diff --git a/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go b/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go
index a9f49fedf0c..930f9634ede 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
@@ -146,12 +147,21 @@ func NewProxier(loadBalancer LoadBalancer, listenIP net.IP, iptables iptables.In
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to select a host interface: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	err = setRLimit(64 * 1000)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to set open file handler limit", err)
+	}
+
 	proxyPorts := newPortAllocator(pr)
 
 	glog.V(2).Infof("Setting proxy IP to %v and initializing iptables", hostIP)
 	return createProxier(loadBalancer, listenIP, iptables, hostIP, proxyPorts, syncPeriod)
 }
 
+func setRLimit(limit uint64) error {
+	return syscall.Setrlimit(syscall.RLIMIT_NOFILE, &syscall.Rlimit{Max: limit, Cur: limit})
+}
+
 func createProxier(loadBalancer LoadBalancer, listenIP net.IP, iptables iptables.Interface, hostIP net.IP, proxyPorts PortAllocator, syncPeriod time.Duration) (*Proxier, error) {
 	// convenient to pass nil for tests..
 	if proxyPorts == nil {