diff --git a/libratbox/include/commio-ssl.h b/libratbox/include/commio-ssl.h
index e3147763..19e65c29 100644
--- a/libratbox/include/commio-ssl.h
+++ b/libratbox/include/commio-ssl.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 int rb_setup_ssl_server(const char *cert, const char *keyfile, const char *dhfile);
 int rb_init_ssl(void);
 
-int rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog);
+int rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog, int defer_accept);
 int rb_init_prng(const char *path, prng_seed_t seed_type);
 
 int rb_get_random(void *buf, size_t length);
diff --git a/libratbox/include/rb_commio.h b/libratbox/include/rb_commio.h
index 1eef573a..70eea348 100644
--- a/libratbox/include/rb_commio.h
+++ b/libratbox/include/rb_commio.h
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ ssize_t rb_read(rb_fde_t *, void *buf, int count);
 int rb_pipe(rb_fde_t **, rb_fde_t **, const char *desc);
 
 int rb_setup_ssl_server(const char *cert, const char *keyfile, const char *dhfile);
-int rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *, int backlog);
-int rb_listen(rb_fde_t *, int backlog);
+int rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *, int backlog, int defer_accept);
+int rb_listen(rb_fde_t *, int backlog, int defer_accept);
 
 const char *rb_inet_ntop(int af, const void *src, char *dst, unsigned int size);
 int rb_inet_pton(int af, const char *src, void *dst);
diff --git a/libratbox/src/commio.c b/libratbox/src/commio.c
index 1a1dfb87..ca822649 100644
--- a/libratbox/src/commio.c
+++ b/libratbox/src/commio.c
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ mangle_mapped_sockaddr(struct sockaddr *in)
  * rb_listen() - listen on a port
  */
 int
-rb_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog)
+rb_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog, int defer_accept)
 {
 	int result;
 
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ rb_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog)
 	result = listen(F->fd, backlog);
 
 #ifdef TCP_DEFER_ACCEPT
-	if (!result)
+	if (defer_accept && !result)
 	{
 		setsockopt(F->fd, IPPROTO_TCP, TCP_DEFER_ACCEPT, &backlog, sizeof(int));
 	}
diff --git a/libratbox/src/gnutls.c b/libratbox/src/gnutls.c
index a2cb6522..36272dcd 100644
--- a/libratbox/src/gnutls.c
+++ b/libratbox/src/gnutls.c
@@ -348,10 +348,14 @@ rb_setup_ssl_server(const char *cert, const char *keyfile, const char *dhfile)
 }
 
 int
-rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog)
+rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog, int defer_accept)
 {
+	int result;
+
+	result = listen(F->fd, backlog, defer_accept);
 	F->type = RB_FD_SOCKET | RB_FD_LISTEN | RB_FD_SSL;
-	return listen(F->fd, backlog);
+
+	return result;
 }
 
 struct ssl_connect
diff --git a/libratbox/src/nossl.c b/libratbox/src/nossl.c
index ee851899..b6ea2440 100644
--- a/libratbox/src/nossl.c
+++ b/libratbox/src/nossl.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ rb_init_ssl(void)
 }
 
 int
-rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog)
+rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog, int defer_accept)
 {
 	errno = ENOSYS;
 	return -1;
diff --git a/libratbox/src/openssl.c b/libratbox/src/openssl.c
index 5d719f2d..f00d14ad 100644
--- a/libratbox/src/openssl.c
+++ b/libratbox/src/openssl.c
@@ -390,10 +390,14 @@ rb_setup_ssl_server(const char *cert, const char *keyfile, const char *dhfile)
 }
 
 int
-rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog)
+rb_ssl_listen(rb_fde_t *F, int backlog, int defer_accept)
 {
+	int result;
+
+	result = rb_listen(F, backlog, defer_accept);
 	F->type = RB_FD_SOCKET | RB_FD_LISTEN | RB_FD_SSL;
-	return listen(F->fd, backlog);
+
+	return result;
 }
 
 struct ssl_connect