diff --git a/docs/Reference.md b/docs/Reference.md
index fa273ea14..203b80b7b 100755
--- a/docs/Reference.md
+++ b/docs/Reference.md
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ When creating a server instance, the following options configure the server's be
 - `tls` - used to create an HTTPS server. The `tls` object is passed unchanged as options to the node.js HTTPS server as described in the
   [node.js HTTPS documentation](http://nodejs.org/api/https.html#https_https_createserver_options_requestlistener).
 <p></p>
-- `maxSockets` - used to set the number of sockets available per outgoing host connection.  Default is 5.  This impacts all servers sharing the process.
+- `maxSockets` - used to set the number of sockets available per outgoing host connection.  Default is null.  This impacts all servers sharing the process.
 <p></p>
 - <a name="server.config.views"></a>`views` - enables support for view rendering (using templates to generate responses). Disabled by default.
   To enable, set to an object with the following options:
diff --git a/lib/defaults.js b/lib/defaults.js
index ef6a9d7ce..dd3f3a086 100755
--- a/lib/defaults.js
+++ b/lib/defaults.js
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ exports.server = {
     //     cert: ''
     // },
 
+    maxSockets: null,                               // Sets http/https globalAgent maxSockets value
+
     // Router
 
     router: {
@@ -80,8 +82,7 @@ exports.server = {
 
     cors: false,                                    // CORS headers on responses and OPTIONS requests (defaults: exports.cors): false -> null, true -> defaults, {} -> override defaults
     views: null,                                    // Views engine
-    auth: {},                                       // Authentication
-    maxSockets: 5                                   // Sets http/https globalAgent maxSockets value
+    auth: {}                                       // Authentication
 };
 
 
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index b9074e895..d5ff02d94 100755
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -119,8 +119,10 @@ module.exports = internals.Server = function (/* host, port, options */) {
         this.listener = Http.createServer(this._dispatch());
     }
 
-    Https.globalAgent.maxSockets = this.settings.maxSockets;
-    Http.globalAgent.maxSockets = this.settings.maxSockets;
+    if (this.settings.maxSockets !== null) {
+        Https.globalAgent.maxSockets = this.settings.maxSockets;
+        Http.globalAgent.maxSockets = this.settings.maxSockets;
+    }
 
     // Authentication