diff --git a/include/xrpl/server/detail/Door.h b/include/xrpl/server/detail/Door.h
index 7906af2a52..65bc310d4c 100644
--- a/include/xrpl/server/detail/Door.h
+++ b/include/xrpl/server/detail/Door.h
@@ -30,15 +30,29 @@
 #include <boost/asio/buffer.hpp>
 #include <boost/asio/io_context.hpp>
 #include <boost/asio/ip/tcp.hpp>
+#include <boost/asio/post.hpp>
 #include <boost/asio/spawn.hpp>
+#include <boost/asio/steady_timer.hpp>
 #include <boost/beast/core/detect_ssl.hpp>
 #include <boost/beast/core/multi_buffer.hpp>
 #include <boost/beast/core/tcp_stream.hpp>
 #include <boost/container/flat_map.hpp>
+#include <boost/predef.h>
 
+#if !BOOST_OS_WINDOWS
+#include <sys/resource.h>
+
+#include <dirent.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <cstdint>
 #include <functional>
 #include <memory>
+#include <optional>
+#include <sstream>
 
 namespace ripple {
 
@@ -98,10 +112,27 @@ private:
     boost::asio::strand<boost::asio::io_context::executor_type> strand_;
     bool ssl_;
     bool plain_;
+    static constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds INITIAL_ACCEPT_DELAY{50};
+    static constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds MAX_ACCEPT_DELAY{2000};
+    std::chrono::milliseconds accept_delay_{INITIAL_ACCEPT_DELAY};
+    boost::asio::steady_timer backoff_timer_;
+    static constexpr double FREE_FD_THRESHOLD = 0.70;
+
+    struct FDStats
+    {
+        std::uint64_t used{0};
+        std::uint64_t limit{0};
+    };
 
     void
     reOpen();
 
+    std::optional<FDStats>
+    query_fd_stats() const;
+
+    bool
+    should_throttle_for_fds();
+
 public:
     Door(
         Handler& handler,
@@ -299,6 +330,7 @@ Door<Handler>::Door(
     , plain_(
           port_.protocol.count("http") > 0 || port_.protocol.count("ws") > 0 ||
           port_.protocol.count("ws2"))
+    , backoff_timer_(io_context)
 {
     reOpen();
 }
@@ -323,6 +355,7 @@ Door<Handler>::close()
         return boost::asio::post(
             strand_,
             std::bind(&Door<Handler>::close, this->shared_from_this()));
+    backoff_timer_.cancel();
     error_code ec;
     acceptor_.close(ec);
 }
@@ -368,6 +401,17 @@ Door<Handler>::do_accept(boost::asio::yield_context do_yield)
 {
     while (acceptor_.is_open())
     {
+        if (should_throttle_for_fds())
+        {
+            backoff_timer_.expires_after(accept_delay_);
+            boost::system::error_code tec;
+            backoff_timer_.async_wait(do_yield[tec]);
+            accept_delay_ = std::min(accept_delay_ * 2, MAX_ACCEPT_DELAY);
+            JLOG(j_.warn()) << "Throttling do_accept for "
+                            << accept_delay_.count() << "ms.";
+            continue;
+        }
+
         error_code ec;
         endpoint_type remote_address;
         stream_type stream(ioc_);
@@ -377,15 +421,28 @@ Door<Handler>::do_accept(boost::asio::yield_context do_yield)
         {
             if (ec == boost::asio::error::operation_aborted)
                 break;
-            JLOG(j_.error()) << "accept: " << ec.message();
-            if (ec == boost::asio::error::no_descriptors)
+
+            if (ec == boost::asio::error::no_descriptors ||
+                ec == boost::asio::error::no_buffer_space)
             {
-                JLOG(j_.info()) << "re-opening acceptor";
-                reOpen();
+                JLOG(j_.warn()) << "accept: Too many open files. Pausing for "
+                                << accept_delay_.count() << "ms.";
+
+                backoff_timer_.expires_after(accept_delay_);
+                boost::system::error_code tec;
+                backoff_timer_.async_wait(do_yield[tec]);
+
+                accept_delay_ = std::min(accept_delay_ * 2, MAX_ACCEPT_DELAY);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                JLOG(j_.error()) << "accept error: " << ec.message();
             }
             continue;
         }
 
+        accept_delay_ = INITIAL_ACCEPT_DELAY;
+
         if (ssl_ && plain_)
         {
             if (auto sp = ios().template emplace<Detector>(
@@ -408,6 +465,60 @@ Door<Handler>::do_accept(boost::asio::yield_context do_yield)
     }
 }
 
+template <class Handler>
+std::optional<typename Door<Handler>::FDStats>
+Door<Handler>::query_fd_stats() const
+{
+#if BOOST_OS_WINDOWS
+    return std::nullopt;
+#else
+    FDStats s;
+    struct rlimit rl;
+    if (getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &rl) != 0 || rl.rlim_cur == RLIM_INFINITY)
+        return std::nullopt;
+    s.limit = static_cast<std::uint64_t>(rl.rlim_cur);
+#if BOOST_OS_LINUX
+    constexpr char const* kFdDir = "/proc/self/fd";
+#else
+    constexpr char const* kFdDir = "/dev/fd";
+#endif
+    if (DIR* d = ::opendir(kFdDir))
+    {
+        std::uint64_t cnt = 0;
+        while (::readdir(d) != nullptr)
+            ++cnt;
+        ::closedir(d);
+        // readdir counts '.', '..', and the DIR* itself shows in the list
+        s.used = (cnt >= 3) ? (cnt - 3) : 0;
+        return s;
+    }
+    return std::nullopt;
+#endif
+}
+
+template <class Handler>
+bool
+Door<Handler>::should_throttle_for_fds()
+{
+#if BOOST_OS_WINDOWS
+    return false;
+#else
+    auto const stats = query_fd_stats();
+    if (!stats || stats->limit == 0)
+        return false;
+
+    auto const& s = *stats;
+    auto const free = (s.limit > s.used) ? (s.limit - s.used) : 0ull;
+    double const free_ratio =
+        static_cast<double>(free) / static_cast<double>(s.limit);
+    if (free_ratio < FREE_FD_THRESHOLD)
+    {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+#endif
+}
+
 }  // namespace ripple
 
 #endif