diff --git a/src/libvirt_remote.syms b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
index b4265adf2e..942e1013a6 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_remote.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ virNetServerServiceNewTCP;
 virNetServerServiceNewUNIX;
 virNetServerServicePreExecRestart;
 virNetServerServiceSetDispatcher;
+virNetServerServiceTimerActive;
 virNetServerServiceToggle;
 
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
index b3214883ee..dc8f32b095 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
@@ -252,6 +252,15 @@ virNetServerDispatchNewMessage(virNetServerClient *client,
 static void
 virNetServerCheckLimits(virNetServer *srv)
 {
+    size_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < srv->nservices; i++) {
+        if (virNetServerServiceTimerActive(srv->services[i])) {
+            VIR_DEBUG("Skipping client-related limits evaluation");
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
     VIR_DEBUG("Checking client-related limits to re-enable or temporarily "
               "suspend services: nclients=%zu nclients_max=%zu "
               "nclients_unauth=%zu nclients_unauth_max=%zu",
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.c b/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.c
index 0c4c437a49..214eae1acb 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.c
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ struct _virNetServerService {
     int auth;
     bool readonly;
     size_t nrequests_client_max;
+    int timer;
+    bool timerActive;
 
     virNetTLSContext *tls;
 
@@ -71,9 +73,25 @@ static void virNetServerServiceAccept(virNetSocket *sock,
 {
     virNetServerService *svc = opaque;
     virNetSocket *clientsock = NULL;
+    int rc;
 
-    if (virNetSocketAccept(sock, &clientsock) < 0)
+    rc = virNetSocketAccept(sock, &clientsock);
+    if (rc < 0) {
+        if (rc == -2) {
+            /* Could not accept new client due to EMFILE. Suspend listening on
+             * the socket and set up a timer to enable it later. Hopefully,
+             * some FDs will be closed meanwhile. */
+            VIR_DEBUG("Temporarily suspending listening on svc=%p because accept() on sock=%p failed (errno=%d)",
+                      svc, sock, errno);
+
+            virNetServerServiceToggle(svc, false);
+
+            svc->timerActive = true;
+            /* Retry in 5 seconds. */
+            virEventUpdateTimeout(svc->timer, 5 * 1000);
+        }
         goto cleanup;
+    }
 
     if (!clientsock) /* Connection already went away */
         goto cleanup;
@@ -88,6 +106,21 @@ static void virNetServerServiceAccept(virNetSocket *sock,
 }
 
 
+static void
+virNetServerServiceTimerFunc(int timer,
+                             void *opaque)
+{
+    virNetServerService *svc = opaque;
+
+    VIR_DEBUG("Resuming listening on service svc=%p after previous suspend", svc);
+
+    virNetServerServiceToggle(svc, true);
+
+    virEventUpdateTimeout(timer, -1);
+    svc->timerActive = false;
+}
+
+
 static virNetServerService *
 virNetServerServiceNewSocket(virNetSocket **socks,
                              size_t nsocks,
@@ -117,6 +150,14 @@ virNetServerServiceNewSocket(virNetSocket **socks,
     svc->nrequests_client_max = nrequests_client_max;
     svc->tls = virObjectRef(tls);
 
+    virObjectRef(svc);
+    svc->timer = virEventAddTimeout(-1, virNetServerServiceTimerFunc,
+                                    svc, virObjectFreeCallback);
+    if (svc->timer < 0) {
+        virObjectUnref(svc);
+        goto error;
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; i < svc->nsocks; i++) {
         if (virNetSocketListen(svc->socks[i], max_queued_clients) < 0)
             goto error;
@@ -407,6 +448,9 @@ void virNetServerServiceDispose(void *obj)
     virNetServerService *svc = obj;
     size_t i;
 
+    if (svc->timer >= 0)
+        virEventRemoveTimeout(svc->timer);
+
     for (i = 0; i < svc->nsocks; i++)
        virObjectUnref(svc->socks[i]);
     g_free(svc->socks);
@@ -438,3 +482,10 @@ void virNetServerServiceClose(virNetServerService *svc)
         virNetSocketClose(svc->socks[i]);
     }
 }
+
+
+bool
+virNetServerServiceTimerActive(virNetServerService *svc)
+{
+    return svc->timerActive;
+}
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.h b/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.h
index ab5798938e..f3d55a9cc0 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverservice.h
@@ -78,3 +78,5 @@ void virNetServerServiceToggle(virNetServerService *svc,
                                bool enabled);
 
 void virNetServerServiceClose(virNetServerService *svc);
+
+bool virNetServerServiceTimerActive(virNetServerService *svc);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetsocket.c b/src/rpc/virnetsocket.c
index bf931e5f59..943406cd64 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetsocket.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetsocket.c
@@ -2049,6 +2049,19 @@ int virNetSocketListen(virNetSocket *sock, int backlog)
     return 0;
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * virNetSocketAccept:
+ * @sock: socket to accept connection on
+ * @clientsock: returned client socket
+ *
+ * For given socket @sock accept incoming connection and create
+ * @clientsock representation of the new accepted connection.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success,
+ *         -2 if accepting failed due to EMFILE error,
+ *         -1 otherwise.
+ */
 int virNetSocketAccept(virNetSocket *sock, virNetSocket **clientsock)
 {
     int fd = -1;
@@ -2069,6 +2082,8 @@ int virNetSocketAccept(virNetSocket *sock, virNetSocket **clientsock)
             errno == EAGAIN) {
             ret = 0;
             goto cleanup;
+        } else if (errno == EMFILE) {
+            ret = -2;
         }
 
         virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",