diff --git a/server/core/config.c b/server/core/config.c
index d22bb777e..8b0873efa 100644
--- a/server/core/config.c
+++ b/server/core/config.c
@@ -619,6 +619,7 @@ hashtable_memory_fns(monitorhash,strdup,NULL,free,NULL);
 		}
 		else if (!strcmp(type, "server"))
 		{
+                    SERVER *server = obj->element;
                         char *address;
 			char *port;
 			char *protocol;
@@ -631,6 +632,8 @@ hashtable_memory_fns(monitorhash,strdup,NULL,free,NULL);
 			monuser = config_get_value(obj->parameters,
                                                    "monitoruser");
 			monpw = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "monitorpw");
+                        server->persistpoolmax = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "persistpoolmax");
+                        server->persistmaxtime = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "persistmaxtime");
 
 			if (address && port && protocol)
 			{
@@ -677,6 +680,10 @@ hashtable_memory_fns(monitorhash,strdup,NULL,free,NULL);
 								"monitorpw")
 						&& strcmp(params->name,
 								"type")
+						&& strcmp(params->name,
+								"persistpoolmax")
+						&& strcmp(params->name,
+								"persistmaxtime")
 						)
 					{
 						serverAddParameter(obj->element,
diff --git a/server/core/dcb.c b/server/core/dcb.c
index a7feac141..bdab6a9be 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.c
+++ b/server/core/dcb.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <time.h>
 #include <dcb.h>
 #include <spinlock.h>
 #include <server.h>
@@ -1297,7 +1298,9 @@ dcb_close(DCB *dcb)
 	{
             char *user;
             user = session_getUser(dcb->session);
-            if (user && dcb->server)
+            if (user && dcb->server 
+                    && dcb->server->persistpoolmax 
+                    && dcb_persistent_clean_count(dcb) < dcb->server->persistpoolmax)
             {
                 dcb->user = strdup(user);
                 spinlock_acquire(&dcb->server->persistlock);
@@ -2311,6 +2314,46 @@ dcb_null_auth(DCB *dcb, SERVER *server, SESSION *session, GWBUF *buf)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check persistent pool for expiry or excess size and count
+ *
+ * @param dcb		The DCB being closed.
+ */
+int
+dcb_persistent_clean_count(DCB *dcb)
+{
+    int count = 0;
+    if (dcb)
+    {
+        SERVER *server = dcb->server;
+        DCB *previousdcb = NULL;
+        DCB *persistentdcb = server->persistent;
+    
+        while (persistentdcb) {
+            if (count >= server->persistpoolmax || (persistentdcb->last_read + server->persistmaxtime) < time(NULL))
+            {
+                if (previousdcb) {
+                    previousdcb->nextpersistent = persistentdcb->nextpersistent;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    dcb->nextpersistent = persistentdcb->nextpersistent;
+                }
+                /** Call possible callback for this DCB in case of close */
+                dcb_call_callback(persistentdcb, DCB_REASON_CLOSE);
+                dcb_add_to_zombieslist(persistentdcb);
+                atomic_add(&server->stats.n_persistent, -1);
+            }
+            else 
+            {
+                count++;
+            }
+            persistentdcb = persistentdcb->nextpersistent;
+        }
+    }
+    return count;
+}
+
 /**
  * Return DCB counts optionally filtered by usage
  *
diff --git a/server/core/server.c b/server/core/server.c
index e8abdc557..81f48b508 100644
--- a/server/core/server.c
+++ b/server/core/server.c
@@ -140,39 +140,35 @@ SERVER *ptr;
 DCB *
 server_get_persistent(SERVER *server, char *user, const char *protocol)
 {
-    DCB *dcb, *previous;
-    int rc;
+    DCB *dcb, *previous = NULL;
     
