diff --git a/src/devpoll.cpp b/src/devpoll.cpp
index 95923c96..61409adc 100644
--- a/src/devpoll.cpp
+++ b/src/devpoll.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 #include <sys/devpoll.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
-#include <sys/resource.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
@@ -40,15 +39,6 @@
 zmq::devpoll_t::devpoll_t () :
     stopping (false)
 {
-    //  Get limit on open files
-    struct rlimit rl;
-    int rc = getrlimit (RLIMIT_NOFILE, &rl);
-    errno_assert (rc != -1);
-    fd_table.resize (rl.rlim_cur);
-
-    for (rlim_t i = 0; i < rl.rlim_cur; i ++)
-        fd_table [i].valid = false;
-
     devpoll_fd = open ("/dev/poll", O_RDWR);
     errno_assert (devpoll_fd != -1);
 }
@@ -69,6 +59,16 @@ void zmq::devpoll_t::devpoll_ctl (fd_t fd_, short events_)
 zmq::devpoll_t::handle_t zmq::devpoll_t::add_fd (fd_t fd_,
     i_poll_events *reactor_)
 {
+    //  If the file descriptor table is too small expand it.
+    fd_table_t::size_type sz = fd_table.size ();
+    if (sz <= (fd_table_t::size_type) fd_) {
+        fd_table.resize (fd_ + 1);
+        while (sz != (fd_table_t::size_type) (fd_ + 1)) {
+            fd_table [sz].valid = false;
+            ++sz;
+        }
+    }
+
     assert (!fd_table [fd_].valid);
 
     fd_table [fd_].events = 0;
diff --git a/src/devpoll.hpp b/src/devpoll.hpp
index 84ec222f..81aa3581 100644
--- a/src/devpoll.hpp
+++ b/src/devpoll.hpp
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ namespace zmq
             bool accepted;
         };
 
-        std::vector <fd_entry_t> fd_table;
+        typedef std::vector <fd_entry_t> fd_table_t;
+        fd_table_t fd_table;
 
         typedef std::vector <fd_t> pending_list_t;
         pending_list_t pending_list;