diff --git a/include/sysemu/os-posix.h b/include/sysemu/os-posix.h
index dff32ae185..b881ac6c6f 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/os-posix.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/os-posix.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ bool is_daemonized(void);
 void os_daemonize(void);
 bool os_set_runas(const char *user_id);
 void os_set_chroot(const char *path);
+void os_setup_limits(void);
 void os_setup_post(void);
 int os_mlock(void);
 
diff --git a/include/sysemu/os-win32.h b/include/sysemu/os-win32.h
index 1047d260cb..b82a5d3ad9 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/os-win32.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/os-win32.h
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ static inline int os_mlock(void)
     return -ENOSYS;
 }
 
+static inline void os_setup_limits(void)
+{
+    return;
+}
+
 #define fsync _commit
 
 #if !defined(lseek)
diff --git a/os-posix.c b/os-posix.c
index 52ef6990ff..a4284e2c07 100644
--- a/os-posix.c
+++ b/os-posix.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include <sys/resource.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <grp.h>
@@ -256,6 +257,27 @@ void os_daemonize(void)
     }
 }
 
+void os_setup_limits(void)
+{
+    struct rlimit nofile;
+
+    if (getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &nofile) < 0) {
+        warn_report("unable to query NOFILE limit: %s", strerror(errno));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (nofile.rlim_cur == nofile.rlim_max) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    nofile.rlim_cur = nofile.rlim_max;
+
+    if (setrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &nofile) < 0) {
+        warn_report("unable to set NOFILE limit: %s", strerror(errno));
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
 void os_setup_post(void)
 {
     int fd = 0;
diff --git a/system/vl.c b/system/vl.c
index 2a0bd08ff1..95cd2d91c4 100644
--- a/system/vl.c
+++ b/system/vl.c
@@ -2778,6 +2778,8 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv)
     error_init(argv[0]);
     qemu_init_exec_dir(argv[0]);
 
+    os_setup_limits();
+
     qemu_init_arch_modules();
 
     qemu_init_subsystems();