diff --git a/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.xml b/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.xml
index cab75eed306..11a19485253 100644
--- a/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.xml
+++ b/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.xml
@@ -183,13 +183,14 @@ of the daemon</description>
 <name>Listen</name>
 <description>IP addresses and ports that the server
 listens to</description>
-<syntax>Listen [<var>IP-address</var>:]<var>portnumber</var> [<var>protocol</var>]</syntax>
+<syntax>Listen [<var>IP-address</var>:]<var>portnumber</var> [<var>protocol</var>] [options=<var>flag</var>[,<var>flag..</var>]]</syntax>
 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
 <modulelist><module>event</module><module>worker</module>
 <module>prefork</module><module>mpm_winnt</module>
 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>mpmt_os2</module>
 </modulelist>
 <compatibility>The <var>protocol</var> argument was added in 2.1.5</compatibility>
+<compatibility>The optional <code>options=</code> argument is available in httpd 2.4.66 and later.</compatibility>
 
 <usage>
     <p>The <directive>Listen</directive> directive instructs Apache httpd to
@@ -247,8 +248,25 @@ Listen 192.170.2.5:8000
       Listen 192.170.2.1:8443 https
     </highlight>
 
+    <p>The optional <var>options=flag,flag...</var> argument can be
+    used to enable certain socket options for the listening port.
+    These options are not required for most configurations and should
+    be used with care.  Availability of each flag varies across
+    operating systems.  The available <em>flag</em>s are:</p>
+
+    <ul>
+      <li><code>freebind</code>: The <code>IP_FREEBIND</code> socket
+      option is enabled, allowing a Listen directive to be used for an
+      address which is not (yet) available on the system. (Linux
+      only)</li>
+
+      <li><code>reuseport</code>: The <code>SO_REUSEPORT</code> socket
+      option is enabled, allowing a Listen directive to bind to a port
+      which may already be in use by another process.</li>
+    </ul>
+       
     <note><title>Error condition</title>
-      Multiple <directive>Listen</directive> directives for the same ip
+      Multiple <directive>Listen</directive> directives for the same IP
       address and port will result in an <code>Address already in use</code>
       error message.
     </note>
@@ -889,4 +907,35 @@ client connections</description>
 </usage>
 </directivesynopsis>
 
+<directivesynopsis>
+<name>AcceptErrorsNonFatal</name>
+<description>Treat some errors accepting a new connection as non-fatal
+to the httpd process.</description>
+<syntax>AcceptErrorsNonFatal ON</syntax>
+<default>OFF (ECONNREFUSED, ECONNABORTED, ECONNRESET cause the process to 
+         exit)</default>
+<contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
+<modulelist><module>event</module><module>worker</module>
+<module>prefork</module>
+</modulelist>
+<compatibility>2.4.66 and later</compatibility>
+
+<usage>
+    <p>The <directive>AcceptErrorsNonFatal</directive> alters the servers
+    behavior under some rare errors that may occur while accepting a new 
+    client connection.  By default, the child process handling a request
+    will gracefully exit when nearly any socket error occurs during the
+    accept() system call.  This is to ensure a potentially unhealthy
+    child process does not try to take on more new connections.</p>
+
+    <p>With <directive>AcceptErrorsNonFatal</directive> set to "ON",
+    the process will <em>not</em> begin to exit if the accept() error is
+    ECONNREFUSED, ECONNABORTED, or ECONNRESET.</p>
+ 
+    <note>Some third-party firwewall software components may inject errors
+    into accept() processing, using return codes not specified by the 
+    operating system</note>
+</usage>
+</directivesynopsis>
+
 </modulesynopsis>
diff --git a/include/ap_listen.h b/include/ap_listen.h
index d5ed9685c54..4603085822f 100644
--- a/include/ap_listen.h
+++ b/include/ap_listen.h
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ typedef struct ap_slave_t ap_slave_t;
 typedef struct ap_listen_rec ap_listen_rec;
 typedef apr_status_t (*accept_function)(void **csd, ap_listen_rec *lr, apr_pool_t *ptrans);
 
+/* Flags for ap_listen_rec.flags */
+#define AP_LISTEN_SPECIFIC_ERRORS (0x0001)
+#define AP_LISTEN_FREEBIND        (0x0002)
+#define AP_LISTEN_REUSEPORT       (0x0004)
+
 /**
  * @brief Apache's listeners record.
  *
@@ -72,6 +77,11 @@ struct ap_listen_rec {
     const char* protocol;
 
     ap_slave_t *slave;
+
+    /**
+     * Various AP_LISTEN_* flags.
+     */
+    apr_uint32_t flags;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -80,6 +90,9 @@ struct ap_listen_rec {
 AP_DECLARE_DATA extern ap_listen_rec *ap_listeners;
 AP_DECLARE_DATA extern int ap_num_listen_buckets;
 AP_DECLARE_DATA extern int ap_have_so_reuseport;
+AP_DECLARE_DATA extern int ap_accept_errors_nonfatal;
+
+AP_DECLARE(int) ap_accept_error_is_nonfatal(apr_status_t rv);
 
 /**
  * Setup all of the defaults for the listener list
@@ -153,6 +166,10 @@ APR_DECLARE_OPTIONAL_FN(int,
 #endif
 
 
+AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_accept_errors_nonfatal(cmd_parms *cmd,
+                                                           void *dummy,
+                                                           int flag);
+
 #define LISTEN_COMMANDS \
 AP_INIT_TAKE1("ListenBacklog", ap_set_listenbacklog, NULL, RSRC_CONF, \
   "Maximum length of the queue of pending connections, as used by listen(2)"), \
@@ -163,8 +180,9 @@ AP_INIT_TAKE_ARGV("Listen", ap_set_listener, NULL, RSRC_CONF, \
 AP_INIT_TAKE1("SendBufferSize", ap_set_send_buffer_size, NULL, RSRC_CONF, \
   "Send buffer size in bytes"), \
 AP_INIT_TAKE1("ReceiveBufferSize", ap_set_receive_buffer_size, NULL, \
-              RSRC_CONF, "Receive buffer size in bytes")
-
+              RSRC_CONF, "Receive buffer size in bytes"), \
+AP_INIT_FLAG("AcceptErrorsNonFatal", ap_set_accept_errors_nonfatal, NULL, \
+              RSRC_CONF, "Some accept() errors are not fatal to the process")
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/include/ap_mmn.h b/include/ap_mmn.h
index 8164fe06511..c687e464c21 100644
--- a/include/ap_mmn.h
+++ b/include/ap_mmn.h
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@
 #ifndef MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MAJOR
 #define MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MAJOR 20120211
 #endif
-#define MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MINOR 141                 /* 0...n */
+#define MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MINOR 142                 /* 0...n */
 
 /**
  * Determine if the server's current MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER is at least a
diff --git a/os/unix/unixd.c b/os/unix/unixd.c
index a304f2d4feb..efd454ba0c6 100644
--- a/os/unix/unixd.c
+++ b/os/unix/unixd.c
@@ -321,6 +321,12 @@ AP_DECLARE(apr_status_t) ap_unixd_accept(void **accepted, ap_listen_rec *lr,
     if (APR_STATUS_IS_EINTR(status)) {
         return status;
     }
+
+    /* Let the caller handle slightly more varied return values */
+    if ((lr->flags & AP_LISTEN_SPECIFIC_ERRORS) && ap_accept_error_is_nonfatal(status)) {
+        return status;
+    }
+
     /* Our old behaviour here was to continue after accept()
      * errors.  But this leads us into lots of troubles
      * because most of the errors are quite fatal.  For
diff --git a/server/listen.c b/server/listen.c
index cb7e59eb34c..e5a2325e512 100644
--- a/server/listen.c
+++ b/server/listen.c
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ static ap_listen_rec **ap_listen_buckets;
  */
 AP_DECLARE_DATA int ap_have_so_reuseport = -1;
 
+/* Whether some accept() errors are non-fatal to the process */
+AP_DECLARE_DATA int ap_accept_errors_nonfatal = 0;
+
 static ap_listen_rec *old_listeners;
 static int ap_listenbacklog;
 static int ap_listencbratio;
@@ -143,7 +146,8 @@ static apr_status_t make_sock(apr_pool_t *p, ap_listen_rec *server, int do_bind_
 #endif
 
 #if defined(SO_REUSEPORT)
-    if (ap_have_so_reuseport && ap_listencbratio > 0) {
+    if (server->flags & AP_LISTEN_REUSEPORT
+        || (ap_have_so_reuseport && ap_listencbratio > 0)) {
         int thesock;
         apr_os_sock_get(&thesock, s);
         if (setsockopt(thesock, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEPORT,
@@ -159,6 +163,21 @@ static apr_status_t make_sock(apr_pool_t *p, ap_listen_rec *server, int do_bind_
     }
 #endif
 
