diff --git a/deps/uv/include/uv-private/uv-win.h b/deps/uv/include/uv-private/uv-win.h
index 5d461090f159dc..7c1818cbc922f4 100644
--- a/deps/uv/include/uv-private/uv-win.h
+++ b/deps/uv/include/uv-private/uv-win.h
@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ RB_HEAD(uv_timer_tree_s, uv_timer_s);
   LPFN_WSARECVFROM func_wsarecvfrom;
 
 #define uv_pipe_server_fields             \
-  uv_pipe_accept_t accept_reqs[4];        \
+  int pending_instances;                  \
+  uv_pipe_accept_t* accept_reqs;          \
   uv_pipe_accept_t* pending_accepts;
 
 #define uv_pipe_connection_fields         \
diff --git a/deps/uv/include/uv.h b/deps/uv/include/uv.h
index ea845e3a43aff9..e8b70b180de834 100644
--- a/deps/uv/include/uv.h
+++ b/deps/uv/include/uv.h
@@ -772,6 +772,13 @@ UV_EXTERN int uv_pipe_bind(uv_pipe_t* handle, const char* name);
 UV_EXTERN void uv_pipe_connect(uv_connect_t* req, uv_pipe_t* handle,
     const char* name, uv_connect_cb cb);
 
+/*
+ * This setting applies to Windows only.
+ * Set the number of pending pipe instance handles when the pipe server
+ * is waiting for connections.
+ */
+UV_EXTERN void uv_pipe_pending_instances(uv_pipe_t* handle, int count);
+
 
 /*
  * uv_prepare_t is a subclass of uv_handle_t.
diff --git a/deps/uv/src/unix/pipe.c b/deps/uv/src/unix/pipe.c
index 87959a6e5da957..43869b6385bb8f 100644
--- a/deps/uv/src/unix/pipe.c
+++ b/deps/uv/src/unix/pipe.c
@@ -271,3 +271,8 @@ void uv__pipe_accept(EV_P_ ev_io* watcher, int revents) {
 
   errno = saved_errno;
 }
+
+
+void uv_pipe_pending_instances(uv_pipe_t* handle, int count) {
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/deps/uv/src/win/pipe.c b/deps/uv/src/win/pipe.c
index 5dada4f9c8b847..3bbfa83386db9d 100644
--- a/deps/uv/src/win/pipe.c
+++ b/deps/uv/src/win/pipe.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ static const uv_buf_t uv_null_buf_ = { 0, NULL };
 /* when the local ends wants to shut it down. */
 static const int64_t eof_timeout = 50; /* ms */
 
+static const int default_pending_pipe_instances = 4;
+
 /* IPC protocol flags. */
 #define UV_IPC_RAW_DATA   0x0001
 #define UV_IPC_UV_STREAM  0x0002
@@ -293,6 +295,12 @@ void uv_pipe_endgame(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_pipe_t* handle) {
       }
     }
 
+    if (handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_PIPESERVER) {
+      assert(handle->accept_reqs);
+      free(handle->accept_reqs);
+      handle->accept_reqs = NULL;
+    }
+
     /* Remember the state of this flag because the close callback is */
     /* allowed to clobber or free the handle's memory */
     uv_alloced = handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_UV_ALLOCED;
@@ -310,6 +318,12 @@ void uv_pipe_endgame(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_pipe_t* handle) {
 }
 
 
+void uv_pipe_pending_instances(uv_pipe_t* handle, int count) {
+  handle->pending_instances = count;
+  handle->flags |= UV_HANDLE_PIPESERVER;
+}
+
+
 /* Creates a pipe server. */
 int uv_pipe_bind(uv_pipe_t* handle, const char* name) {
   uv_loop_t* loop = handle->loop;
@@ -326,7 +340,17 @@ int uv_pipe_bind(uv_pipe_t* handle, const char* name) {
     return -1;
   }
 
-  for (i = 0; i < COUNTOF(handle->accept_reqs); i++) {
+  if (!(handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_PIPESERVER)) {
+    handle->pending_instances = default_pending_pipe_instances;
+  }
+
+  handle->accept_reqs = (uv_pipe_accept_t*)
+    malloc(sizeof(uv_pipe_accept_t) * handle->pending_instances);
+  if (!handle->accept_reqs) {
+    uv_fatal_error(ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY, "malloc");
+  }
+
+  for (i = 0; i < handle->pending_instances; i++) {
     req = &handle->accept_reqs[i];
     uv_req_init(loop, (uv_req_t*) req);
     req->type = UV_ACCEPT;
@@ -537,14 +561,13 @@ void close_pipe(uv_pipe_t* handle, int* status, uv_err_t* err) {
   }
 
   if (handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_PIPESERVER) {
-    for (i = 0; i < COUNTOF(handle->accept_reqs); i++) {
+    for (i = 0; i < handle->pending_instances; i++) {
       pipeHandle = handle->accept_reqs[i].pipeHandle;
       if (pipeHandle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
         CloseHandle(pipeHandle);
         handle->accept_reqs[i].pipeHandle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
       }
     }
-
   }
 
   if (handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_CONNECTION) {
@@ -686,7 +709,7 @@ int uv_pipe_listen(uv_pipe_t* handle, int backlog, uv_connection_cb cb) {
   /* First pipe handle should have already been created in uv_pipe_bind */
   assert(handle->accept_reqs[0].pipeHandle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE);
 
-  for (i = 0; i < COUNTOF(handle->accept_reqs); i++) {
+  for (i = 0; i < handle->pending_instances; i++) {
     uv_pipe_queue_accept(loop, handle, &handle->accept_reqs[i], i == 0);
   }