diff --git a/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess.pm b/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess.pm
index e3b46b3709e..3649d207b71 100644
--- a/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess.pm
+++ b/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess.pm
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ sub new {
   my $error    = delete($opts{'error'});
   my $verbose  = delete($opts{'verbose'}) || $::opt_verbose;
   my $nocore   = delete($opts{'nocore'});
+  my $open_files_limit = delete($opts{'open_files_limit'});
   my $host     = delete($opts{'host'});
   my $shutdown = delete($opts{'shutdown'});
   my $user_data= delete($opts{'user_data'});
@@ -161,6 +162,8 @@ sub new {
   push(@safe_args, "--verbose") if $verbose > 0;
   push(@safe_args, "--nocore") if $nocore;
 
+  push(@safe_args, "--open-files-limit=$open_files_limit") if $open_files_limit;
+
   # Point the safe_process at the right parent if running on cygwin
   push(@safe_args, "--parent-pid=".Cygwin::pid_to_winpid($$)) if IS_CYGWIN;
 
diff --git a/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess/safe_process.cc b/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess/safe_process.cc
index dcf9491d2d6..462e72ed976 100644
--- a/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess/safe_process.cc
+++ b/mysql-test/lib/My/SafeProcess/safe_process.cc
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[] )
   pid_t own_pid= getpid();
   pid_t parent_pid= getppid();
   bool nocore = false;
+  int open_files_limit = 1024;
   struct sigaction sa,sa_abort;
 
   sa.sa_handler= handle_signal;
@@ -268,7 +269,14 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[] )
       }
       else if ( strncmp (arg, "--env ", 6) == 0 )
       {
-	putenv(strdup(arg+6));
+        putenv(strdup(arg+6));
+      }
+      else if ( strncmp(arg, "--open-files-limit=", 19) == 0 )
+      {
+        const char* start = arg + 19;
+        open_files_limit = atoi(start);
+        if (open_files_limit <= 0)
+          die("Invalid value '%s' passed to --open-files-limit", start);
       }
       else
         die("Unknown option: %s", arg);
@@ -318,11 +326,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[] )
     if (nocore)
       setlimit(RLIMIT_CORE, 0, 0);
 
-    /*
-      mysqld defaults depend on that. make test results stable and independent
-      from the environment
-    */
-    setlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, 1024, 1024);
+    // Set open files limit 
+    setlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, open_files_limit, open_files_limit);
 
     // Signal that child is ready
     buf= 37;
diff --git a/mysql-test/mariadb-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mariadb-test-run.pl
index 69411317f65..8b3dbf9881f 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mariadb-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mariadb-test-run.pl
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ our $path_language;
 our $path_current_testlog;
 our $path_testlog;
 
+our $opt_open_files_limit;
+
 our $default_vardir;
 our $opt_vardir;                # Path to use for var/ dir
 our $plugindir;
@@ -1277,6 +1279,7 @@ sub command_line_setup {
 	     'list-options'             => \$opt_list_options,
              'skip-test-list=s'         => \@opt_skip_test_list,
              'xml-report=s'             => \$opt_xml_report,
+             'open-files-limit=i',      => \$opt_open_files_limit,
 
              My::Debugger::options(),
              My::CoreDump::options(),
@@ -5767,6 +5770,7 @@ sub start_mysqltest ($) {
      append        => 1,
      error         => $path_current_testlog,
      verbose       => $opt_verbose,
+     open_files_limit => $opt_open_files_limit,
     );
   mtr_verbose("Started $proc");
   return $proc;
@@ -6065,6 +6069,8 @@ Misc options
   timediff              With --timestamp, also print time passed since
                         *previous* test started
   max-connections=N     Max number of open connection to server in mysqltest
+  open-files-limit=N    Max number of open files allowed for any of the children
+                        of my_safe_process. Default is 1024.
   report-times          Report how much time has been spent on different
                         phases of test execution.
   stress=ARGS           Run stress test, providing options to