+
+#if defined(APR_SO_FREEBIND)
+    if (server->flags & AP_LISTEN_FREEBIND) {
+        if (apr_socket_opt_set(s, APR_SO_FREEBIND, one) < 0) {
+            stat = apr_get_netos_error();
+            ap_log_perror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_CRIT, stat, p, APLOGNO(10236)
+                          "make_sock: apr_socket_opt_set: "
+                          "error setting APR_SO_FREEBIND");
+            apr_socket_close(s);
+            return stat;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
+
     if (do_bind_listen) {
 #if APR_HAVE_IPV6
         if (server->bind_addr->family == APR_INET6) {
@@ -438,7 +457,7 @@ static int find_listeners(ap_listen_rec **from, ap_listen_rec **to,
 static const char *alloc_listener(process_rec *process, const char *addr,
                                   apr_port_t port, const char* proto,
                                   const char *scope_id, void *slave,
-                                  apr_pool_t *temp_pool)
+                                  apr_pool_t *temp_pool, apr_uint32_t flags)
 {
     ap_listen_rec *last;
     apr_status_t status;
@@ -482,6 +501,7 @@ static const char *alloc_listener(process_rec *process, const char *addr,
         new->next = 0;
         new->bind_addr = sa;
         new->protocol = apr_pstrdup(process->pool, proto);
+        new->flags = flags;
 
         /* Go to the next sockaddr. */
         sa = sa->next;
@@ -773,6 +793,7 @@ AP_DECLARE(int) ap_setup_listeners(server_rec *s)
     }
 
     for (lr = ap_listeners; lr; lr = lr->next) {
+        if (ap_accept_errors_nonfatal) lr->flags |= AP_LISTEN_SPECIFIC_ERRORS;
         num_listeners++;
         found = 0;
         for (ls = s; ls && !found; ls = ls->next) {
@@ -862,8 +883,10 @@ AP_DECLARE(apr_status_t) ap_duplicate_listeners(apr_pool_t *p, server_rec *s,
                 apr_sockaddr_info_get(&sa, hostname, APR_UNSPEC, port, 0, p);
                 duplr->bind_addr = sa;
                 duplr->next = NULL;
-                if ((stat = apr_socket_create(&duplr->sd, duplr->bind_addr->family,
-                                            SOCK_STREAM, 0, p)) != APR_SUCCESS) {
+                duplr->flags = lr->flags;
+                stat = apr_socket_create(&duplr->sd, duplr->bind_addr->family,
+                                         SOCK_STREAM, 0, p);
+                if (stat != APR_SUCCESS) {
                     ap_log_perror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_CRIT, 0, p, APLOGNO(02640)
                                 "ap_duplicate_socket: for address %pI, "
                                 "cannot duplicate a new socket!",
@@ -983,23 +1006,61 @@ AP_DECLARE(void) ap_listen_pre_config(void)
     }
 }
 
+
+AP_DECLARE(int) ap_accept_error_is_nonfatal(apr_status_t status)
+{
+
+   return APR_STATUS_IS_ECONNREFUSED(status)
+             || APR_STATUS_IS_ECONNABORTED(status)
+             || APR_STATUS_IS_ECONNRESET(status);
+}
+
+
+/* Parse optional flags argument for Listen.  Currently just boolean
+ * flags handled; would need to be extended to incorporate
+ * ListenBacklog */
+static const char *parse_listen_flags(apr_pool_t *temp_pool, const char *arg,
+                                      apr_uint32_t *flags_out)
+{
+    apr_uint32_t flags = 0;
+    char *str = apr_pstrdup(temp_pool, arg), *token, *state = NULL;
+
+    token = apr_strtok(str, ",", &state);
+    while (token) {
+        if (ap_cstr_casecmp(token, "freebind") == 0)
+            flags |= AP_LISTEN_FREEBIND;
+        else if (ap_cstr_casecmp(token, "reuseport") == 0)
+            flags |= AP_LISTEN_REUSEPORT;
+        else
+            return apr_psprintf(temp_pool, "Unknown Listen option '%s' in '%s'",
+                                token, arg);
+
+        token = apr_strtok(NULL, ",", &state);
+    }
+
+    *flags_out = flags;
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,
                                                 int argc, char *const argv[])
 {
-    char *host, *scope_id, *proto;
+    char *host, *scope_id, *proto = NULL;
     apr_port_t port;
     apr_status_t rv;
     const char *err = ap_check_cmd_context(cmd, GLOBAL_ONLY);
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
     APR_OPTIONAL_FN_TYPE(ap_systemd_listen_fds) *systemd_listen_fds;
 #endif
+    apr_uint32_t flags = 0;
 
     if (err != NULL) {
         return err;
     }
 
-    if (argc < 1 || argc > 2) {
-        return "Listen requires 1 or 2 arguments.";
+    if (argc < 1 || argc > 3) {
+        return "Listen requires 1-3 arguments.";
     }
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
     if (use_systemd == -1) {
@@ -1034,17 +1095,49 @@ AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,
         return "Port must be specified";
     }
 
