diff --git a/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.html.en b/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.html.en

index e7af21d..01d54b7 100644

--- a/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.html.en

+++ b/docs/manual/mod/mpm_common.html.en

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ more than one multi-processing module (MPM)

 
 EnableExceptionHook

 
 GracefulShutdownTimeout

 
 Listen

+
 ListenFree

 
 ListenBackLog

 
 ListenCoresBucketsRatio

 
 MaxConnectionsPerChild

@@ -244,6 +245,31 @@ discussion of the Address already in use error message,

 including other causes.

+

+

+
ListenFree Directive

+

+Description:IP addresses and ports that the server

+listens to. Doesn't require IP address to be up

+Syntax:ListenFree [IP-address:]portnumber [protocol]

+Context:server config

+Status:MPM

+Module:event, worker, prefork, mpm_winnt, mpm_netware, mpmt_os2

+Compatibility:This directive is currently available only in Red Hat Enterprise Linux

+

+    
The ListenFree directive is

+    identical to the Listen directive. 

+    The only difference is in the usage of the IP_FREEBIND socket 

+    option, which is enabled by default with ListenFree. 

+    If IP_FREEBIND is enabled, it allows httpd to bind to an IP

+    address that is nonlocal or does not (yet) exist. This allows httpd to 

+    listen on a socket without requiring the underlying network interface

+    or the specified dynamic IP address to be up at the time when httpd

+    is trying to bind to it.

+    

+

+

+

 
ListenBackLog Directive

diff --git a/include/ap_listen.h b/include/ap_listen.h

index 58c2574..1a53292 100644

--- a/include/ap_listen.h

+++ b/include/ap_listen.h

@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listenbacklog(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy

 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listencbratio(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy, const char *arg);

 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,

                                                 int argc, char *const argv[]);

+AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_freelistener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,

+                                                    int argc, char *const argv[]);

+

 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_send_buffer_size(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,

                                                         const char *arg);

 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_receive_buffer_size(cmd_parms *cmd,

@@ -150,6 +153,8 @@ AP_INIT_TAKE1("ListenCoresBucketsRatio", ap_set_listencbratio, NULL, RSRC_CONF,

   "Ratio between the number of CPU cores (online) and the number of listeners buckets"), \

 AP_INIT_TAKE_ARGV("Listen", ap_set_listener, NULL, RSRC_CONF, \

   "A port number or a numeric IP address and a port number, and an optional protocol"), \

+AP_INIT_TAKE_ARGV("ListenFree", ap_set_freelistener, NULL, RSRC_CONF, \

+  "A port number or a numeric IP address and a port number, and an optional protocol"), \

 AP_INIT_TAKE1("SendBufferSize", ap_set_send_buffer_size, NULL, RSRC_CONF, \

   "Send buffer size in bytes"), \

 AP_INIT_TAKE1("ReceiveBufferSize", ap_set_receive_buffer_size, NULL, \

diff --git a/server/listen.c b/server/listen.c

index e2e028a..6ef664b 100644

--- a/server/listen.c

+++ b/server/listen.c

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ static int ap_listenbacklog;

 static int ap_listencbratio;

 static int send_buffer_size;

 static int receive_buffer_size;

+static int ap_listenfreebind;

 #ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD

 static int use_systemd = -1;

 #endif

@@ -162,6 +163,21 @@ static apr_status_t make_sock(apr_pool_t *p, ap_listen_rec *server, int do_bind_

     }

 #endif

+

+#if defined(APR_SO_FREEBIND)

+    if (ap_listenfreebind) {

+        if (apr_socket_opt_set(s, APR_SO_FREEBIND, one) < 0) {

+            stat = apr_get_netos_error();

+            ap_log_perror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_CRIT, stat, p, APLOGNO(02182)

+                          "make_sock: apr_socket_opt_set: "

+                          "error setting APR_SO_FREEBIND");

+            apr_socket_close(s);

+            return stat;

+       }

+   }

+#endif

+

+

     if (do_bind_listen) {

 #if APR_HAVE_IPV6

         if (server->bind_addr->family == APR_INET6) {

@@ -956,6 +972,7 @@ AP_DECLARE(void) ap_listen_pre_config(void)

     }

 }

+

 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,

                                                 int argc, char *const argv[])

 {

@@ -1016,6 +1033,14 @@ AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,

     return alloc_listener(cmd->server->process, host, port, proto, NULL);

 }

+AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_freelistener(cmd_parms *cmd, void *dummy,

+                                                    int argc,

+                                                    char *const argv[])

+{

+    ap_listenfreebind = 1;

+    return ap_set_listener(cmd, dummy, argc, argv);

+}

+

 AP_DECLARE_NONSTD(const char *) ap_set_listenbacklog(cmd_parms *cmd,

                                                      void *dummy,

                                                      const char *arg)