diff --git a/server/core/gateway.c b/server/core/gateway.c
index b558dd0d4..80cfa6ff5 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.c
+++ b/server/core/gateway.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ memset(dcb_fake_write_errno, 0, sizeof(unsigned char)*1024);
 memset(dcb_fake_write_ev, 0, sizeof(__int32_t)*1024);
 fail_next_backend_fd = false;
 fail_next_client_fd = false;
-fail_next_accept = false;
+fail_next_accept = 0;
 fail_accept_errno = 0;
 #endif
         l = atexit(skygw_logmanager_exit);
diff --git a/server/include/dcb.h b/server/include/dcb.h
index 84725dcfc..3cd8d6a11 100644
--- a/server/include/dcb.h
+++ b/server/include/dcb.h
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ unsigned char dcb_fake_write_errno[1024];
 __int32_t     dcb_fake_write_ev[1024];
 bool          fail_next_backend_fd;
 bool          fail_next_client_fd;
-bool          fail_next_accept;
+int           fail_next_accept;
 int           fail_accept_errno;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
index 8d7a3e57d..be90519bd 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
@@ -921,19 +921,23 @@ int gw_MySQLAccept(DCB *listener)
 	while (1) {
 
     retry_accept:
-		// new connection from client
-		c_sock = accept(listener->fd,
-                                (struct sockaddr *) &local,
-                                &addrlen);
 
-                eno = errno;
 #if defined(SS_DEBUG)
-                if (fail_next_accept) {
+                if (fail_next_accept > 0)
+                {
                         c_sock = -1;
                         eno = fail_accept_errno;
-                        i = 10;
-                        fail_next_accept = false;
-                        fail_accept_errno = 0;
+                        fail_next_accept -= 1;
+                } else {
+                        fail_accept_errno = 0;          
+#endif /* SS_DEBUG */
+                        // new connection from client
+		        c_sock = accept(listener->fd,
+                                        (struct sockaddr *) &local,
+                                        &addrlen);
+                        eno = errno;
+                        errno = 0;
+#if defined(SS_DEBUG)
                 }
 #endif /* SS_DEBUG */
                         
@@ -946,10 +950,11 @@ int gw_MySQLAccept(DCB *listener)
                                 /* We have processed all incoming connections. */
                                 break;
                         }
-                        else if (eno == ENFILE)
+                        else if (eno == ENFILE || eno == EMFILE)
                         {
                                 /**
-                                 * Exceeded system's max. number of files limit.
+                                 * Exceeded system's (ENFILE) or processes
+                                 * (EMFILE) max. number of files limit.
                                  */
                                 skygw_log_write_flush(
                                         LOGFILE_ERROR,
@@ -966,26 +971,6 @@ int gw_MySQLAccept(DCB *listener)
                                 rc = 1;
                                 goto return_rc;
                         }
-                        else if (eno == EMFILE)
-                        {       
-                                /**
-                                 * Exceeded processes max. number of files limit.
-                                 */
-                                skygw_log_write_flush(
-                                        LOGFILE_ERROR,
-                                        "%lu [gw_MySQLAccept] Error %d, %s.",
-                                        pthread_self(),
-                                        eno,
-                                        strerror(eno));
-                                i++;
-                                usleep(100*i*i);
-
-                                if (i<10) {
-                                        goto retry_accept;
-                                }
-                                rc = 1;
-                                goto return_rc;
-                        }
                         else
                         {
                                 /**
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/debugcmd.c b/server/modules/routing/debugcmd.c
index 348dec469..a4491eb41 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/debugcmd.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/debugcmd.c
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ struct subcommand disableoptions[] = {
 
 static void fail_backendfd(void);
 static void fail_clientfd(void);
-static void fail_accept(DCB* dcb, char* arg1);
+static void fail_accept(DCB* dcb, char* arg1, char* arg2);
 /**
  *  * The subcommands of the fail command
  *   */
@@ -254,10 +254,10 @@ struct subcommand failoptions[] = {
     },
     {
         "accept",
-        1,
+        2,
         fail_accept,
         "Fail to accept next client connection.",
-        {ARG_TYPE_STRING, 0, 0}
+        {ARG_TYPE_STRING, ARG_TYPE_STRING, 0}
     },
     {
         NULL,
@@ -775,10 +775,13 @@ static void fail_clientfd(void)
 
 static void fail_accept(
         DCB*  dcb,
-        char* arg1)
+        char* arg1,
+        char* arg2)
 {
+        int failcount = MIN(atoi(arg2), 100);
         fail_accept_errno = atoi(arg1);
 
+
         switch(fail_accept_errno) {
                 case EAGAIN:
 //                case EWOULDBLOCK:
@@ -792,7 +795,7 @@ static void fail_accept(
                 case ENOBUFS:
                 case ENOMEM:
                 case EPROTO:
-                        fail_next_accept = true;
+                        fail_next_accept = failcount;
         break;
 
                 default: