diff --git a/apache/manifests/init.pp b/apache/manifests/init.pp
index e400d29..d55842a 100644
--- a/apache/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/apache/manifests/init.pp
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ class apache::common {
         }
     }
 
+    if ! $apache_maxclients {
+      $apache_maxclients = "256"
+    }
+
     if $apache_datadir {
         file { $apache_datadir:
             ensure  => directory,
@@ -227,7 +231,7 @@ define apache::site($aliases="", $root="", $redirect="", $proxy="") {
 class apache::sslserver inherits apache::common {
 
     include user::system
-  
+
     case $::operatingsystem {
         "debian","ubuntu": {
             include apache::debian::sslserver
diff --git a/apache/templates/apache2.conf.erb b/apache/templates/apache2.conf.erb
index 67d4583..e228886 100644
--- a/apache/templates/apache2.conf.erb
+++ b/apache/templates/apache2.conf.erb
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ KeepAliveTimeout 15
     StartServers          8
     MinSpareServers       5
     MaxSpareServers      20
-    ServerLimit         256
-    MaxClients          256
+    ServerLimit         <%= @apache_maxclients %>
+    MaxClients          <%= @apache_maxclients %>
     MaxRequestsPerChild 4000
 </IfModule>
 
diff --git a/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb b/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb
index 58df853..4633362 100644
--- a/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb
+++ b/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ KeepAliveTimeout 15
 StartServers       8
 MinSpareServers    5
 MaxSpareServers   20
-ServerLimit      256
-MaxClients       256
+ServerLimit      <%= @apache_maxclients %>
+MaxClients       <%= @apache_maxclients %>
 MaxRequestsPerChild  4000
 </IfModule>
 
diff --git a/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb b/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb
index 79a5049..0e6956a 100644
--- a/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb
+++ b/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ KeepAliveTimeout 15
 StartServers       8
 MinSpareServers    5
 MaxSpareServers   20
-ServerLimit      256
-MaxClients       256
+ServerLimit      <%= @apache_maxclients %>
+MaxClients       <%= @apache_maxclients %>
 MaxRequestsPerChild  4000
 </IfModule>