diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
index 1512c3ed2..38dd9b8f2 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ const (
 	unrestrictedApiAccessKwd  = "unrestricted-api"
 	unencryptTransportKwd     = "disable-transport-encryption"
 	enableGCKwd               = "enable-gc"
+	adjustFDLimitKwd          = "manage-fdlimit"
 	// apiAddrKwd    = "address-api"
 	// swarmAddrKwd  = "address-swarm"
 )
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ future version, along with this notice. Please move to setting the HTTP Headers.
 		cmds.BoolOption(unrestrictedApiAccessKwd, "Allow API access to unlisted hashes"),
 		cmds.BoolOption(unencryptTransportKwd, "Disable transport encryption (for debugging protocols)"),
 		cmds.BoolOption(enableGCKwd, "Enable automatic periodic repo garbage collection"),
+		cmds.BoolOption(adjustFDLimitKwd, "Check and raise file descriptor limits if needed"),
 
 		// TODO: add way to override addresses. tricky part: updating the config if also --init.
 		// cmds.StringOption(apiAddrKwd, "Address for the daemon rpc API (overrides config)"),
@@ -152,10 +154,19 @@ func defaultMux(path string) corehttp.ServeOption {
 	}
 }
 
+var fileDescriptorCheck = func() error { return nil }
+
 func daemonFunc(req cmds.Request, res cmds.Response) {
 	// let the user know we're going.
 	fmt.Printf("Initializing daemon...\n")
 
+	managefd, _, _ := req.Option(adjustFDLimitKwd).Bool()
+	if managefd {
+		if err := fileDescriptorCheck(); err != nil {
+			log.Error("setting file descriptor limit: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	ctx := req.InvocContext()
 
 	go func() {
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/ulimit_unix.go b/cmd/ipfs/ulimit_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ad630f74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/ulimit_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// +build linux darwin
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+var ipfsFileDescNum = uint64(2048)
+
+func init() {
+	if val := os.Getenv("IPFS_FD_MAX"); val != "" {
+		n, err := strconv.Atoi(val)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error("bad value for IPFS_FD_MAX: %s", err)
+		} else {
+			ipfsFileDescNum = uint64(n)
+		}
+	}
+	fileDescriptorCheck = checkAndSetUlimit
+}
+
+func checkAndSetUlimit() error {
+	var rLimit syscall.Rlimit
+	err := syscall.Getrlimit(syscall.RLIMIT_NOFILE, &rLimit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error getting rlimit: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if rLimit.Cur < ipfsFileDescNum {
+		if rLimit.Max < ipfsFileDescNum {
+			rLimit.Max = ipfsFileDescNum
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("Adjusting current ulimit to %d.\n", ipfsFileDescNum)
+		rLimit.Cur = ipfsFileDescNum
+	}
+
+	err = syscall.Setrlimit(syscall.RLIMIT_NOFILE, &rLimit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error setting ulimit: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0061-daemon-opts.sh b/test/sharness/t0061-daemon-opts.sh
index 9f39d8197..c961a8651 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0061-daemon-opts.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0061-daemon-opts.sh
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@ test_init_ipfs
 
 test_launch_ipfs_daemon --unrestricted-api --disable-transport-encryption
 
-test_expect_success "convert addresses from multiaddrs" '
-'
-
 gwyaddr=$GWAY_ADDR
 apiaddr=$API_ADDR