diff --git a/core/SipCtrlInterface.cpp b/core/SipCtrlInterface.cpp
index 16832565..b41be772 100644
--- a/core/SipCtrlInterface.cpp
+++ b/core/SipCtrlInterface.cpp
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ unsigned int SipCtrlInterface::outbound_port = 0;
 bool SipCtrlInterface::accept_fr_without_totag = false;
 int SipCtrlInterface::log_raw_messages = 3;
 bool SipCtrlInterface::log_parsed_messages = true;
+int SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf = -1;
 
 int SipCtrlInterface::load()
 {
@@ -103,6 +104,16 @@ int SipCtrlInterface::load()
 	DBG("log_parsed_messages = %s\n", 
 	    log_parsed_messages?"yes":"no");
 
+	if (cfg.hasParameter("udp_rcvbuf")) {
+	    unsigned int config_udp_rcvbuf = -1;
+	    if (str2i(cfg.getParameter("udp_rcvbuf"), config_udp_rcvbuf)) {
+		ERROR("invalid value specified for udp_rcvbuf\n");
+		return false;
+	    }
+	    udp_rcvbuf = config_udp_rcvbuf;
+	    DBG("sipctrl: udp_rcvbuf = %d\n", udp_rcvbuf);
+	}
+
     } else {
 	DBG("assuming SIP default settings.\n");
     }
diff --git a/core/SipCtrlInterface.h b/core/SipCtrlInterface.h
index fe693223..852feaa4 100644
--- a/core/SipCtrlInterface.h
+++ b/core/SipCtrlInterface.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public:
     static bool log_parsed_messages;
     static int log_raw_messages;
     static bool accept_fr_without_totag;
+    static int udp_rcvbuf;
 
     SipCtrlInterface();
     ~SipCtrlInterface(){}
diff --git a/core/etc/sems.conf.sample b/core/etc/sems.conf.sample
index dc7c9fe3..e96fc79a 100644
--- a/core/etc/sems.conf.sample
+++ b/core/etc/sems.conf.sample
@@ -360,3 +360,31 @@ use_default_signature=yes
 # default: error
 # 
 # unhandled_reply_loglevel=info
+
+############################################################
+# SIP stack settings
+#   default settings (i.e. leave out) for these should be OK
+#   for most applications
+
+
+#
+# Log raw messages?  [no|debug|info|warn|error]
+#
+# Default: debug
+#
+#log_raw_messages=no
+
+#
+# Log parsed received messages?  [yes|no]
+#
+# Default: yes
+#
+#log_parsed_messages=no
+
+# SIP UDP socket receive buffer size (in bytes)
+#
+# if not set, system default is used (which usually
+# is modest). set sytem wide upper limit with
+# e.g. sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=8388608
+#
+# udp_rcvbuf = <value>
diff --git a/core/sip/udp_trsp.cpp b/core/sip/udp_trsp.cpp
index 795ab613..a5a51e3a 100644
--- a/core/sip/udp_trsp.cpp
+++ b/core/sip/udp_trsp.cpp
@@ -222,6 +222,30 @@ int udp_trsp::bind(const string& address, unsigned short port)
 	return -1;
     }
 
+    if (SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf > 0) {
+	DBG("trying to set SIP UDP socket buffer to %d\n",
+	    SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf);
+	if(setsockopt(sd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF,
+		      (void*)&SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf,
+		      sizeof (SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf)) == -1) {
+	    WARN("could not set SIP UDP socket buffer: '%s'\n",
+		 strerror(errno));
+	} else {
+	    socklen_t optlen;
+	    int set_rcvbuf_size=0;
+	    if (getsockopt(sd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF,
+			   &set_rcvbuf_size, &optlen) == -1) {
+		WARN("could not read back SIP UDP socket buffer length: '%s'\n",
+		     strerror(errno));
+	    } else {
+		if (set_rcvbuf_size != SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf) {
+		    WARN("failed to set SIP UDP RCVBUF size (wanted %d, got %d)\n",
+			 SipCtrlInterface::udp_rcvbuf, set_rcvbuf_size);
+		}
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+
     local_port = port;
     local_ip   = address;