@@ -, +, @@ 
---
--- a/java/org/apache/coyote/http11/Http11NioProtocol.java	
+++ a/java/org/apache/coyote/http11/Http11NioProtocol.java	
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ 
       return ((NioEndpoint)getEndpoint()).getPollerThreadPriority();
     }
 
+    public boolean getUseInheritedChannel() {
+      return ((NioEndpoint)getEndpoint()).getUseInheritedChannel();
+    }
+
+    public void setUseInheritedChannel(boolean useInheritedChannel) {
+        ((NioEndpoint)getEndpoint()).setUseInheritedChannel(useInheritedChannel);
+    }
+
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------- JMX related methods
 
--- a/java/org/apache/tomcat/util/net/NioEndpoint.java	
+++ a/java/org/apache/tomcat/util/net/NioEndpoint.java	
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ 
 import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.channels.CancelledKeyException;
+import java.nio.channels.Channel;
 import java.nio.channels.FileChannel;
 import java.nio.channels.NetworkChannel;
 import java.nio.channels.SelectionKey;
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ 
 import java.util.ConcurrentModificationException;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
@@ -125,6 +126,14 @@ 
 
 
     /**
+     * Use System.inheritableChannel to obtain channel from stdin/stdout
+     */
+    private boolean useInheritedChannel = false;
+    public void setUseInheritedChannel(boolean useInheritedChannel) { this.useInheritedChannel = useInheritedChannel; }
+    public boolean getUseInheritedChannel() { return useInheritedChannel; }
+
+
+    /**
      * Priority of the poller threads.
      */
     private int pollerThreadPriority = Thread.NORM_PRIORITY;
@@ -200,10 +209,19 @@ 
     @Override
     public void bind() throws Exception {
 
-        serverSock = ServerSocketChannel.open();
+        if(getUseInheritedChannel()) {
+            Channel ic = System.inheritedChannel();
+            if(ic instanceof ServerSocketChannel) {
+                serverSock = (ServerSocketChannel) ic;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if(serverSock == null) {
+            serverSock = ServerSocketChannel.open();
+            InetSocketAddress addr = (getAddress()!=null?new InetSocketAddress(getAddress(),getPort()):new InetSocketAddress(getPort()));
+            serverSock.socket().bind(addr,getAcceptCount());
+        }
         socketProperties.setProperties(serverSock.socket());
-        InetSocketAddress addr = (getAddress()!=null?new InetSocketAddress(getAddress(),getPort()):new InetSocketAddress(getPort()));
-        serverSock.socket().bind(addr,getAcceptCount());
         serverSock.configureBlocking(true); //mimic APR behavior
 
         // Initialize thread count defaults for acceptor, poller
--- a/webapps/docs/config/http.xml	
+++ a/webapps/docs/config/http.xml	
@@ -703,6 +703,16 @@ 
         </p>
       </attribute>
 
+      <attribute name="useInheritedChannel" required="false">
+        <p>(boolean)Defines if this connector should inherit an inetd/systemd network socket.
+        Only one connector can inherit a network socket. This can option can be
+        used to automatcially start Tomcat once a connection request is made to
+        the systemd super daemon's port.
+        The default value is <code>false</code>. See the JavaDoc
+        for the <code>java.nio.channels.spi.SelectorProvider</code> class for
+        more details.</p>
+      </attribute>
+
       <attribute name="pollerThreadPriority" required="false">
         <p>(int)The priority of the poller threads.
         The default value is <code>5</code> (the value of the