diff --git a/src/polling_util.hpp b/src/polling_util.hpp
index 381a77e7..c2f3ff20 100644
--- a/src/polling_util.hpp
+++ b/src/polling_util.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #define __ZMQ_SOCKET_POLLING_UTIL_HPP_INCLUDED__
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "stdint.hpp"
 #include "platform.hpp"
@@ -68,6 +69,40 @@ template <typename T, size_t S> class fast_vector_t
     T *_buf;
 };
 
+template <typename T, size_t S> class resizable_fast_vector_t
+{
+  public:
+    resizable_fast_vector_t () : _dynamic_buf (NULL) {}
+
+    void resize (const size_t nitems_)
+    {
+        if (_dynamic_buf)
+            _dynamic_buf->resize (nitems_);
+        if (nitems_ > S) {
+            _dynamic_buf = new (std::nothrow) std::vector<T>;
+            //  TODO since this function is called by a client, we could return errno == ENOMEM here
+            alloc_assert (_dynamic_buf);
+        }
+    }
+
+    T *get_buf ()
+    {
+        // e.g. MSVC 2008 does not have std::vector::data, so we use &...[0]
+        return _dynamic_buf ? &(*_dynamic_buf)[0] : _static_buf;
+    }
+
+    T &operator[] (const size_t i) { return get_buf ()[i]; }
+
+    ~resizable_fast_vector_t () { delete _dynamic_buf; }
+
+  private:
+    resizable_fast_vector_t (const resizable_fast_vector_t &);
+    resizable_fast_vector_t &operator= (const resizable_fast_vector_t &);
+
+    T _static_buf[S];
+    std::vector<T> *_dynamic_buf;
+};
+
 #if defined ZMQ_POLL_BASED_ON_POLL
 typedef int timeout_t;
 
@@ -104,6 +139,20 @@ class optimized_fd_set_t
     fast_vector_t<char, sizeof (u_int) + ZMQ_POLLITEMS_DFLT * sizeof (SOCKET)>
       _fd_set;
 };
+
+class resizable_optimized_fd_set_t
+{
+  public:
+    void resize (size_t nevents_) { _fd_set.resize (nevents_); }
+
+    fd_set *get () { return reinterpret_cast<fd_set *> (&_fd_set[0]); }
+
+  private:
+    resizable_fast_vector_t<char,
+                            sizeof (u_int)
+                              + ZMQ_POLLITEMS_DFLT * sizeof (SOCKET)>
+      _fd_set;
+};
 #else
 class optimized_fd_set_t
 {
@@ -115,6 +164,14 @@ class optimized_fd_set_t
   private:
     fd_set _fd_set;
 };
+
+class resizable_optimized_fd_set_t : public optimized_fd_set_t
+{
+  public:
+    resizable_optimized_fd_set_t () : optimized_fd_set_t (0) {}
+
+    void resize (size_t /*nevents_*/) {}
+};
 #endif
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/src/socket_poller.cpp b/src/socket_poller.cpp
index 592f2063..c0258a6d 100644
--- a/src/socket_poller.cpp
+++ b/src/socket_poller.cpp
@@ -318,18 +318,22 @@ void zmq::socket_poller_t::rebuild ()
 
 #elif defined ZMQ_POLL_BASED_ON_SELECT
 
-    FD_ZERO (&_pollset_in);
-    FD_ZERO (&_pollset_out);
-    FD_ZERO (&_pollset_err);
-
     //  Ensure we do not attempt to select () on more than FD_SETSIZE
     //  file descriptors.
     zmq_assert (_items.size () <= FD_SETSIZE);
 