-    if (argc != 2) {
+    if (argc == 3) {
+        if (strncasecmp(argv[2], "options=", 8)) {
+            return "Third argument to Listen must be options=...";
+        }
+
+        err = parse_listen_flags(cmd->temp_pool, argv[2] + 8, &flags);
+        if (err) {
+            return err;
+        }
+
+        proto = argv[1];
+    }
+
+    if (argc == 2) {
+        /* 2-arg form is either 'Listen host:port options=...' or
+         * 'Listen host:port protocol' */
+        if (strncasecmp(argv[1], "options=", 8) == 0) {
+            err = parse_listen_flags(cmd->temp_pool, argv[1] + 8, &flags);
+            if (err) {
+                return err;
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            proto = argv[1];
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Catch case where 2-arg form has typoed options=X and doesn't
+     * match above. */
+    if (proto && ap_strchr_c(proto, '=') != NULL) {
+        return apr_psprintf(cmd->pool, "Invalid protocol name '%s'", proto);
+    }
+    else if (proto) {
+        proto = apr_pstrdup(cmd->pool, proto);
+        ap_str_tolower(proto);
+    }
+    else {
         if (port == 443) {
             proto = "https";
         } else {
             proto = "http";
         }
     }
-    else {
-        proto = apr_pstrdup(cmd->pool, argv[1]);
-        ap_str_tolower(proto);
-    }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
     if (use_systemd) {
@@ -1053,7 +1146,7 @@ AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,
 #endif
 
     return alloc_listener(cmd->server->process, host, port, proto,
-                          scope_id, NULL, cmd->temp_pool);
+                          scope_id, NULL, cmd->temp_pool, flags);
 }
 
 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listenbacklog(cmd_parms *cmd,
@@ -1115,6 +1208,18 @@ AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_send_buffer_size(cmd_parms *cmd,
     return NULL;
 }
 
+AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_accept_errors_nonfatal(cmd_parms *cmd,
+                                                           void *dummy,
+                                                           int flag)
+{
+    const char *err = ap_check_cmd_context(cmd, GLOBAL_ONLY);
+    if (err != NULL) {
+        return err;
+    }
+    ap_accept_errors_nonfatal = flag;
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_receive_buffer_size(cmd_parms *cmd,
                                                            void *dummy,
                                                            const char *arg)
diff --git a/server/mpm/event/event.c b/server/mpm/event/event.c
index 050d823809b..24f8bfaeee3 100644
--- a/server/mpm/event/event.c
+++ b/server/mpm/event/event.c
@@ -2013,6 +2013,10 @@ static void * APR_THREAD_FUNC listener_thread(apr_thread_t * thd, void *dummy)
                         resource_shortage = 1;
                         signal_threads(ST_GRACEFUL);
                     }
+                    else if (ap_accept_error_is_nonfatal(rc)) { 
+                        ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_DEBUG, rc, ap_server_conf, 
+                                     "accept() on client socket failed");
+                    }
 
                     if (csd != NULL) {
                         conns_this_child--;
diff --git a/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c b/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
index b5adb57bea1..59caa04eba0 100644
--- a/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
+++ b/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c
@@ -650,7 +650,12 @@ static void child_main(int child_num_arg, int child_bucket)
             /* resource shortage or should-not-occur occurred */
             clean_child_exit(APEXIT_CHILDSICK);
         }
-        else if (status != APR_SUCCESS) {
+        if (ap_accept_error_is_nonfatal(status)) {
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_DEBUG, status, ap_server_conf,
+                    "accept() on client socket failed");
+        }
+
+        if (status != APR_SUCCESS) {
             continue;
         }
 
diff --git a/server/mpm/worker/worker.c b/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
index 315371de121..23fe726f1ea 100644
--- a/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
+++ b/server/mpm/worker/worker.c
@@ -678,6 +678,10 @@ static void * APR_THREAD_FUNC listener_thread(apr_thread_t *thd, void * dummy)
                 resource_shortage = 1;
                 signal_threads(ST_GRACEFUL);
             }
+            else if (ap_accept_error_is_nonfatal(rv)) {
+                ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_DEBUG, rv, ap_server_conf,
+                        "accept() on client socket failed");
+            }
             if ((rv = SAFE_ACCEPT(apr_proc_mutex_unlock(my_bucket->mutex)))
                 != APR_SUCCESS) {