diff --git a/src/base.h b/src/base.h
index 46a82983..b3c508c8 100644
--- a/src/base.h
+++ b/src/base.h
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	buffer *syslog_facility;
 
 	unsigned short compat_module_load;
+	unsigned short systemd_socket_activation;
 } server_config;
 
 typedef struct server_socket {
@@ -459,6 +460,8 @@ struct server {
 	uid_t uid;
 	gid_t gid;
 	pid_t pid;
+
+	server_socket_array srv_sockets_inherited;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/configfile.c b/src/configfile.c
index ce6b9716..f3f69fc1 100644
--- a/src/configfile.c
+++ b/src/configfile.c
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ static int config_insert(server *srv) {
 		{ "server.syslog-facility",            NULL, T_CONFIG_STRING,  T_CONFIG_SCOPE_SERVER     }, /* 80 */
 		{ "server.socket-perms",               NULL, T_CONFIG_STRING,  T_CONFIG_SCOPE_CONNECTION }, /* 81 */
 		{ "server.http-parseopts",             NULL, T_CONFIG_ARRAY,   T_CONFIG_SCOPE_SERVER     }, /* 82 */
+		{ "server.systemd-socket-activation",  NULL, T_CONFIG_BOOLEAN, T_CONFIG_SCOPE_SERVER     }, /* 83 */
 
 		{ NULL,                                NULL, T_CONFIG_UNSET,   T_CONFIG_SCOPE_UNSET      }
 	};
@@ -321,6 +322,7 @@ static int config_insert(server *srv) {
 	cv[80].destination = srv->srvconf.syslog_facility;
 	http_parseopts = array_init();
 	cv[82].destination = http_parseopts;
+	cv[83].destination = &(srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation);
 
 	srv->config_storage = calloc(1, srv->config_context->used * sizeof(specific_config *));
 
diff --git a/src/network.c b/src/network.c
index 919a7326..016d0d5b 100644
--- a/src/network.c
+++ b/src/network.c
@@ -219,6 +219,17 @@ static int network_server_init(server *srv, buffer *host_token, size_t sidx, int
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation) {
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < srv->srv_sockets_inherited.used; ++i) {
+			if (0 != memcmp(&srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->addr, &srv_socket->addr, addr_len)) continue;
+			if ((unsigned short)~0u == srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->sidx) {
+				srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->sidx = sidx;
+			}
+			stdin_fd = srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->fd;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (-1 != stdin_fd) {
 		srv_socket->fd = stdin_fd;
 		if (-1 == fdevent_fcntl_set_nb_cloexec(srv->ev, stdin_fd)) {
@@ -367,12 +378,65 @@ int network_close(server *srv) {
 	srv->srv_sockets.used = 0;
 	srv->srv_sockets.size = 0;
 
+	for (i = 0; i < srv->srv_sockets_inherited.used; i++) {
+		server_socket *srv_socket = srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i];
+		if (srv_socket->fd != -1 && srv_socket->sidx != (unsigned short)~0u) {
+			close(srv_socket->fd);
+		}
+
+		buffer_free(srv_socket->srv_token);
+
+		free(srv_socket);
+	}
+
+	free(srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr);
+	srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr = NULL;
+	srv->srv_sockets_inherited.used = 0;
+	srv->srv_sockets_inherited.size = 0;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int network_init(server *srv, int stdin_fd) {
-	size_t i;
+static int network_socket_activation_nfds(server *srv, int nfds) {
+    buffer *host = buffer_init();
+    socklen_t addr_len;
+    sock_addr addr;
+    int rc = 0;
+    nfds += 3; /* #define SD_LISTEN_FDS_START 3 */
+    for (int fd = 3; fd < nfds; ++fd) {
+        addr_len = sizeof(sock_addr);
+        if (-1 == (rc = getsockname(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, &addr_len))) {
+            log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "ss",
+                            "socket activation getsockname()", strerror(errno));
+            break;
+        }
+        network_host_normalize_addr_str(host, &addr);
+        rc = network_server_init(srv, host, 0, fd);
+        if (0 != rc) break;
+        srv->srv_sockets.ptr[srv->srv_sockets.used-1]->sidx = (unsigned short)~0u;
+    }
+    buffer_free(host);
+    memcpy(&srv->srv_sockets_inherited, &srv->srv_sockets, sizeof(server_socket_array));
+    memset(&srv->srv_sockets, 0, sizeof(server_socket_array));
+    return rc;
+}
 
