diff --git a/include/haproxy/frontend.h b/include/haproxy/frontend.h
index eb986fb0b..8cd1a0a1c 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/frontend.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/frontend.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 int frontend_accept(struct stream *s);
 
+int increment_actconn();
 
 #endif /* _HAPROXY_FRONTEND_H */
 
diff --git a/src/frontend.c b/src/frontend.c
index 105b24bcc..ad2e39ecb 100644
--- a/src/frontend.c
+++ b/src/frontend.c
@@ -165,6 +165,33 @@ int frontend_accept(struct stream *s)
 	return -1;
 }
 
+/* Increment current active connection counter. This ensures that global
+ * maxconn is not reached or exceeded. This must be done for every new frontend
+ * connection allocation.
+ *
+ * Returns the new actconn global value. If maxconn reached or exceeded, 0 is
+ * returned : the connection allocation should be cancelled.
+ */
+int increment_actconn()
+{
+	unsigned int count, next_actconn;
+
+	do {
+		count = actconn;
+		if (unlikely(count >= global.maxconn)) {
+			/* maxconn reached */
+			next_actconn = 0;
+			goto end;
+		}
+
+		/* try to increment actconn */
+		next_actconn = count + 1;
+	} while (!_HA_ATOMIC_CAS(&actconn, (int *)(&count), next_actconn) && __ha_cpu_relax());
+
+ end:
+	return next_actconn;
+}
+
 /************************************************************************/
 /*      All supported sample and ACL keywords must be declared here.    */
 /************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/listener.c b/src/listener.c
index 8a951f391..bbbf18036 100644
--- a/src/listener.c
+++ b/src/listener.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <haproxy/errors.h>
 #include <haproxy/fd.h>
 #include <haproxy/freq_ctr.h>
+#include <haproxy/frontend.h>
 #include <haproxy/global.h>
 #include <haproxy/list.h>
 #include <haproxy/listener.h>
@@ -1114,18 +1115,14 @@ void listener_accept(struct listener *l)
 		}
 
 		if (!(l->bind_conf->options & BC_O_UNLIMITED)) {
-			do {
-				count = actconn;
-				if (unlikely(count >= global.maxconn)) {
-					/* the process was marked full or another
-					 * thread is going to do it.
-					 */
-					next_actconn = 0;
-					expire = tick_add(now_ms, 1000); /* try again in 1 second */
-					goto limit_global;
-				}
-				next_actconn = count + 1;
-			} while (!_HA_ATOMIC_CAS(&actconn, (int *)(&count), next_actconn));
+			next_actconn = increment_actconn();
+			if (!next_actconn) {
+				/* the process was marked full or another
+				 * thread is going to do it.
+				 */
+				expire = tick_add(now_ms, 1000); /* try again in 1 second */
+				goto limit_global;
+			}
 		}
 
 		/* be careful below, the listener might be shutting down in