diff --git a/include/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.h b/include/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.h
index cef659bf5..08ed86497 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.h
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ class MySrvList {	// MySQL Server List
 class MyHGC {	// MySQL Host Group Container
 	public:
 	unsigned int hid;
+	unsigned long long current_time_now;
+	uint32_t new_connections_now;
 	MySrvList *mysrvs;
 	MyHGC(int);
 	~MyHGC();
@@ -188,6 +190,7 @@ class MySQL_HostGroups_Manager {
 		int client_connections;
 		unsigned long server_connections_aborted;
 		unsigned long server_connections_created;
+		unsigned long server_connections_delayed;
 		unsigned long server_connections_connected;
 		unsigned long myconnpoll_get;
 		unsigned long myconnpoll_get_ok;
diff --git a/include/MySQL_Thread.h b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
index c1183ad45..f702d3edc 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Thread.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ class MySQL_Threads_Handler
 		bool enforce_autocommit_on_reads;
 		bool autocommit_false_not_reusable;
 		int max_allowed_packet;
+		int throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
 		int max_transaction_time;
 		int threshold_query_length;
 		int threshold_resultset_size;
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index 24cad7d1b..8dab9dc1b 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -589,6 +589,7 @@ __thread char *mysql_thread___init_connect;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___default_sql_mode;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___default_time_zone;
 __thread int mysql_thread___max_allowed_packet;
+__thread int mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
 __thread int mysql_thread___max_transaction_time;
 __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_query_length;
 __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_resultset_size;
@@ -688,6 +689,7 @@ extern __thread char *mysql_thread___init_connect;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_sql_mode;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_time_zone;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___max_allowed_packet;
+extern __thread int mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___max_transaction_time;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_query_length;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_resultset_size;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp b/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp
index 6ce477578..857860478 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_HostGroups_Manager.cpp
@@ -320,6 +320,8 @@ MySrvList::~MySrvList() {
 MyHGC::MyHGC(int _hid) {
 	hid=_hid;
 	mysrvs=new MySrvList(this);
+	current_time_now = 0;
+	new_connections_now = 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -1387,11 +1389,24 @@ MySQL_Connection * MySrvConnList::get_random_MyConn(bool ff) {
 		proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNPOOL, 7, "Returning MySQL Connection %p, server %s:%d\n", conn, conn->parent->address, conn->parent->port);
 		return conn;
 	} else {
-		conn = new MySQL_Connection();
-		conn->parent=mysrvc;
-		__sync_fetch_and_add(&MyHGM->status.server_connections_created, 1);
-		proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNPOOL, 7, "Returning MySQL Connection %p, server %s:%d\n", conn, conn->parent->address, conn->parent->port);
-		return  conn;
+		unsigned long long curtime = monotonic_time();
+		curtime = curtime / 1000 / 1000; // convert to second
+		MyHGC *_myhgc = mysrvc->myhgc;
+		if (curtime > _myhgc->current_time_now) {
+			_myhgc->current_time_now = curtime;
+			_myhgc->new_connections_now = 0;
+		}
+		_myhgc->new_connections_now++;
+		if (_myhgc->new_connections_now > (unsigned int) mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup) {
+			__sync_fetch_and_add(&MyHGM->status.server_connections_delayed, 1);
+			return NULL;
+		} else {
+			conn = new MySQL_Connection();
+			conn->parent=mysrvc;
+			__sync_fetch_and_add(&MyHGM->status.server_connections_created, 1);
+			proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNPOOL, 7, "Returning MySQL Connection %p, server %s:%d\n", conn, conn->parent->address, conn->parent->port);
+			return  conn;
+		}
 	}
 	return NULL; // never reach here
 }
@@ -1404,8 +1419,10 @@ MySQL_Connection * MySQL_HostGroups_Manager::get_MyConn_from_pool(unsigned int _
