnixServer(server.neterr,server.unixsocket,server.unixsocketperm);
+        server.sofd = anetUnixServer(server.neterr,server.unixsocket,server.unixsocketperm, server.backlog);
         if (server.sofd == ANET_ERR) {
             redisLog(REDIS_WARNING, "Opening socket: %s", server.neterr);
             exit(1);
diff --git a/src/redis.h b/src/redis.h
index b0a3fea5c..fe9c85c67 100644
--- a/src/redis.h
+++ b/src/redis.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 #define REDIS_MIN_HZ            1
 #define REDIS_MAX_HZ            500 
 #define REDIS_SERVERPORT        6379    /* TCP port */
+#define REDIS_BACKLOG           511     /* TCP listen backlog */
 #define REDIS_MAXIDLETIME       0       /* default client timeout: infinite */
 #define REDIS_DEFAULT_DBNUM     16
 #define REDIS_CONFIGLINE_MAX    1024
@@ -608,6 +609,7 @@ struct redisServer {
     int sentinel_mode;          /* True if this instance is a Sentinel. */
     /* Networking */
     int port;                   /* TCP listening port */
+    int backlog;                /* TCP listen backlog */
     char *bindaddr[REDIS_BINDADDR_MAX]; /* Addresses we should bind to */
     int bindaddr_count;         /* Number of addresses in server.bindaddr[] */
     char *unixsocket;           /* UNIX socket path */