diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c
index 3d2e489ab732..ff9163dc1596 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include <linux/completion.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/sysctl.h>
 
 #include <rdma/iw_cm.h>
 #include <rdma/ib_addr.h>
@@ -65,6 +66,20 @@ struct iwcm_work {
 	struct list_head free_list;
 };
 
+static unsigned int default_backlog = 256;
+
+static struct ctl_table_header *iwcm_ctl_table_hdr;
+static struct ctl_table iwcm_ctl_table[] = {
+	{
+		.procname	= "default_backlog",
+		.data		= &default_backlog,
+		.maxlen		= sizeof(default_backlog),
+		.mode		= 0644,
+		.proc_handler	= proc_dointvec,
+	},
+	{ }
+};
+
 /*
  * The following services provide a mechanism for pre-allocating iwcm_work
  * elements.  The design pre-allocates them  based on the cm_id type:
@@ -425,6 +440,9 @@ int iw_cm_listen(struct iw_cm_id *cm_id, int backlog)
 
 	cm_id_priv = container_of(cm_id, struct iwcm_id_private, id);
 
+	if (!backlog)
+		backlog = default_backlog;
+
 	ret = alloc_work_entries(cm_id_priv, backlog);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -1030,11 +1048,20 @@ static int __init iw_cm_init(void)
 	if (!iwcm_wq)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	iwcm_ctl_table_hdr = register_net_sysctl(&init_net, "net/iw_cm",
+						 iwcm_ctl_table);
+	if (!iwcm_ctl_table_hdr) {
+		pr_err("iw_cm: couldn't register sysctl paths\n");
+		destroy_workqueue(iwcm_wq);
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static void __exit iw_cm_cleanup(void)
 {
+	unregister_net_sysctl_table(iwcm_ctl_table_hdr);
 	destroy_workqueue(iwcm_wq);
 }