 	MySrvC *mysrvc=myhgc->get_random_MySrvC();
 	if (mysrvc) { // a MySrvC exists. If not, we return NULL = no targets
 		conn=mysrvc->ConnectionsFree->get_random_MyConn(ff);
-		mysrvc->ConnectionsUsed->add(conn);
-		status.myconnpoll_get_ok++;
+		if (conn) {
+			mysrvc->ConnectionsUsed->add(conn);
+			status.myconnpoll_get_ok++;
+		}
 	}
 	wrunlock();
 	proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNPOOL, 7, "Returning MySQL Connection %p, server %s:%d\n", conn, (conn ? conn->parent->address : "") , (conn ? conn->parent->port : 0 ));
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index 352fcefa4..9b66946b1 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ static char * mysql_thread_variables_names[]= {
 	(char *)"monitor_wait_timeout",
 	(char *)"monitor_writer_is_also_reader",
 	(char *)"max_allowed_packet",
+	(char *)"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup",
 	(char *)"max_transaction_time",
 	(char *)"multiplexing",
 	(char *)"forward_autocommit",
@@ -342,6 +343,7 @@ MySQL_Threads_Handler::MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	variables.monitor_wait_timeout=true;
 	variables.monitor_writer_is_also_reader=true;
 	variables.max_allowed_packet=4*1024*1024;
+	variables.throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup=1000000;
 	variables.max_transaction_time=4*3600*1000;
 	variables.hostgroup_manager_verbose=1;
 	variables.threshold_query_length=512*1024;
@@ -596,6 +598,7 @@ int MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_int(char *name) {
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"connect_retries_delay")) return (int)variables.connect_retries_delay;
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"eventslog_filesize")) return (int)variables.eventslog_filesize;
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_allowed_packet")) return (int)variables.max_allowed_packet;
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup")) return (int)variables.throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_transaction_time")) return (int)variables.max_transaction_time;
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"hostgroup_manager_verbose")) return (int)variables.hostgroup_manager_verbose;
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"threshold_query_length")) return (int)variables.threshold_query_length;
@@ -848,6 +851,10 @@ char * MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable(char *name) {	// this is the public f
 		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.max_allowed_packet);
 		return strdup(intbuf);
 	}
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup")) {
+		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup);
+		return strdup(intbuf);
+	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_transaction_time")) {
 		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.max_transaction_time);
 		return strdup(intbuf);
@@ -1220,6 +1227,15 @@ bool MySQL_Threads_Handler::set_variable(char *name, char *value) {	// this is t
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup")) {
+		int intv=atoi(value);
+		if (intv >= 1 && intv <= 100*1000*1000) {
+			variables.throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup=intv;
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"hostgroup_manager_verbose")) {
 		int intv=atoi(value);
 		if (intv >= 0 && intv <= 1) {
@@ -3058,6 +3074,7 @@ void MySQL_Thread::refresh_variables() {
 	GloMTH->wrlock();
 	__thread_MySQL_Thread_Variables_version=__global_MySQL_Thread_Variables_version;
 	mysql_thread___max_allowed_packet=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"max_allowed_packet");
+	mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup");
 	mysql_thread___max_transaction_time=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"max_transaction_time");
 	mysql_thread___threshold_query_length=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"threshold_query_length");
 	mysql_thread___threshold_resultset_size=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"threshold_resultset_size");
@@ -3378,6 +3395,13 @@ SQLite3_result * MySQL_Threads_Handler::SQL3_GlobalStatus() {
 		pta[1]=buf;
 		result->add_row(pta);
 	}
+	{
+		// Connections delayed
+		pta[0]=(char *)"Server_Connections_delayed";
+		sprintf(buf,"%lu",MyHGM->status.server_connections_delayed);
+		pta[1]=buf;
+		result->add_row(pta);
+	}
 #ifdef IDLE_THREADS
 	{	// Connections non idle
 		pta[0]=(char *)"Client_Connections_non_idle";