diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1b03135..38930b7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -132,6 +132,32 @@ AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_func_gettimeofday" = yes],
             [Define to 1 if you have a standard gettimeofday function])
 ])
 
+dnl The --enable-proc-loadavg option will automatically test for the
+dnl presence of a working /proc/loadavg file, but it can also be set
+dnl manually in order to override the test result.
+AC_CACHE_CHECK(for usable /proc/loadavg, ac_cv_proc_loadavg_test,
+               [AC_RUN_IFELSE([AC_LANG_SOURCE([[
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+int main() {
+  int fd, i, n; char str[64];
+  fd = open("/proc/loadavg", O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
+  if (fd < 0 || read(fd, str, 64) < 0 || lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET) < 0) return 1;
+  for (str[63] = i = n = 0; i < 3 && n < 64; ++n) if (str[n] == ' ') ++i;
+  return i < 3 || strtoul(&str[n], NULL, 10) < 1 || close(fd) < 0; } ]])],
+                              ac_cv_proc_loadavg_test=yes,
+                              ac_cv_proc_loadavg_test=no)])
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(wether to use /proc/loadavg)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(proc-loadavg,
+        AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-proc-loadavg={yes|no}],[Allow to limit the processes started by make to not exceed the total number of active processes on a system based on /proc/loadavg [default=autodetect]]),
+        ac_cv_proc_loadavg=$enableval,
+        ac_cv_proc_loadavg=$ac_cv_proc_loadavg_test)
+AS_IF(test x$ac_cv_proc_loadavg = xyes,
+           AC_DEFINE(USE_PROC_LOADAVG, 1, [Defined when load limiting shall be based on /proc/loadavg]))
+AC_MSG_RESULT($ac_cv_proc_loadavg)
+
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([strdup strndup umask mkstemp mktemp fdopen \
                 dup dup2 getcwd realpath sigsetmask sigaction \
                 getgroups seteuid setegid setlinebuf setreuid setregid \
diff --git a/job.c b/job.c
index 5f24597..b1ff68e 100644
--- a/job.c
+++ b/job.c
@@ -1963,6 +1963,59 @@ load_too_high (void)
 {
 #if defined(__MSDOS__) || defined(VMS) || defined(_AMIGA) || defined(__riscos__)
   return 1;
+#elif defined(USE_PROC_LOADAVG)
+  /* Read from /proc/loadavg and use the number of active running
+     tasks & threads to determine if we can start another process. */
+#define PROC_LOADAVG_SIZE 64
+  static int fd = -2;
+  char proc_loadavg[PROC_LOADAVG_SIZE];
+  int i, p;
+  unsigned long load;
+
+  if (max_load_average < 0.0 || fd == -1)
+    return 0;
+
+  if (fd == -2)
+    {
+      fd = open ("/proc/loadavg", O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
+      if (fd < 0)
+	{
+	  perror_with_name (_("cannot open /proc/loadavg: "), "open");
+	  fd = -1;
+	  return 0;
+	}
+    }
+  p = read (fd, proc_loadavg, PROC_LOADAVG_SIZE);
+  if (p < 0)
+    {
+      perror_with_name (_("cannot read /proc/loadavg: "), "read");
+      close(fd);
+      fd = -1;
+      return 0;
+    }
+  if (lseek (fd, 0, SEEK_SET) < 0)
+    {
+      perror_with_name (_("cannot seek on /proc/loadavg: "), "lseek");
+      close(fd);
+      fd = -1;
+      return 0;
+    }
+  proc_loadavg[p < PROC_LOADAVG_SIZE ? p : PROC_LOADAVG_SIZE - 1] = '\0';
+  for (i = p = 0; i < 3 && p < PROC_LOADAVG_SIZE; ++p)
+    {
+      if (proc_loadavg[p] == ' ')
+	++i;
+    }
+  if (i < 3)
+    {
+      errno = ENOTSUP;
+      perror_with_name (_("unsupported format of /proc/loadavg: "), "load_too_high");
+      close (fd);
+      fd = -1;
+      return 0;
+    }
+  load = strtoul(&proc_loadavg[p], NULL, 10);
+  return max_load_average < (double) load;
 #else
   static double last_sec;
   static time_t last_now;