diff --git a/passt.c b/passt.c
index 6550a22..292cf53 100644
--- a/passt.c
+++ b/passt.c
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		perror("getrlimit");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
-	limit.rlim_cur = limit.rlim_max;
+	c.nofile = limit.rlim_cur = limit.rlim_max;
 	if (setrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &limit)) {
 		perror("setrlimit");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/passt.h b/passt.h
index 3a62b15..9ea8f8d 100644
--- a/passt.h
+++ b/passt.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ enum passt_modes {
  * @quiet:		Don't print informational messages
  * @foreground:		Run in foreground, don't log to stderr by default
  * @stderr:		Force logging to stderr
+ * @nofile:		Maximum number of open files (ulimit -n)
  * @sock_path:		Path for UNIX domain socket
  * @pcap:		Path for packet capture file
  * @pid_file:		Path to PID file, empty string if not configured
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ struct ctx {
 	int quiet;
 	int foreground;
 	int stderr;
+	int nofile;
 	char sock_path[UNIX_PATH_MAX];
 	char pcap[PATH_MAX];
 	char pid_file[PATH_MAX];
diff --git a/tcp.c b/tcp.c
index 2df966d..8e8806d 100644
--- a/tcp.c
+++ b/tcp.c
@@ -1560,6 +1560,7 @@ void tcp_defer_handler(struct ctx *c)
 {
 	tcp_l2_flags_buf_flush(c);
 	tcp_l2_data_buf_flush(c);
+	tcp_splice_defer_handler(c);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tcp_splice.c b/tcp_splice.c
index d374785..b7bdfc2 100644
--- a/tcp_splice.c
+++ b/tcp_splice.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #define TCP_SPLICE_MAX_CONNS		(128 * 1024)
 #define TCP_SPLICE_PIPE_POOL_SIZE	16
 #define REFILL_INTERVAL			1000	/* ms, refill pool of pipes */
+#define TCP_SPLICE_FILE_PRESSURE	30	/* % of c->nofile */
 
 /* From tcp.c */
 extern int init_sock_pool4		[TCP_SOCK_POOL_SIZE];
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ static void tcp_splice_conn_epoll_events(uint16_t events,
 	*b |= (events & SPLICE_B_OUT_WAIT) ? EPOLLOUT : 0;
 }
 
+static void tcp_splice_destroy(struct ctx *c, struct tcp_splice_conn *conn);
 static int tcp_splice_epoll_ctl(struct ctx *c, struct tcp_splice_conn *conn);
 
 /**
@@ -832,13 +834,9 @@ void tcp_splice_init(struct ctx *c)
  */
 void tcp_splice_timer(struct ctx *c, struct timespec *now)
 {
-	int i;
-
-	for (i = c->tcp.splice_conn_count - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-		struct tcp_splice_conn *conn;
-
-		conn = CONN(i);
+	struct tcp_splice_conn *conn;
 
+	for (conn = CONN(c->tcp.splice_conn_count - 1); conn >= tc; conn--) {
 		if (conn->flags & SPLICE_CLOSING) {
 			tcp_splice_destroy(c, conn);
 			continue;
@@ -865,3 +863,21 @@ void tcp_splice_timer(struct ctx *c, struct timespec *now)
 	if (timespec_diff_ms(now, &c->tcp.refill_ts) > REFILL_INTERVAL)
 		tcp_splice_pipe_refill(c);
 }
+
+/**
+ * tcp_splice_defer_handler() - Close connections without timer on file pressure
+ * @c:		Execution context
+ */
+void tcp_splice_defer_handler(struct ctx *c)
+{
+	int max_files = c->nofile / 100 * TCP_SPLICE_FILE_PRESSURE;
+	struct tcp_splice_conn *conn;
+
+	if (c->tcp.splice_conn_count * 6 < max_files)
+		return;
+
+	for (conn = CONN(c->tcp.splice_conn_count - 1); conn >= tc; conn--) {
+		if (conn->flags & SPLICE_CLOSING)
+			tcp_splice_destroy(c, conn);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tcp_splice.h b/tcp_splice.h
index 45ab1ca..b744ba7 100644
--- a/tcp_splice.h
+++ b/tcp_splice.h
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ void tcp_sock_handler_splice(struct ctx *c, union epoll_ref ref,
 void tcp_splice_destroy(struct ctx *c, struct tcp_splice_conn *conn);
 void tcp_splice_init(struct ctx *c);
 void tcp_splice_timer(struct ctx *c, struct timespec *now);
+void tcp_splice_defer_handler(struct ctx *c);