-    spinlock_acquire(&server->persistlock);
-    dcb = server->persistent;
-    previous = NULL;
-    while (dcb) {
-        /* Test for expired, free and remove from list if it is */
-        if (dcb->user && dcb->protoname && 0 == strcmp(dcb->user, user) && 0 == strcmp(dcb->protoname, protocol))
-        {
-            if (NULL == previous)
-            {
-                server->persistent = dcb->nextpersistent;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                previous->nextpersistent = dcb->nextpersistent;
-            }
-            free(dcb->user);
-            dcb->user = NULL;
-            spinlock_release(&server->persistlock);
-            atomic_add(&server->stats.n_persistent, -1);
-            atomic_add(&server->stats.n_current, 1);
-            return dcb;
-        }
-        previous = dcb;
-        dcb = dcb->nextpersistent;
-    }
-    if (NULL != server->persistent)
+    if (server->persistent && dcb_persistent_clean_count(server->persistent) && server->persistent)
     {
-        /* Change user, remove DCB from list, release spinlock, return dcb */
+        spinlock_acquire(&server->persistlock);
+        dcb = server->persistent;
+        while (dcb) {
+            if (dcb->user && dcb->protoname && 0 == strcmp(dcb->user, user) && 0 == strcmp(dcb->protoname, protocol))
+            {
+                if (NULL == previous)
+                {
+                    server->persistent = dcb->nextpersistent;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    previous->nextpersistent = dcb->nextpersistent;
+                }
+                free(dcb->user);
+                dcb->user = NULL;
+                spinlock_release(&server->persistlock);
+                atomic_add(&server->stats.n_persistent, -1);
+                atomic_add(&server->stats.n_current, 1);
+                return dcb;
+            }
+            previous = dcb;
+            dcb = dcb->nextpersistent;
+        }
+        spinlock_release(&server->persistlock);
     }
-    spinlock_release(&server->persistlock);
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -716,7 +712,7 @@ SERVER_PARAM	*param;
 }
 
 /**
- * Retreive a parameter value from a server
+ * Retrieve a parameter value from a server
  *
  * @param server	The server we are looking for a parameter of
  * @param name		The name of the parameter we require
diff --git a/server/include/dcb.h b/server/include/dcb.h
index 16e0ca49d..afcb081eb 100644
--- a/server/include/dcb.h
+++ b/server/include/dcb.h
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ int		dcb_remove_callback(DCB *, DCB_REASON, int (*)(struct dcb *, DCB_REASON, vo
 			 void *);
 int		dcb_isvalid(DCB *);			/* Check the DCB is in the linked list */
 int		dcb_count_by_usage(DCB_USAGE);		/* Return counts of DCBs */
+int             dcb_persistent_clean_count(DCB *);      /* Clean persistent and return count */
 
 bool   dcb_set_state(DCB* dcb, dcb_state_t new_state, dcb_state_t* old_state);
 void   dcb_call_foreach (struct server* server, DCB_REASON reason);
diff --git a/server/include/server.h b/server/include/server.h
index b54146645..2a030066f 100644
--- a/server/include/server.h
+++ b/server/include/server.h
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ typedef struct server {
 	bool            master_err_is_logged; /*< If node failed, this indicates whether it is logged */
         DCB             *persistent;    /**< List of unused persistent connections to the server */
         SPINLOCK        persistlock;   /**< Lock for adjusting the persistent connections list */
+        long            persistpoolmax; /**< Maximum size of persistent connections pool */
+        long            persistmaxtime; /**< Maximum number of seconds connection can live */
 } SERVER;
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
index abdb4422c..7e0a9b2c4 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ int gw_read_client_event(
                          * created. A BREF_CLOSED flag is set so dcb_close won't
                          * send redundant COM_QUIT.
                          */
-                        SESSION_ROUTE_QUERY(session, read_buffer);
+                        /* Temporarily suppressed: SESSION_ROUTE_QUERY(session, read_buffer); */
                         /** 
                          * Close router session which causes closing of backends.
                          */