+    _pollset_in.resize (_items.size ());
+    _pollset_out.resize (_items.size ());
+    _pollset_err.resize (_items.size ());
+
+    FD_ZERO (_pollset_in.get ());
+    FD_ZERO (_pollset_out.get ());
+    FD_ZERO (_pollset_err.get ());
+
     for (items_t::iterator it = _items.begin (); it != _items.end (); ++it) {
         if (it->socket && is_thread_safe (*it->socket) && it->events) {
             _use_signaler = true;
-            FD_SET (_signaler->get_fd (), &_pollset_in);
+            FD_SET (_signaler->get_fd (), _pollset_in.get ());
             _pollset_size = 1;
             break;
         }
@@ -350,7 +354,7 @@ void zmq::socket_poller_t::rebuild ()
                       it->socket->getsockopt (ZMQ_FD, &notify_fd, &fd_size);
                     zmq_assert (rc == 0);
 
-                    FD_SET (notify_fd, &_pollset_in);
+                    FD_SET (notify_fd, _pollset_in.get ());
                     if (_max_fd < notify_fd)
                         _max_fd = notify_fd;
 
@@ -361,11 +365,11 @@ void zmq::socket_poller_t::rebuild ()
             //  events to the appropriate fd_sets.
             else {
                 if (it->events & ZMQ_POLLIN)
-                    FD_SET (it->fd, &_pollset_in);
+                    FD_SET (it->fd, _pollset_in.get ());
                 if (it->events & ZMQ_POLLOUT)
-                    FD_SET (it->fd, &_pollset_out);
+                    FD_SET (it->fd, _pollset_out.get ());
                 if (it->events & ZMQ_POLLERR)
-                    FD_SET (it->fd, &_pollset_err);
+                    FD_SET (it->fd, _pollset_err.get ());
                 if (_max_fd < it->fd)
                     _max_fd = it->fd;
 
@@ -618,12 +622,12 @@ int zmq::socket_poller_t::wait (zmq::socket_poller_t::event_t *events_,
 
         //  Wait for events. Ignore interrupts if there's infinite timeout.
         while (true) {
-            memcpy (inset.get (), &_pollset_in,
-                    valid_pollset_bytes (_pollset_in));
-            memcpy (outset.get (), &_pollset_out,
-                    valid_pollset_bytes (_pollset_out));
-            memcpy (errset.get (), &_pollset_err,
-                    valid_pollset_bytes (_pollset_err));
+            memcpy (inset.get (), _pollset_in.get (),
+                    valid_pollset_bytes (*_pollset_in.get ()));
+            memcpy (outset.get (), _pollset_out.get (),
+                    valid_pollset_bytes (*_pollset_out.get ()));
+            memcpy (errset.get (), _pollset_err.get (),
+                    valid_pollset_bytes (*_pollset_err.get ()));
             const int rc = select (static_cast<int> (_max_fd + 1), inset.get (),
                                    outset.get (), errset.get (), ptimeout);
 #if defined ZMQ_HAVE_WINDOWS
@@ -641,7 +645,7 @@ int zmq::socket_poller_t::wait (zmq::socket_poller_t::event_t *events_,
             break;
         }
 
-        if (_use_signaler && FD_ISSET (_signaler->get_fd (), &inset))
+        if (_use_signaler && FD_ISSET (_signaler->get_fd (), inset.get ()))
             _signaler->recv ();
 
         //  Check for the events.
diff --git a/src/socket_poller.hpp b/src/socket_poller.hpp
index e989b090..5c436f0d 100644
--- a/src/socket_poller.hpp
+++ b/src/socket_poller.hpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 
 #include "socket_base.hpp"
 #include "signaler.hpp"
+#include "polling_util.hpp"
 
 namespace zmq
 {
@@ -135,9 +136,9 @@ class socket_poller_t
 #if defined ZMQ_POLL_BASED_ON_POLL
     pollfd *_pollfds;
 #elif defined ZMQ_POLL_BASED_ON_SELECT
-    fd_set _pollset_in;
-    fd_set _pollset_out;
-    fd_set _pollset_err;
+    resizable_optimized_fd_set_t _pollset_in;
+    resizable_optimized_fd_set_t _pollset_out;
+    resizable_optimized_fd_set_t _pollset_err;
     zmq::fd_t _max_fd;
 #endif