diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index b4848ce0d6ac..6d261bf206fc 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -1178,7 +1178,8 @@ static int __sock_create(int family, int type, int protocol, struct socket **res
  */
 
 	if (!(sock = sock_alloc())) {
-		printk(KERN_WARNING "socket: no more sockets\n");
+		if (net_ratelimit())
+			printk(KERN_WARNING "socket: no more sockets\n");
 		err = -ENFILE;		/* Not exactly a match, but its the
 					   closest posix thing */
 		goto out;