diff --git a/lib/core/context.c b/lib/core/context.c
index c4acac573..35da6f50e 100644
--- a/lib/core/context.c
+++ b/lib/core/context.c
@@ -1375,7 +1375,11 @@ lws_create_context(const struct lws_context_creation_info *info)
 	if (info->max_http_header_pool)
 		context->max_http_header_pool = info->max_http_header_pool;
 	else
-		context->max_http_header_pool = context->max_fds;
+		if (info->max_http_header_pool2)
+			context->max_http_header_pool =
+					info->max_http_header_pool2;
+		else
+			context->max_http_header_pool = context->max_fds;
 
 	if (info->fd_limit_per_thread)
 		context->fd_limit_per_thread = info->fd_limit_per_thread;
diff --git a/lib/core/private.h b/lib/core/private.h
index bb2b1a175..6766e47d6 100644
--- a/lib/core/private.h
+++ b/lib/core/private.h
@@ -655,6 +655,7 @@ struct lws_context {
 	unsigned int timeout_secs;
 	unsigned int pt_serv_buf_size;
 	int max_http_header_data;
+	int max_http_header_pool;
 	int simultaneous_ssl_restriction;
 	int simultaneous_ssl;
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_PEER_LIMITS)
@@ -681,7 +682,6 @@ struct lws_context {
 	volatile int service_tid;
 	int service_tid_detected;
 
-	short max_http_header_pool;
 	short count_threads;
 	short plugin_protocol_count;
 	short plugin_extension_count;
diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.h b/lib/libwebsockets.h
index 29e91a3e9..0f81d1027 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.h
@@ -2774,10 +2774,10 @@ struct lws_context_creation_info {
 	void *provided_client_ssl_ctx; /**< dummy if ssl disabled */
 #endif
 
-	short max_http_header_data;
+	unsigned short max_http_header_data;
 	/**< CONTEXT: The max amount of header payload that can be handled
 	 * in an http request (unrecognized header payload is dropped) */
-	short max_http_header_pool;
+	unsigned short max_http_header_pool;
 	/**< CONTEXT: The max number of connections with http headers that
 	 * can be processed simultaneously (the corresponding memory is
 	 * allocated and deallocated dynamically as needed).  If the pool is
@@ -2997,6 +2997,11 @@ struct lws_context_creation_info {
 	/**< VHOST: opaque pointer lws ignores but passes to the finalize
 	 *	    callback.  If you don't care, leave it NULL.
 	 */
+	unsigned int max_http_header_pool2;
+	/**< CONTEXT: if max_http_header_pool is 0 and this
+	 * is nonzero, this will be used in place of the default.  It's
+	 * like this for compatibility with the original short version:
+	 * this is unsigned int length. */
 
 	/* Add new things just above here ---^
 	 * This is part of the ABI, don't needlessly break compatibility