+static int network_socket_activation_from_env(server *srv) {
+    char *listen_pid = getenv("LISTEN_PID");
+    char *listen_fds = getenv("LISTEN_FDS");
+    pid_t lpid = listen_pid ? (pid_t)strtoul(listen_pid,NULL,10) : 0;
+    int nfds = listen_fds ? atoi(listen_fds) : 0;
+    int rc = (lpid == getpid() && nfds > 0)
+      ? network_socket_activation_nfds(srv, nfds)
+      : 0;
+    unsetenv("LISTEN_PID");
+    unsetenv("LISTEN_FDS");
+    unsetenv("LISTEN_FDNAMES");
+    /*(upon graceful restart, unsetenv will result in no-op above)*/
+    return rc;
+}
+
+int network_init(server *srv, int stdin_fd) {
       #ifdef __WIN32
 	WSADATA wsaData;
 	WORD wVersionRequested = MAKEWORD(2, 2);
@@ -384,7 +448,19 @@ int network_init(server *srv, int stdin_fd) {
 
 	if (0 != network_write_init(srv)) return -1;
 
-	{
+	if (srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation) {
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < srv->srv_sockets_inherited.used; ++i) {
+		        srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->sidx = (unsigned short)~0u;
+		}
+		if (0 != network_socket_activation_from_env(srv)) return -1;
+		if (0 == srv->srv_sockets_inherited.used) {
+			srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation = 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* process srv->srvconf.bindhost
+	 * (skip if systemd socket activation is enabled and bindhost is empty; do not additionally listen on "*") */
+	if (!srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation || !buffer_string_is_empty(srv->srvconf.bindhost)) {
 		int rc;
 		buffer *b = buffer_init();
 		buffer_copy_buffer(b, srv->srvconf.bindhost);
@@ -401,7 +477,7 @@ int network_init(server *srv, int stdin_fd) {
 	}
 
 	/* check for $SERVER["socket"] */
-	for (i = 1; i < srv->config_context->used; i++) {
+	for (size_t i = 1; i < srv->config_context->used; ++i) {
 		data_config *dc = (data_config *)srv->config_context->data[i];
 
 		/* not our stage */
@@ -422,6 +498,19 @@ int network_init(server *srv, int stdin_fd) {
 			if (0 != network_server_init(srv, dc->string, i, -1)) return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation) {
+		/* activate any inherited sockets not explicitly listed in config file */
+		server_socket *srv_socket;
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < srv->srv_sockets_inherited.used; ++i) {
+		        if ((unsigned short)~0u != srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->sidx) continue;
+		        srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i]->sidx = 0;
+			srv_socket = calloc(1, sizeof(server_socket));
+			force_assert(NULL != srv_socket);
+			memcpy(srv_socket, srv->srv_sockets_inherited.ptr[i], sizeof(server_socket));
+			network_srv_sockets_append(srv, srv_socket);
+		}
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index cbaac0ff..1be67c30 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
 static int oneshot_fd = 0;
 static volatile int pid_fd = -2;
 static server_socket_array graceful_sockets;
+static server_socket_array inherited_sockets;
 static volatile sig_atomic_t graceful_restart = 0;
 static volatile sig_atomic_t graceful_shutdown = 0;
 static volatile sig_atomic_t srv_shutdown = 0;
@@ -301,6 +302,7 @@ static server *server_init(void) {
 	srv->srvconf.loadavg[1] = 0.0;
 	srv->srvconf.loadavg[2] = 0.0;
 	srv->srvconf.compat_module_load = 1;
+	srv->srvconf.systemd_socket_activation = 0;
 
 	/* use syslog */
 	srv->errorlog_fd = STDERR_FILENO;
@@ -856,11 +858,15 @@ static int log_error_close(server *srv) {
 static void server_sockets_save (server *srv) {    /* graceful_restart */
     memcpy(&graceful_sockets, &srv->srv_sockets, sizeof(server_socket_array));
     memset(&srv->srv_sockets, 0, sizeof(server_socket_array));
+    memcpy(&inherited_sockets, &srv->srv_sockets_inherited, sizeof(server_socket_array));
+    memset(&srv->srv_sockets_inherited, 0, sizeof(server_socket_array));
 }
 
 static void server_sockets_restore (server *srv) { /* graceful_restart */
     memcpy(&srv->srv_sockets, &graceful_sockets, sizeof(server_socket_array));
     memset(&graceful_sockets, 0, sizeof(server_socket_array));
+    memcpy(&srv->srv_sockets_inherited, &inherited_sockets, sizeof(server_socket_array));
+    memset(&inherited_sockets, 0, sizeof(server_socket_array));
 }
 
 static int server_sockets_set_nb_cloexec (server *srv) {
@@ -1003,6 +1009,7 @@ static int server_main (server * const srv, int argc, char **argv) {
 	/*graceful_restart = 0;*//*(reset below to avoid further daemonizing)*/
 	/*(intentionally preserved)*/
 	/*memset(graceful_sockets, 0, sizeof(graceful_sockets));*/
+	/*memset(inherited_sockets, 0, sizeof(inherited_sockets));*/
 	/*pid_fd = -1;*/
 
 	srv->srvconf.port = 0;