diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index be7169d38..1f9c5472d 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -98,6 +98,17 @@
     require => File['/etc/rabbitmq'],
   }
 
+  if $::osfamily == 'Debian' {
+    file { '/etc/default/rabbitmq-server':
+      ensure  => file,
+      content => template('rabbitmq/default.erb'),
+      mode    => '0644',
+      owner   => '0',
+      group   => '0',
+      notify  => Class['rabbitmq::service'],
+    }
+  }
+
   if $config_cluster {
 
     if $erlang_cookie == undef {
@@ -115,7 +126,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-
-
 }
-
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index a7a50ccae..348956682 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
   $version                    = $rabbitmq::params::version,
   $wipe_db_on_cookie_change   = $rabbitmq::params::wipe_db_on_cookie_change,
   $cluster_partition_handling = $rabbitmq::params::cluster_partition_handling,
+  $file_limit                 = $rabbitmq::params::file_limit,
   $environment_variables      = $rabbitmq::params::environment_variables,
   $config_variables           = $rabbitmq::params::config_variables,
   $config_kernel_variables    = $rabbitmq::params::config_kernel_variables,
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@
   validate_re($stomp_port, '\d+')
   validate_bool($wipe_db_on_cookie_change)
   validate_bool($tcp_keepalive)
+  validate_re($file_limit, '\d+')
   # Validate service parameters.
   validate_re($service_ensure, '^(running|stopped)$')
   validate_bool($service_manage)
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index f699b0db8..7942d104e 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -116,4 +116,5 @@
   $environment_variables      = {}
   $config_variables           = {}
   $config_kernel_variables    = {}
+  $file_limit                 = 16384
 }
diff --git a/templates/default.erb b/templates/default.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a2bea95e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/default.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# File managed by Puppet.
+
+# This file is sourced by /etc/init.d/rabbitmq-server. Its primary
+# reason for existing is to allow adjustment of system limits for the
+# rabbitmq-server process.
+#
+# Maximum number of open file handles. This will need to be increased
+# to handle many simultaneous connections. Refer to the system
+# documentation for ulimit (in man bash) for more information.
+ulimit -n <%= @file_limit %>