diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 160cc7b0..175500b4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -266,6 +266,14 @@ Default: `undef`. Required. Password to connect to the database.
 Default: `radius`. Name of the database. Normally you should leave this alone. If you are using Oracle then use this instead:
 `(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=localhost)(PORT=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=your_sid)))`.
 
+##### `num_sql_socks`
+
+Default: same as `max_servers`. Number of sql connections to make to the database server. 
+Setting this to LESS than the number of threads means that some threads may starve, and
+you will see errors like "No connections available and at max connection limit". Setting
+this to MORE than the number of threads means that there are more connections than necessary.
+Leave blank to set it to the same value as the number of threads.
+
 ```puppet
 freeradius::sql { 'mydatabase':
   database  => 'mysql',
diff --git a/manifests/sql.pp b/manifests/sql.pp
index e1c9c932..aec5698f 100644
--- a/manifests/sql.pp
+++ b/manifests/sql.pp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   $server = 'localhost',
   $login = 'radius',
   $radius_db = 'radius',
+  $num_sql_socks = '${thread[pool].max_servers}',
 ) {
   $fr_package  = $::freeradius::params::fr_package
   $fr_service  = $::freeradius::params::fr_service
diff --git a/templates/sql.conf.erb b/templates/sql.conf.erb
index bc176335..f74f1337 100644
--- a/templates/sql.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/sql.conf.erb
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ sql {
 	# Setting this to MORE than the number of threads means
 	# that there are more connections than necessary.
 	# 
-	num_sql_socks = ${thread[pool].max_servers}
+	num_sql_socks = <%= @num_sql_socks %> 
 
 	# number of seconds to dely retrying on a failed database
 	# connection (per_socket)